Rating: 
Summary: Great book to pass on to your friends!
Review: I really enjoyed this book. It was definately one of those books which I could not put down. It is a great story of a women who transforms herself in order to create the life she wants, but in the process discovers that she is a great person. This book shows what one can accomplish if they really want it, but it also makes you realize that you can not anticipate what perfect is for you. I have already given the book to several friends who have also enjoyed it. It is a fun read.
Rating: 
Summary: The Perfect Summer Beach Book
Review: I started this book on a Saturday morning and finished by spending a wonderful Sunday morning in bed. It's the perfect summer beach book and a delightful twist on the classic fairy tale "Cinderella." Jemima J could be me as she could be a lot of real women. It was great to escape and live through Jemima's tale for the weekend. There's a Prince with whom Jemima may live happily ever after (I'm not telling who it really is), a Fairy Godmother (though she's more like a sister than a mother), and even 2 Evil Stepsister (though they're not as much evil as just plain tarts). If you're looking for some really deep message about eating disorders and our relationship to food, you won't find it here. What you will find is a wonderfully addictive book about life, love, fate, destiny and the trials and tribulations of learning to love the person that inhabits your skin. Jemima summed up the book when she said, "I do believe in fate, but I also believe that we control our own destinies, and I'm not sure which I believe in more."
Rating: 
Summary: well, jemima j..
Review: Hmm... well, miss x the genxpert has not finished the book yet and am limited on time.. but couldnt resist feedback.. great coverartwork, eh? so.. I DID review it as good for staying up so late you see shadows, and the author writes same style fiction as I do, so this is one for the frilly pink stereotypical female covers that I specialize in! Would like to sit around an Oprah coffee klatch with the author, although yes, the dialogue is QUITE confusing (WHERE was the editor? third person/ first?), I read the other customer reviews and agree with much of it.. I suggest u read MORe stories on this fruitful topic.Many seem to be emphasizing that the character did not eat 'at all.' Actually, she just ate VERY low cal, binged, and DID get obsessive, as I have and as my books show the storyof having lost over 50 lbs and now present my self as a 'blond gorgeous babe',(other peoples opinion.)Some of the dialogue is SPOT ON, as far as how men speak to u and TREAT you AFTER u dye your hair and lose much weight. I understand the triteness of this, but for those who have experienced it, or, like I , built a CAREER out of writing and singing about eating disorders and body image,u'll get it. This book is written by a media woman who worked in 'glossy mags', and it shows. Good phrasing, some REAL SQUIRMY scenes that make ya wanna slap the characters for their low self esteem and little confidence as women, other than that, it's fun to read 'cept for the little snide remark made by Jemima 'Being american, he may be a bit thick' (stupid).' ha! watch it, authoress!wendy w cleveland oh actress/singer.writer
Rating: 
Summary: Don't let your daughter read this book
Review: Even though this book is British, it can still be obtained in the U.S. and cause detrimental effects on younger and even older women. In this book it seems that an eating disorder is glorified, and that by becoming thin one is happy. Only in the epilogue does the author state that now Jemima is a "normal" size, a 10,and she is extremely happy. Why couldn't she attain her goals when she was overweight? And how bad is it for girls to read that a boy didn't like her when she was overweight but feel in love with the skinny version???
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Fabulous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: I can't believe that I hadn't heard more about this book when I decided to download it to my ebook, but I am so glad that I did. As I read it, I realized that not only am I Jemima J, but so are so many other women. Initially, I was a bit concerned because I felt like by portraying "JJ" as this perfect creature once she lost the weight, the book was saying what society constantly says, "You are a better person if you are a thinner person." But, I believe that once you really analyze the story, you realize they are really saying just the opposite. Jemima J was beautiful at 217 lbs and she was beautiful at 120 lbs. The book is really amazing. I don't want to give too much of the story away, but I believe that it is something that everyone can relate to in some capacity. The only complaint I have is that I was sad to have read it so quickly. It definitely left me wanting more!
Rating:
Summary: This novel has a mixed message!
Review: Most people who read this have probably read the other reviews and are familiar with the plot and characters, so I won't get into too much detail describing it. At the end of the novel, Jane Green seems to be saying that women shouldn't be obsessed with weight, that we should love ourselves the way we are. Great message. But she has Ben, the man who Jemima has been in love with all along fall in love with Jemima only after Jemima loses 100 lbs. Ben isn't portrayed as being shallow, either. It seems that if Green wanted to really send the message of loving yourself no matter what your weight is and to show that Jemima now loved herself, she'd have had her ask Ben why the hell he didn't decide he was in love with her when she was fat. Then she would have told him to get lost! Instead they get together. Probably the way the novel goes is more realistic, but if Green was trying to be realistic she should have skipped the message. And the way Jemima loses the weight, very quickly and with little loss of energy or other physical problems, and the way she never seems to obsess about food again, doesn't seem too realistic to me! Another annoying thing is the pitiful lives Green seems to imply that fat women have. When Jemima is fat, she has no self-esteem and lets herself be totally stepped on by others, even though she realizes she has a good mind, a great sense of humor and a pretty face. I realize this is just a novel, but since it seems to be one with a "message", why did it have to be implied that fat people have no friends and are treated like dirt because they're fat? Jemima dresses in frumpy clothes--sure, the clothing choices go down when you're overweight, but you'd have thought she could have found something more attractive. Green makes the fat Jemima the most pathetic, sad, frumpy, dumped-on person imaginable, then has her life totally turn around when she loses the weight. There are plenty of thin people who have low self-esteem, few friends and are dumped on by others, and plenty of "fat" women who are the exact opposite. If Green was trying to send the message not to be obsessed with weight, she sent a very mixed one instead. Some people who complained about the Bridget Jones books said that Bridget was obsessed with men and her weight, had low self-esteem, acted stupid, didn't grow as the novels progressed, and so on, but those books were supposed to be COMEDY--the characters are meant to be laughed at and to be in some cases caricatures! Often comedic characters don't grow that much, but their mistakes are funny. But "Jemima J" seems to have been written as a more serious novel with a message. I'd recommend that anyone who feels themselves to have a larger body type than is deemed "beautiful" by society and who has problems of self-esteem because of this, **stay away from this book** because it'll only be depressing. If you're looking for a good, light story and you're able to not take things like dieting and weight loss seriously you might enjoy the book.
Rating: 
Summary: A weighty disappointment
Review: I was excited to start this book, thinking back on the recent crop of British 20 something stories that have entered the market. This book was a real disappointment. The most annoying part of this book is the way the author narrates from time to time, explaining the upcoming scene or the characters' feelings, in third person. The story is thin and predictable and the characters are one dimensional. A waste of time.
Rating:
Summary: I really wanted to like this book.
Review: I have to say right up front that this book is the first I've everread that is written in see-saw POVs, one being that of someoff-screen 'all-seeing' narrator who is bent on giving us all theseinsider views into what different people are really thinking. It makesfor a jerky reading experience. The moment you're into a scene, all ofsudden you're jerked out and into the mind of the narrator. I found itannoying and will go to lengths not to attempt another book written inthis manner. This book had the potential to make a statement aboutthe way some women handle how they are viewed in society today. In myopinion, it failed. Jemima Jones is overweight and not happy. Men justdon't respond to her the way they do other (read: thin) women. In aneffort to escape her unhappiness, she turns to her newly acquiredInternet knowledge and immediately gets involved in a chat room, witha participant named Brad, from California while pining for fellowco-worker, Ben, who sees Jemima as a friend, but little more. Add tothis mix a mother obsessed with thinness, two roommates, who-quitefrankly-are twits and a female co-worker, Geraldine, whoseshallowness is somewhat redeemed later in the story when she takesJemima under her wing (although I had to wonder just what hermotivation was).As Jemima becomes more cyber-involved with Brad,she finds her weight dropping. When he asks for her photo, she sendshim a digitally altered version. He's overjoyed. She's beautiful!!Thus begins Jemima's sojourn into shallowness and where the book failswomen. You see, Brad now wants to meet this stunning goddess, and shedecides to fly to L.A. to meet him. Serious doubts about her sanityfor doing this aside, I'm deeply disappointed that the author plungedJemima into a dangerous weight loss routine for all the wrongreasons. One would think that after reading the chilling stories ofeating disorders, the author would have at least played up the mainreason for which people should lose excess weight - - health. Oneshould NOT view losing weight as a way to gain acceptance and truelove. Yes, we are a planet obsessed with weight and how it equates(illogically) to beauty. I wish the author would have taken this bookand used it as a way to blow these equations sky high....At thevery end of the book...Jemima decides to...not obsess as much with herweight. [Unfortunately, it is] too little, too late - and for allthe wrong reasons.
Rating:
Summary: Jemima=Me?
Review: I very much identified with the first Jemima Jones that we meet in the novel. Her life and self mirror my own and Ms.Green does a wonderful job at painting the big picture on life as a bigger woman. I enjoyed the first part of the novel immensely, but couldnt help feeling a little let down as the book wore on. By not eating and bordering dangerously on being obsessive with exercise Jemima shows that she can lose weight and emerges into a thin and new woman. But what was frightening to me was the picture painted of her weight loss...the author glorified the way in which she did it (not eating, mind you) and although it was necessary to fill us in on all of the attention she did receive as a thin woman...I felt a little let down. The only thing which she concentrated on was Jemima's physical appearance and seemed to leave "herself" in the dust. Plus, I thought that the plot was a little absurd towards the end. While I realize that the author included the little scandal between Jenny and Brad to make women feel better, it only showed that she was hypocritical. Basically, she said that if you're "bigger" you have to hide away somewhere and bow down to thinner women. I didnt like that message and also felt the character development was a bit weak. The ending was perfect though (a little too perfect), but despite everything negative the ending did leave me weeping. This book is definitely recommened by me, but dont be suprised if you feel a little let down as the novel wears on.
Rating:
Summary: Worth a read, but confused in its message
Review: I'm assuming that this book is supposed to be something of a fairy tale- Sort of Cinderella Meets Slim Fast. The point of view even changes throughout the book, from Jemima's "I's", to a third person who comments, narrarates, passes judgement, and hints at the future. I found this book to be contradictory or even hypocritical, and I don't know if there is supposed to be meaning in this. Jemima is hugely overweight and desperately wants to be thin. Ironically, all the attractive and thin people she knows are horrid, but the story doesn't seem to recognize this situation. Her best bud Geraldine is put forth as shallow and "selfish" and is only somewhat redeemed by her friendship with the fat girl. Her roommates are what are commonly known as "hootchie mamas," and the highly attractive woman in a bar who hits on Ben (Jemima's crush) is basically a loose woman herself. If the purpose of this book is that we shouldn't judge a book by its cover (a theme blatantly discussed), then it's a bit contradictory to make the fat woman the sympathetic character and all the attractive people snotty losers. It's just reverse discrimination. The other problem is that Jemima may be fat, but she has a beautiful face. Soo, does this mean that if you are fat with an *ugly* face, you are a lost cause...? The other problem with this book is (as discussed in other reviews) the obsession with exercise and restriction of food intake. The extreme efforts she goes to to get thin aren't resolved in a satisfactory way to demonstrate that one doesn't have to be extreme in being skinny in order to love oneself- there's just a little epilogue that cleans it all up in one page and it was a little dissatisfactory. I was irritated that the great conquest in Jemima's life was getting Mr. Wonderful and NOT accepting herself as evidenced by the fact that the book peaks with Mr. Wonderful falling in love with her (now that she's THIN), and not with any sort of internal growth and acceptance of herself and her issues. She doesn't even realize that the grass isn't as green on the other side. It's just frustrating. I wanted the dramatic external change to be reflected by an internal. I read carefully, looking for this message, and if it is in there, I missed it. I wouldn't be so harsh on the plot and message, but the pseudo-narrarator keeps making a big deal about how Jemima is a role model and we should strive to be like her, particularly towards the end- Yeah, I don't think so, particularly with the foolish things she does with regard to men (oh my). I do appreciate the fact that she is healthier and at least not eating 2 bacon sandwiches as a snack and she is working out instead of getting winded from climbing stairs. It's worth a read, it's got a couple of giggles in it and it's a fast read. Maybe wait till paperback, though, because this book doesn't have the Grand Message it seems to want to have.
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