Maneater

Rating:
Summary: Nobody walks in L.A.
Review: What a read! I think the Steve Martin quote on the back cover says it all- "Women aren't really like this, are they?" Needless to say, Maneater is a witty and sharp insider's view into the material world of Hollywood. Clarissa wants it all and wants it NOW. She is a social climber who gets what she wants and doesn't let her friends (aka the Star Chamber) or her mother stop her. She gets what she's after, all right, but her story is one that will keep you laughing, gasping, and ultimately, reading. The characters are fresh and funny-I especially love her Bolivian/Jewish mother. Take this novel for the satire that it is, and you will truly enjoy reading Maneater.

Rating:
Summary: Four and 1/2 actually for this chick lit!
Review: With her curves and overall maneating charisma, Clarissa Alpert is woman who is a bit smarter than she comes off (much like Jessica Simpson). Going after what she wants with a selfish, but somehow innocent mentality, whether it be a handbag or a man, makes this character endearing. Yet despite everything she's got, Clarissa does not have Mr. Right, and the diamond encrusted biological clock is ticking.

Enter the man she sets her sights on. An up and coming Hollywood "it" producer. Clarissa knows that this man has everything...except her. As things progress Clarissa gets to shop for wedding gowns, rent halls, choose the food, basically plan a fantastic wedding with all the trimmings. Now all she has to do is convince the groom-to-be to marry her. And not only that, but she has to make him think it was all his idea.

Clarissa has her work cut out for her, but for once is it really she who is pulling a fast one? Will her and her Vera Wang dreams live happily ever after?

Read this light, funny book to find out! I personally enjoyed this more than The Devil Wears Prada, and I think its just as good as the Shopaholic series.

Rating:
Summary: "Maneater" spits it out
Review: Gigi Levangie Grazer's "Maneater" is the evil sister of "Sex and the City." It tries hard to turn into some sort of glitzy Hollywood morality tale wrapped in the story of a former "It" girl. But it's too strained, limp and irritating to be more than self-conscious urban chic-lit.

Clarissa Alpert is twenty-eight (real age: thirty-one) and needs a husband. Since she has no skills, no independent income, and her dad may stop sending her money, she needs a rich husband before she hits her "marry by" date. She's slept with every rich'n'powerful guy in Hollywood, but the man she needs is rich producer Aaron Mason.

She dates him. They get married very quickly. She uses a turkey baster on their wedding night to make sure that she gets pregnant. But the next morning he reveals that his incredibly wealthy parents have disowned him, and they're going to live at a struggling-actor apartment complex. Clarissa, being quite spoiled, is appalled. But she struggles to maintain her life in the dingy apartment... until she learns that Aaron has some weird secrets of his own.

Hollywood is one of those places that just asks to be spoofed. And Grazer does a passable job. Her satire is over-the-top, but cute enough to be vaguely amusing. Not everybody there is like Clarissa and her cohorts, but there are enough that a book like "Maneater" is inevitable. So... whatever. Such satire is amusing in itself.

What "Maneater" lacks is good writing. It drags on a lot longer than it should, and too little gets accomplished. Once Clarissa marries Aaron, the only semi-surprising development is that she actually lives in the dingy apartment. Name-dropping, sex-related talk and plenty of whining fill in the gaps between plot developments. (Of which there aren't many)

Clarissa is a not-so-good character from the start. She's selfish, spoiled, vain, artificial and described as being sociopathic. So by the time she has a sudden change of heart, you may not care. You may want a Clarissa voodoo doll instead. Supporting characters are caricatures -- shallow pals, hunky ex-boyfriend, annoying quirky parents, and an equally annoying husband.

"Maneater" is an overlong piece of froth. Like Clarissa's mother, it's too thin and weird to be much more than a failed satire.

Rating:
Summary: Witty, Original Summer Read
Review: I thought this book was alot of fun! An easy read, I finished it in a day. In the legions of chick lit, this book stands out because of the originality of the characters. Clarissa is audacious, spoiled and selfish and yet she is written in a way that you can't help but love her. I did think the resolution of the major plotline was a little thin at the end, but I enjoyed the ride. Very well written (in comparision to the Devil Wears Prada) and is filled with all kids of witty jabs at the Hollywood/LA scene. I loved it!

Rating:
Summary: Just a bit too trendy¿
Review: Thirty-something (she's perennially 28) Clarissa Alpert has no job, no mate, but fabulous shoes and friends! However, Clarissa decides it's getting time for her to catch herself a man to settle down with and sets her sights on Aaron Mason, the latest, hottest new producer in town. With the help of her four friends (one who seems like a Paris Hilton copy(...)) Clarissa starts to plan the wedding of her dreams, before the couple even has a first date! Clarissa gets what Clarissa wants, so landing Aaron shouldn't be a problem...should it? Clarissa does get a bit on the nerves occasionally, and sometimes all the trendy nods in the book makes it feel like it will be quickly dated. However, it was mostly a fun read, since Clarissa is quite the unpredictable character!

Rating:
Summary: "Maneater" spits it out
Review: Gigi Levangie Grazer's "Maneater" is the evil sister of "Sex and the City." It tries hard to turn into some sort of glitzy Hollywood morality tale wrapped in the story of a former "It" girl. But it's too strained, limp and irritating to be more than self-conscious urban chic-lit.

Clarissa Alpert is twenty-eight (real age: thirty-one) and needs a husband. Since she has no skills, no independent income, and her dad may stop sending her money, she needs a rich husband before she hits her "marry by" date. She's slept with every rich'n'powerful guy in Hollywood, but the man she needs is rich producer Aaron Mason.

She dates him. They get married very quickly. She uses a turkey baster on their wedding night to make sure that she gets pregnant. But the next morning he reveals that his incredibly wealthy parents have disowned him, and they're going to live at a struggling-actor apartment complex. Clarissa, being quite spoiled, is appalled. But she struggles to maintain her life in the dingy apartment... until she learns that Aaron has some weird secrets of his own.

Hollywood is one of those places that just asks to be spoofed. And Grazer does a passable job. Her satire is over-the-top, but cute enough to be vaguely amusing. Not everybody there is like Clarissa and her cohorts, but there are enough that a book like "Maneater" is inevitable. So... whatever. Such satire is amusing in itself.

What "Maneater" lacks is good writing. It drags on a lot longer than it should, and too little gets accomplished. Once Clarissa marries Aaron, the only semi-surprising development is that she actually lives in the dingy apartment. Name-dropping, sex-related talk and plenty of whining fill in the gaps between plot developments. (Of which there aren't many)

Clarissa is a not-so-good character from the start. She's selfish, spoiled, vain, artificial and described as being sociopathic. So by the time she has a sudden change of heart, you may not care. You may want a Clarissa voodoo doll instead. Supporting characters are caricatures -- shallow pals, hunky ex-boyfriend, annoying quirky parents, and an equally annoying husband.

"Maneater" is an overlong piece of froth. Like Clarissa's mother, it's too thin and weird to be much more than a failed satire.

Rating:
Summary: Good Chic Lit
Review: I read this book in no time. A fun, smart chic lit story and I could picture the characters and their fun escapades and goings-on. Don't miss it for a fun ride!

Rating:
Summary: How the Other Half Lives
Review: What a fun, quick read! It is so much better than the other "chick lit" novels I have read of late. I could just picture Clarissa and Paris Hilton hanging out at The Ivy. Definitely recommended for a fast entertaining read.

Rating:
Summary: A SMART AND SASSY READING
Review: Celebrated film star Uma Thurman (Pulp Fiction, Batman and Robin) gives a smart, sassy, and sexy reading to this story of a gal who has everything and wants more.

Clarissa Alpert's roster of exes are Hollywood VIPs. But, the dreaded 30 +2 is approaching, and she needs something or someone to affirm her position in celebrity land. When she sets her wide eyes on Aaron Mason, the most talked about producer to enter the celluloid scene, Clarissa hesitates not a minute before deciding he'll be the next to meet her at the altar.

Her dream may just come true with a little help from her friends and relatives - an outre Latin American Mom, a never-saw-a-woman-he-didn't-like Dad, and a mischievious gay waiter. Clarissa is planning the wedding to end all weddings. Never mind that there's been no proposal.

Is it really true that whatever Clarissa wants Clarissa gets?

Relax and let Uma tell you all about it.

- Gail Cooke

Rating:
Summary: Happy as a Piglet!
Review: I was browsing the 1 week rental self at the library when a shiny pink book jacket caught my eye. I am so glad I cut off the woman in front of me and grabbed Maneater right before SHE got it. Clarissa is DEFINETLY one of a kind! I thouroughly enjoyed this book and its characters, and as previously said, I read it all in one sitting. My husband kept asking me if I was laughing or choking as I read this book. The details, thoughts, and actions that guide Ms. Alpert and her friends throughout this book are truly unbelieveable, yet undeniable. Who doesn't know women like this? Even he had to laugh at some of the scenes. It's off the hook!