Rating: 
Summary: I couldn't put it down, BUT...
Review: It's an odd thing about this book: the "fat" Jemima J (who at 217 pounds wouldn't exactly be freakishly obese), is a richly detailed, likable character. The thin Jemima is nauseatingly perfect, and has no sense of humor. And every character other than Jemima is completely two-dimensional--everyone is either great or awful. And why does "fat" Jemima have to be such a loser? Sheeeesh! Most fat girls have more than two friends. This book is really clever at the beginning, but it turns into Harlequin drivel about halfway in. The ending was so dull and predictable it drove me nuts. And here's my biggest issue with "Jemima J." Why couldn't she have just become a fat swan? If Jemima is so gorgeous when she's thin, chances are she was pretty when she was fat, too. This book is going to make a lot of women feel bad about their bodies, even though it tries not to.
Rating: 
Summary: LOVE IT!
Review: I loved this book! When the flap said suprise ending, they mean it! I took this book to jury duty, and while i was waiting, a young man commented that the book I was reading must have been good, my face was lighting up and falling down faster than I could read! A great read for people who like chatting on the internet, thart's what made me pick it up.
Rating: 
Summary: Read it, lived it, loved it!
Review: Oh, the trying times we live in! Skinniness is in, curves are out and poor Jemima is an ugly (but sweet and pretty - just fat!) duckling in a bitchy world. She embodies many of the feelings I have on a daily basis, and even though I am far from 100 pounds overweight, I still know the struggles Jemima encounters in this novel. All I can say is: read it, embrace it and beware of men you meet on the internet!!
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining overall, but fails in the details
Review: First of all, I must say that I really did find this book very entertaining. In fact, I found it compulsively readable, and although I was in the middle of another book when I started Jemima J, that other book was promptly left to languish on my nightstand until I finished this one. This is a good novel to read poolside; it will hold your attention.However, the more I think about this book, the more annoyed with it I get. As they say, God is in the details, and this book gets a lot of them wrong. First, I was annoyed by Jemima's idea that Americans (and particularly Californians) don't "get" sarcasm. Uh, sorry, that's just not true. Southern California gets the short end of the stick in other ways as well. The whole idea that if you enter a Starbucks and just ask for a "cappuccino" (without prefacing it with a lot of adjectives like "nonfat," "half-caf," etc.), people will gawk at you as if you're a freak is completely tired, not to mention inaccurate. Also, I seriously doubt that the bookstores in Santa Monica contain nothing but books on the film industry. Give me a break. Plus, the clothes Jemima chooses after she loses the weight sound ridiculous and outdated--not stuff you would wear if you wanted to look beautiful (if you wanted to look cheap, maybe). Even the name of Brad's gym is hopelessly lame--"B-Fit"? Please. This stuff gets really annoying after a while. In addition, as somebody else on this page has mentioned, Jemima's initial weight of about 200 lbs., at a height of 5'7", is not as huge as Green makes her out to be. Of course, this could be the fault of the U.S. editors who Americanized the text. In fact, since Green was presumably writing not for an American audience but rather for her fellow Englishwomen, most of the above gripes can be forgiven. Harder to forgive are the more major annoyances. First, our romantic hero, Ben. I believe that he's good-looking, and he sounds perfectly nice, but I'm not convinced he's all that deep. His character is not developed enough to give us a real window into his psyche; instead he just seems a little slow on the uptake. Plus, if his feelings for Jemima are based on who she IS (as opposed to what she looks like), why did they not develop before she lost all the weight? Additionally, Brad's ridiculous "shocking secret," revealed at the end, borders on the implausible--if all he wanted was a trophy girlfriend, why did he need to import one from England? Surely somebody that good-looking and successful could have found someone nearby. Green's lack of attention to these matters undermines the story she's trying to tell. Plus, as other reviewers have noted, the way the book switches back and forth between first person and omniscient third person gets irritating and just doesn't work. Ultimately, I would say the book is somewhat shallow and not very well-thought-out. Plus, it's not funny; you won't laugh out loud the way you will with Helen Fielding and Nick Hornby. Jane Green is certainly not on a level with Marian Keyes. Read this if you must, but keep in mind--you've been warned.
Rating: 
Summary: Take it along to the beach
Review: A quick easy read containing no real depth or insight. Translation; a good book to read at the beach or when the kids are under foot.
Rating:
Summary: .....and she became a beautiful swan!
Review: I LOVED this book! Yes, it does go along the lines of Bridget Jones and all those clones, but I'm addicted to them and was totally thrilled with this novel. Jemima is a wonderful role model. She's smart, talented, determined and dedicated. She makes her dreams come true, which I'm sure all of us hope to do one day. The true ugly duckling fairy tale!
Rating: 
Summary: What a horrible book!
Review: Jemima J is FULL of trite writing and ridiculous stereotypes, not just regarding overweight women, but men, Californians, thin people... Honestly, how many times can an author describe a person as a "gorgeous Californian babe"--who talks like that anyway? Jane Green's description of Internet usage was almost painful to read--yes, we get it, "LOL" means "laughed out loud." The switching from first person to omniscient third person served to pound any subtleties out of the writing; Jane Green must have thought her readers would be completely oblivious to the plot were it not for her to make everything so ridiculously obvious. The only reason I finished reading this book was that I made the mistake of paying for it and listened to the bookstore clerk's recommendation that it was like Bridget Jones. It's NOTHING like Bridget Jones, both of which books were wonderful, witty, and humorous. Save your money, or better yet, buy the Bridget Jones books instead.
Rating:
Summary: Great book - one problem
Review: This was a really fun, compulsively readable book that I could not put down. As I read I kept thinking, "oh my God, this could be me" - right down to the internet relationship. What other reviewers have written is true, this is a great book, except for one thing - the message is a little skewed in that only when Jemima becomes thin do things start to go right for her, and does she get the attention of Ben, the man she's always loved. This book just reinforces bad body image for women, in that you must wait until you are thin to be happy (and nearly starve yourself doing it if necessary). This is the kind of media message we should be trying to eradicate and overcome, not reinforce.
Rating:
Summary: Scary!
Review: Talk about total identification with the character and story...its amazing...like a reflection in one of those funny mirrors.I want more Jane Green.
Rating:
Summary: BLOODY BRILLIANT!
Review: I have only one question: why the heck doesn't Amazon.com sell the rest of Jane Green's books? It's criminal! Was this book unrealistic? Well... it wasn't really, what I mean is- the basic outcome of the story was put into motion at the beginning of the story and I totally felt as though the author was telling us that regardless of the weight loss it was all destiny. Nothing would have changed what was to happen. I loved the character of Jemima, she was very well written and as for the ugly stepsister/roommates, I could swear I lived with one of them! I really recommend this Jem (sorry, I couldn't help it).
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