Rating: 
Summary: A novel about ugly ducklings and swans indeed!
Review: I haven't read a chick novel that's wittier than this one! Yes, I have read some good chick novels, but this is the best one! The story is about Jemima Jones: an overweight, wannabe journalist who's often patronized by her roommates and editors at the Kilburn Herald, a local newspaper in which she writes the Top Tips column. Jemima, at twenty-seven, is miserable. When she meets Brad, a gorgeous Californian over the Internet, Jemima decides to lose the weight and become the slim, gorgeous, gym-obsessed glamour girl she has always wanted to be. But is Brad the true love of her life? Or is it Ben Williams, a drop-dead gorgeous ex-colleague at the Kilburn Herald? I can't spoil the surprise, but ah, the irony. Anyway, as I've already mentioned, this is the best chick novel I have ever read. It is filled with every female fantasy you can think of. Indeed, it is a novel about ugly ducklings and swans. I devoured this book in one day. A must-read!
Rating: 
Summary: NOT EVEN A GOOD BEACH READ
Review: Let me just say "I'm sorry" in advance, because I know people hate negative reviews... but I must be honest! I felt this book wasn't worth my time or money. My main problems with it: 1) The author keeps switching from 1st person to 3rd person point of view. This meant that HulaHead had to keep rereading passages so she could figure out who was narrating and why. [Fun, isn't it?] 2) I can't buy the major plot line that stems from Jemima just learning how to surf the web in 2001, even though she's a GenXer who works for a newspaper just outside London. 3) The totally unrealistic weight loss. Does the world really need another story whose happy ending relies on little more than the woman losing weight? [NO!] This tale is just too fluffy -- even for a beach book, which is why I bought it. But, to balance out this negative review, I want to recommend two other recent books about modern single women that I really enjoyed: Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner, and The Trouble With Catherine by Andes Hruby. Either of these should satisfy any cravings for strong female characters.
Rating: 
Summary: This book was not worth the time or money.
Review: This book was horrible. I have to say it is the worst book I have ever read in my life. I picked it up because it had a good point. 'Big girl meets guy on internet and loses weight. Then realize that the guy she should have been with would have excepted her big.' But the story was all wrong. It was painful to keep reading it. I had to skip a few pages. That's how boring it was. I do not recommend this book to anyone. It is truly a boring read.
Rating:
Summary: She's no Bridget Jones!
Review: This is an AWFUL book. First, it's ...and not a very good one -- of the far superior _Bridget Jones_, by Helen Fielding. This book lacks the wit and depth of the Fielding book, and whereas Bridget J. comes across as a perceptive, intelligent (if sometimes misguided) heroine, Jemima J. sounds ...obsessed with her appearance and boys. Moreover, it's terribly written and not at all funny. I teach college English and I have undergraduates who can write better than this. Green writes in an amateurish, sing-songy style that she clearly thinks is cute and whimsical, but which comes across as whiny. Finally, this book's - and the heroine's - preoccupation with her appearance is not only boring, it's insulting as well. Not only does it imply that young women have nothing better to do than obsess about their weight, but the author seems to have no idea of what it's like to really be overweight. She claims that Jemima J. is 100 pounds overweight, and this makes her a size 14?? (Also, a size 14 is supposed to "really fat"???? Oh, please!!) I wear a size 14, and if I lost 100 pounds I'd weigh about as much as your average 4th grader. I do not recommend this book at all. If you want a funny and warm story about a great heroine, read Fielding's _Bridget Jones_ series instead!
Rating:
Summary: Uch, Totally Weight-ist and Stereotypical
Review: Ok, so the book started off cute and truthful. I really believed Jane Green was definitely a plus-sized female at one point. She really new how to explain emotional eating and took a great, creative, lighthearted approach at obesity. I had fun. Until Jemima's sudden weight loss ( she just developed this great motivation to lose weight one random day), where she decided to get thin to meet her internet boyfriend. First of all, internet boyfriend ? Can you be any more cliche than insinuating fat girls only can meet boys via the information superhighway ? Then the book goes on to make insane British stereotypes about Californians, L.A. and the state of gym-crazed twenty-somethings. And to top off the whole book, Jemima only became happy and snagged the man of her dreams when she was thin. What's the message ? you can't be fat (or even over 140 pds) and happy. Well, you can. Just ask any of the gorgeous plus sized models in today's magazines. If you're a fat girl or ex-fat girl, you'll be extremely irritated by this book. If you were never fat and a little shallow, you will probably enjoy this book and laugh. But when you read it, think about the underlining messages. These messages are blatantly weight-ist and unfounded.
Rating: 
Summary: Strictly beach reading....
Review: Many people have stated that this book is shallow, and has somewhat irritating stereotypes. I don't disagree with that, but I must praise Jane Green for writing an excellent beach book. If you're in the "Pretty Woman" mood, then this will serve your needs and is just escapist fun. There were actually more than a couple moments where I related to what Jemima put herself through to be thin, and the subsequent revelation that it really won't make your life any better. Yes, the plot/ending itself is rather implausible and absurd, but Green gets Jemima's emotions down pretty good. You can redeem yourself by reading The Corrections afterwards.
Rating:
Summary: Horribly written
Review: I didn't think the plot was very well developed, and I didn't particularly buy into the assumptions underlying the story, but all would have been forgiven if the novel had been witty and well executed. Very disappointing!
Rating:
Summary: i'm thoroughly unamused and quite annoyed
Review: Warning: I may have to spoil the ending in order to get my point across. My friend raved about this book, claiming it was hilarious and quite addicting. Naturally, I borrowed it from her. Truth be told, it was addicting and I could hardly wait to finish the book. But it was so impossibly shallow. Now, I'm by no means overweight nor do I know how it feels, but this book shows that you must be thin and blonde for men to notice you? Thankfully, most people have moved beyond that stereotype and realized that you don't have to be blonde and skinny to be beautiful. And what the heck is up with the ending? Does anyone think Ben would have noticed Jemima if she hadn't gotten thin? If she were still large, Ben never would have liked her as more then a friend. But no, he's like "Hey, brilliant, blonde, and gorgeous. Let's have sex and get married." I didn't hate the book, but I don't think the message it conveys is a good one. I'll just say I was rather annoyed by the stereotypes and Jane Green's shallow views.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Read....If You're 12
Review: I bought this book shortly after the "Bridgit Jones" phenom, thinking it would be a fun read. Wrong! I was reading books with more intellect and better writing styles than "Jemima J" when I was 12. To make a long story short, it's a very bland read with a forgettable character, an unreal plot (Jemima drops 100 lbs. in three months), and dialogue that is so bad it's almost amusing. Jane Green is making a small fortune writing awful books. If you're over the age of 14, hopefully you'll be smart enough not to contribute to it.
Rating:
Summary: Don't Take It Too Seriously
Review: This is a "fun" book suitable for the beach or on an airplane.
| 
