In the Drink : A Novel

Rating:
Summary: Buy this book!
Review: I purchased this book through Amazon.com right after another great purchase, THE LOSERS' CLUB by Richard Perez, about an unlucky writer addicted to the personals. Both books are about New York City and loneliness; both are gritty and kind of down-and-dirty as only urban stories can be. But you don't need to be a denizen of New York City or even a city resident at all to really enjoy them. I'm not.

IN THE DRINK tells the story of a twenty-something woman named Claudia Steiner in Manhattan who finds herself stumbling through various funny experiences.

The story is fast-paced as you follow Claudia trying to get her life together while blowing the rent money on drinking and ending up with drunken one-night stands. It's easy to relate to the main character as she relies on her sense of humor when her career and love life don't seem to come together.

The book is not too long-250 short pages -- so it's easy to finish in a short amount of time. The story is engaging enough to easily keep you reading.

If you're looking for a good book to read, I would highly recommend both books: THE LOSERS' CLUB and IN THE DRINK.

Rating:
Summary: The anti-heroine!
Review: There are many reasons I like In the Drink so much: 1) It is not a cute story. It is real. There are people whose lives are less than perfect and therefore find comfort in substance abuse such as drinking. 2) It is not Bridget Jones's Diary. It is more real, it has more soul. Don't get me wrong, I love BJD, but the redundant story of a 30-something heroine whining about being single at 30 it's too blah for me. Claudia whines, but for a good cause. 3) Its urban appeal. Love it, the writing has a poetic feel -- Christensen obviously loves poetry -- or is a poet, because the writing is beautiful. Claudia Steiner is the anti-heroine, she is not glamorous or even extremely witty, she is one of the most realistic characters I have read. And finally, I can relate to the story about her secret love to William, I too was secretly in love with my male best friend, although I am glad that he is not a pervert. Anyway, give this novel a chance, it is a great novel, one of the most unique and beautifully written ones from last year. I hope to read more novels from this author in the future.

Rating:
Summary: A great read
Review: This is definitely not Briget Jones. Bridget Jones (while I enjoyed it) is cotton candy; In the Drink is more like a porterhouse steak. If you like novels about New York and/or people in publishing, you'll probably enjoy this book. Christensen's a great, unpredictable writer. The protagonist is not cutesy like those of other "chick lit" books -- she's refreshingly complex and her sometimes disastrous choices make you think. It's been several years since I read this book but after seeing the review below from a reader who clearly didn't get this book ("It's not Bridget Jones!!!!!") I felt compelled to defend it.