Rating: 
Summary: Great insider's debut
Review: THE ASSISTANTS is Robin Lynn William's first foray into the world of fiction-based-on-fact and boy, has she made a HUGE splash! I'd heard the buzz about PA (personal assistants) weekly meetings to vent, but to actually read about the pitiful life of a PA is something else. Williams tells the story of 5 young, hip and struggling PA's and the slugs they call boss. It's amazing how much humiliation one person can endure, all to say, "I'm the PA to a big mega star." I understand Hollywood has already otpioned the book . . . can't wait to see who plays the vapid, aging star Victoria Rush or the bottom-dwelling liar Johnny Treadway. Williams has hit a home run. I hope she has more stories to tell. Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Laugh out loud, pure entertainment!
Review: Have you every laughed so much you assume things can't possibly get any funnier, but they do? Well, The Assistants is able to achieve this rare phenomenon. The novel had me completely intrigued and captivated up until the very last sentence with its brilliant and witty writing. I found myself genuinely caring for the five main characters and their tumultuous relationships with their eccentric bosses. I was able to identify with every distinct assistant on some level. Robin Lynn Williams allowed me to have a glimpse of the complex and insane, yet unique, individuals that frolic throughout Hollywood. The characters are so vivid and memorable that when the fun is officially over, I wish I could spend more time with The Assistants.
Rating:
Summary: One Of The Best Reads Of My Summer!!
Review: I absolutely loved this book!! I think you will too if you like the type of fiction that feeds your appetite for the quirky world of the entertainment industry. What the assistants in Hollywood have to go through is nothing more than modern day indentured servitude. Nevertheless they complete these ridiculous tasks for their bosses because they also want to get ahead and will get the chance to act like a jerk to their assistant. It's a neverending cycle.
The humor in this book is just right. It's not forced and the book flows at a good pace. I liked each character but one of my favorites, Griffin, had the following thought about one of his client's wife - "...Anne jets into the room. I wonder how long she's been preparing to make this Grand Entrance. It's clear she has spent hours putting on makeup to hide the fact that she's been spending time under a bridge scaring the three Billy Goats Gruff." That's just classic, I wasn't expecting it and it made me laugh out loud.
The characters all had great endings that were believable. I hated for this book to end. I hope this author has another novel in the works. I can definitely see this book being turned into a movie.
Bottom line, if you're a frequent reader of US Weekly, InTouch, and Star magazines then buy this book. It will really give you an insider's look of what it takes to be an assistant in the entertainment industry.
Rating:
Summary: Five Stars for Great, Light Reading
Review: I am going to tell you right up front--The Assistants is not an intellectual read. What it is is a fun, light and entertaing novel with characters you will enjoy hearing from and care about. I have read a couple other "assistant-lit" novels and they have been horrible--more about the axe the author has to grind than an anjoyable read for the reader. This one is a huge cut above. Robin Lynn Williams goal is to entertain and her novel fulfills that goal. The Assistants concerns five young attractive Hollywood assistants whose bosses lives are intertwined, and thus theirs are too. Each chapter is narrated by a different assistant and Williams does a good job distinguishing their voices and personalities. The story line moves forward quickly--The Assistants is a compelling and fun read. I really enjoyed it and I actually cared about what happened to the five assistants. And, as a bonus, it's actually funny and will make you laugh.
Rating: 
Summary: Impressed, but only somewhat
Review: In this case, the trailer was much better than the feature. Story follows five characters, and at least one is completely unnecessary for the plot. It's reasonably light read, but without any insights into the real jobs of the characters. I wouldn't highly recommend it, however it is a compelling read, if you can stomach a few plot lines that are completely seethrough.
Rating:
Summary: Couldn't Put It Down
Review: Robin William's debut is fantastic. She follows the lives of five people who are assistants to Hollywood's upper echelon. Their lives are all entertwined in one way or another (one works for the manager, one for the agent, one for the star, etc). They come together once a week for a bash fest and a little support from their friends. It was a highly entertaining read and I laughed out loud on many occassions.
Rating:
Summary: Revenge of the Nerds, Hollywood-Style
Review: The Assistants tells the story of five young people trying to make it in Hollywood while working thankless jobs for those who have already done so. There's Micheala, who works for an aging television star while she desperately--and I mean desperately--tries to break into the business before her time (and looks) run out; Rachel, the gullible small-town girl with a screenplay who Micheala takes under her wing; Griffin, the efficient, handsome, and ostensibly homosexual professional who is the real brains behind the talent agency where he works; Jeb, the oversexed angry young man looking for revenge on the many employers who have terminated him; and finally, Kecia, a genuinely kind but confused daughter of a jazz star who turns to food for comfort while working for Hollywood's newest young heartthrob.
Each chapter of the novel is told from the perspective of one of the assistants, but their stories overlap. For the first half of the book, I found myself drawn into these stories, yet I found the characters themselves to be too over-the-top. As the novel progressed, however, I began to laugh out loud at times. The assistants--who have formed a sort of support group--band together and begin to fight back against their employers. Of course, we all want to see the underdog win, and this made for a rousing finish in what otherwise might have been a thoroughly standard novel.
With its emphasis on hard-working, dedicated young people receiving abuse and a lack of respect from their ungrateful employers, The Assistants reminded me quite a bit of The Nanny Diaries. If you enjoyed the latter's insider's look into a little-thought about occupation and the hazards therein, you are likely to enjoy this book as well.
Rating:
Summary: A grin from beginning to end
Review: This book is a hoot from beginning to end. The characters are well delineated and each appealing in his own way. The author apparently had a bad experience with Hollywood agents, because she depicts them as stupid, greedy, and devious incompetents who depend entirely on the neediness of their clients and employees for their success. Especially amusing is Rachel, a naïf who hails from a small suburb of Houston and believes that all people are basically good and honest. I have to question whether good fortune would smile on such a person quite as broadly as it does on Rachel, but it's fun to pretend.
Rating:
Summary: A look up into Hollywood
Review: This was a hard book to put down. Robin Lynn Williams follows the lives of five personal assistants in Hollywood. Michela, working as an assistant to almost has been Victoria Rush (just until she finally gets her own big break).Griffin, not really gay, working for Johnny Treadway,who makes gutter water look deep. Kecia who is more of a babysitter than assistant for the hottest young male star of the moment Travis Trask. Rachel,who is in Hollywood because her best friend Danny rescued her from a dead end life in Sugarland,Texas and her alcoholic mother. Jeb is trying to get anyone interested in his script(...), and runs horrid plot ideas in his head all day. These vastly different people, all are trying to break into showbiz while trying to survive the abuse and derogation heaped upon them by their bosses. Every Friday they meet at Trader Vic's to share war stories and to gear up for the upcoming week. These characters have their faults and weaknesses,but engage and hold your interest. There are the usual plot twists drugs, sex, poker with geriatrics, the 13 year old computer wiz and vegetable gardening, but it all seems fresh.This book is so engaging and well paced, and there is very little of the coy "guess who I am really writing about" that plagues other novels about Hollywood. "The Assistants" spreads the story lines evenly and each has unexpected twists and turns and each character meets their challenges head on.I really enjoyed this book and hope for more by this first time author.
Rating:
Summary: A look up into Hollywood
Review: This was a hard book to put down. Robin Lynn Williams follows the lives of five personal assistants in Hollywood. Michela, working as an assistant to almost has been Victoria Rush (just until she finally gets her own big break).Griffin, not really gay, working for Johnny Treadway,who makes gutter water look deep. Kecia who is more of a babysitter than assistant for the hottest young male star of the moment Travis Trask. Rachel,who is in Hollywood because her best friend Danny rescued her from a dead end life in Sugarland,Texas and her alcoholic mother. Jeb is trying to get anyone interested in his script(...), and runs horrid plot ideas in his head all day. These vastly different people, all are trying to break into showbiz while trying to survive the abuse and derogation heaped upon them by their bosses. Every Friday they meet at Trader Vic's to share war stories and to gear up for the upcoming week. These characters have their faults and weaknesses,but engage and hold your interest. There are the usual plot twists drugs, sex, poker with geriatrics, the 13 year old computer wiz and vegetable gardening, but it all seems fresh.This book is so engaging and well paced, and there is very little of the coy "guess who I am really writing about" that plagues other novels about Hollywood. "The Assistants" spreads the story lines evenly and each has unexpected twists and turns and each character meets their challenges head on.I really enjoyed this book and hope for more by this first time author.
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