Rating: 
Summary: Loved it...
Review: I ordered this book from ... because I loved Lisa's first 2 books, Ralph's Party and Thirtynothing. I really thought that it was a fun book. It was an easy read that was different from most of the chick-lit books that are out there. I am a fan of the books that don't follow the usual recipe that most follow (and if you are fan of the "chick-lit" books, you know what I am talking about). This one does not disappoint.
Rating:
Summary: A great mystery in an amazing novel
Review: I picked this book out on a whim. I'm more of the light-hearted reader, my favorites books were the Shopaholic series, but this caught me. I'm a sucker for any well-written romance, so I wasn't so passionate about getting through this book at first. Let me tell you, it is, to date, the best novel I have ever read. The beginning is a little slow, but you are immediately hit with compassion for each and every character, for different reasons.
Jewell creates an extremely enticing world in this novel, with a cast of characters that everyone can relate to. I've always said that good writing is shown when you forget the writer and even the fact that you're reading; when you believe that the story is present day and you are surrounded by the current situation. Jewell does just that, but keeps it light-hearted. Because of the plotline, you keep turning pages. But because of the characters, you keep reading. And about that romance thing, Jewell does a great job in that department. I encourage you to enter this world that she's created, and enjoy every word of it. (I'm going to go order her other books.)
Rating: 
Summary: I could "see" the characters !!!
Review: I really enjoyed this book. The writing is relaxed and confident. Having the two perspectives of Anna and Bee was a great contrast. Anna ia a bit of a wallflower who embarks on a journey to find out why her estranged sister Bee, a faded pop star, committed suicide. Bee's history is revealed truthfully but without judgement. While the premise seems grim, the combination of Anna's wise observations of people and her own path to personal fulfillment makes for a tremendous story.
Rating: 
Summary: Voyeurs
Review: I thought I would challenge my natural male fear of these 'Chick Lit' books, when unlucky enough to come across this one...... but it turns out that my taste, that is, for well written literature, can just not be over-come. This is bad, bad writing - bad characters, bad dialogue, bad plot - but since it is a book for lonely Auntie Mildreds past their sell-by date, none of this is important, the attraction of these books are psychological, not literary. By reading about prettier, thinner women finding the 'Flint' (please, no) of their dreams, the need for love is momentarily satisfied. What a cheap illusion. Silly girlies: even if you dont want to be taken seriously yourself, PLEASE stop insulting femalekind everywhere by buying stupid mindnumbing drivel like this.
Rating:
Summary: Light reading that is well written, enjoyable, and addictive
Review: I was curious about "One-Hit Wonder" from the moment I read the one paragraph teaser months before the book was published - the unexpected death of a thirtysomething pop star leads her younger sister to figure out what happened. Once I got my hands on a copy and feverishly read it, I was sad. I was sad because books this good should never end. Author Lisa Jewell does a lot of things well in "One-Hit Wonder." What she does best is build anticipation. As the story unfolds you are compelled to read just one more page, then one more page, and eventually it's 1:00 a.m. and you've moved past 30 pages. Lisa accomplishes this by introducing fascinating characters and throwing you in real-time into their experiences. Next, every character, setting, and experience is vividly written to a high level of realism. No matter what happens in the story - however fantastic - I kept thinking, "Yep, I can totally see this happening." Finally, the plot unfolds to perfection. At 352 pages it has plenty of time to develop. There's many people to meet, experiences to absorb, and motivations to understand. But in the end, everything falls perfectly into place. I recommend "One-Hit Wonder" as highly as I recommend Lisa Jewell's first novel, "Ralph's Party." They are both light reading that is well written, enjoyable, and addictive until the end.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best novels I have read in a long time
Review: I'm an extremely avid reader, and I find that so many of the books I read are okay, with no obvious flaws, but certainly nothing to write home about either. Often, the characters experience unrealistic dilemmas, are victims of unbelievable coincidences, and frustratingly repeat the same stupid patterns over and over again. Happily, One Hit Wonder was a refreshing, delightful change. Ana Wills, a gangly 25 year old living with her mother in the London countryside, has just been informed of the death of her much older half-sister, Bee Bearhorn. When Ana was only four years old, Bee went off to London to live with her own father and to pursue stardom--which came to her briefly with a hit single in the mid-1980s. At the time of her death, Bee had been estranged from Ana and her mother for over a decade, but as Bee's only surviving relatives, they are her only inheritants. At her mother's insistence, Ana goes to London on what is supposed to be a day trip to pack up Bee's things. Once there, however, she finds herself enraptured by Bee's friends and caught up in the mystery of Bee's life and death, the latter of which may or may not have been a suicide. Jewell's true-to-life characters react in ways that seem real rather than contrived. She keeps the reader interested with flashbacks into Bee's past, which makes for an engrossing, absorbing read with a satisfying conclusion. Overall, this book was even better than Jewell's previous book, Thirty Nothing, and so I'm looking forward to reading her next one.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best novels I have read in a long time
Review: I'm an extremely avid reader, and I find that so many of the books I read are okay, with no obvious flaws, but certainly nothing to write home about either. Often, the characters experience unrealistic dilemmas, are victims of unbelievable coincidences, and frustratingly repeat the same stupid patterns over and over again. Happily, One Hit Wonder was a refreshing, delightful change. Ana Wills, a gangly 25 year old living with her mother in the London countryside, has just been informed of the death of her much older half-sister, Bee Bearhorn. When Ana was only four years old, Bee went off to London to live with her own father and to pursue stardom--which came to her briefly with a hit single in the mid-1980s. At the time of her death, Bee had been estranged from Ana and her mother for over a decade, but as Bee's only surviving relatives, they are her only inheritants. At her mother's insistence, Ana goes to London on what is supposed to be a day trip to pack up Bee's things. Once there, however, she finds herself enraptured by Bee's friends and caught up in the mystery of Bee's life and death, the latter of which may or may not have been a suicide. Jewell's true-to-life characters react in ways that seem real rather than contrived. She keeps the reader interested with flashbacks into Bee's past, which makes for an engrossing, absorbing read with a satisfying conclusion. Overall, this book was even better than Jewell's previous book, Thirty Nothing, and so I'm looking forward to reading her next one.
Rating:
Summary: WHAT A GREAT STORY!!
Review: I'm not sure what I was expecting from this book, but whatever it was, I got more. This is not your typical Brit Chic Lit. This is the story of Ana, shy, quiet, self-effacing who is sent to London by her overbearing mother to pack up the belongings of her half-sister Bee who has died suddenly. Ana barely knew her half-sister who was several years old than she, but had always imagined that her life was glamorous and fun-filled. But after arriving in London, going through Bee's things and meeting
some of Bee's friends, a different picture of Bee emerges. Ana finds that Bee's life seems to be a mystery on top of a mystery. She becomes determined to find out all she can about Bee's life and what led her to suicide. This story is beautifully told. I couldn't stop reading, although did not want the book to end. This is the one of the best books I've read in a long time.
Rating:
Summary: Warm, full of hope, well done
Review: I'm so glad that more books from the UK are being published here in the US, making it easier (and less expensive) for those of us who are hooked. One Hit Wonder is truly different from many of the books of this genre - it's all about solving a mystery. No, not a blood 'n guts, running through the alley mystery. This is about Ana solving the mystery of herself, with her (dead) sister providing the guidance, if you will. It's sad in places, very funny in others, but engrossing throughout. From the synopsis, you can see that Ana comes to London to collect her dead (from apparent suicide) sister's things. She ends up staying on with Bee's friends and finding out more about herself (and her sister, her family) in a few weeks than she has in her whole life. Naturally, she find love, but even that is a quirky, odd story that adds to the charm of the book.
Rating:
Summary: One Word- Amazing!
Review: Just when I thought that Lisa Jewell could not write another novel that was better than her first two novels, I am happy to say I was very mistaken. Actually, "One-Hit Wonder" her third novel would have to be her greatest achievement as an author today.
It is the story of Ana Willis a 25 year old woman who has grown up very shy and awkward in a small town in England, there are two reasons behind her awkwardness the first being she is about 5"11 and is very skinny and gets picked on by the boys in the town, the second is that her half-sister is Bee Bearhorn a beautiful singer who only had one hit song back in the 80's. Bee and Ana have not spoken to each other since Ana was 13, and it comes as a shock to Ana to hear that the sister she much adored is dead. So she travels to London to collect Bee's belongings but becomes curious to understand what happened to her beloved sister. Along the way, she meets Bee's friends Lol and Flint who also want to know what happened to the very mysterious Bee. The plot thickens as Ana, Lol , and Flint discover things about Bee that they could not even imagine. In the process, Ana discovers herself and learns that sometimes in order to find yourself you just have to let yourself go and live.
This was a very well-written novel, and from beginning to end I was completely enthralled in it and I could not put it down until the last page was read. Anyone who enjoys novels based on mystery, drama, and romance will find what they are looking for when they pick up "One-Hit Wonder". Fans of Jewell will also find something as well, like in her previous novels it is full of her signature wit and I even believe that they will find it to be her best work yet! So pick it up and enjoy it, you will not be sorry!
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