Rating: 
Summary: Fishbowl~
Review: As a big fan of Milk Run, I am disappointed to admit that I didn't like Fishbowl as much as Mlynowski's first Red Dress Ink book. It still is a fast, entertaining read, but the characters were not as likeable as her previous novel. What is good about Fishbowl, is that it is a fresh approach to the chick lit books that are out there right now. While it does have the girl wants guy theme, it is not center to the story line like most chick lit books. Instead, the novel focuses on the relationship between these 3 very different roommates, Allie, Jodine & Emma. The girls are bonded when they need to come up with money making schemes to pay for their apartment kitchen which burned down. The story is told in alternating chapters between the three roommates and a "narrator." During the narrator chapters, the author is talking directly to the reader, like she's having a one on one conversation with you, which I was not a huge fan of.
Mlynowski definitely has talent as a writer..she did keep me entertained, and it was easy reading, I was just not as impressed with this one as Milk Run. I'm still a fan and would continue to read other works by her~
Rating: 
Summary: The joys of roomates
Review: After writing a great first book Milkrun, Sarah Mlynowski is back with her latest book Fishbowl. This was a cute and quick read. I enjoyed the story and I enjoyed the characters, but at times, I felt that the characters were a bit to cut and paste. Emma the girl, who gets the men she wants, manages to hurt people, break hearts and still maintain her sanity. Jodine the girl who has too much on her plate and is stressing about everything and anything in her life that she does not need to. She does not care much past herself and in turn, she manages to seclude herself from a life and what friends she does have. Allie the young naive girl who thinks that the world is full of happiness and love and that she has found her soul mate and will be happily ever after. The story was interesting about the kitchen burning down and the struggles the girls have to go through to get the money to fix the kitchen up. I also enjoyed each of the girl's struggles in life, but still it was a bit cut and paste. Overall, this was a cute book, but the story line is getting old. I will admit I love these types of books, but the characters need to change a bit.
Rating: 
Summary: A very fun read
Review: I loved reading from 3 different aspects - Allie, Emma and Jodine. Some of their unspoken thoughts were so funny / sarcastic, etc... This book made me laugh out loud numerous times! It's a fun, light read - highly recommend.
Rating:
Summary: Fish is the Most Likeable Character
Review: The Good: I liked the unique style Sarah Mlynowski used to tell the story of three young roommates. The chapters of the novel alternate between each woman's perspective and that is quite a refreshing style of story telling. Another plus is Mlynowski's great writing. She's very funny and despite the vast differences between the three characters' personalities, that great sense of humor shows through brilliantly. The Bad: The way these three people relate to each other is just too unbelievable! Usually, when three women who are THAT different from one another live together, they just keep to themselves and do their own thing. I couldn't believe for a minute that they would ever go out together, plan something together or even speak to one another! The Ugly: Not one of these three women was likable. They were all quite irritating, actually. Although I enjoyed the book as a quick and somewhat fun read, I couldn't find one appealing quality out of any of the three main characters. This is an okay novel. I enjoy reading this author's books so much---Milkrun was hilarious-that warrants a 3-star review nearly on it's own.
Rating: 
Summary: One More Thing
Review: I already reviewed this book, but I forgot to mention one other thing that made it implausible. There is no way Jodine - a CANADIAN law student studying CANADIAN law would get a job at an AMERICAN law firm - she wouldn't be admitted to practice in America. Heck - if you're a lawyer admitted to the New York bar and move to another state, if you've been practicing less than seven years, you will most likely have to take that state's bar! Mylenowski needs to do her homework.
Rating:
Summary: An Entertaining and quick read
Review: I liked Milkrun and I like this book as well. Like not love. I love the three distinct voices in the book in addition to the occasional narrator... Jodine is an anal control freak, Emma is a uninhibited free spirit and Allie is teetering the delicate line between being a teenage and an adult. The three unlikely girls become roommates but not friends...not necessarily. The bond a bit after an accidental kitchen fire causes $10,000 worth of damage that they need to repair themselves or suffer the wrath of Carl the absent landlord. After the kitchen fire- the story becomes a little predictable but none the less entertaining as they struggle to make money to pay for the repairs. In the process one roommate falls for the other roommate's crush, one roommate acts out a fantasy with a bartender and ruins a relationship she didn't know she had, one roommate finds real love. But will their relationship as friends survive? That you will have to read to find out.
Rating:
Summary: Good Bathtub Read - That's All
Review: This was a cute, if not altogether well-written book. I thought the plot line was a nice change of pace from the usual "I work in publishing, drink and smoke a lot, have crazy friends and am desperately searching for a man" formula, but still don't understand why, when it clearly WAS an accident, the book jacket describes the fire as "slightly accidental". That made no sense (as Jodine would say). I think my biggest problem with this book was the author's inability to give each of these women a distinct voice. Allie, at some times (such as when she's observing Manny and Jodine cuddling on the couch) sounds a lot like Emma. In turn, Emma often sounds like Jodine (and, as an aside, I know of no women who wear a size "0" yet have natural D cup breasts - that was a bit ridiculous). I didn't understand why, in her own voice, Allie came off as capable, if somewhat naive, yet in the chapters described by the others, she comes off as some complete moron. If Allie has "done everything but", why is she so freaked out about being a virgin? It's not as though she's never had a man pay attention to her, so why the sweet innocent never-been-touched routine? Further, I felt that the author went to extremes with some of the character's actions. When Emma moves in, she promptly declares that she "has to s***" and then promptly removes herself to the main bathroom (when she is fully aware that she has her own bathroom) and leaves the door open? Come on - who actually acts like that? It just seemed so out of character for someone who is portrayed as ultimately feminine and sexy to do something so crass, just as the scene with Jodine snuggling with Manny on the couch with Allie in the room was inconsistent with her character. All in all, a cute bath time read, but not one I would go around recommending. I believe the author could do better.
Rating:
Summary: Great Chick Lit
Review: Fishbowl is a great book. It made me laugh out loud at various scenes and proved no matter how different people may seem they can still become friends. Allie, Emma, and Jodine are three very different women with very different personalities, but they bond as "roomies" and show that friendship is more important than some other things in life. I found something I could relate to in each character and that made the book even better. It's a fun and good read.
Rating:
Summary: Sarah does not disappoint!
Review: I felt that I could completely relate to this story even thought I've never had a roommate before. You can definitely see characteristics of your girlfriends in each of the characters. Mlynowski has developed well-rounded characters who come across as true-to-life, with all their flaws included.
Rating:
Summary: I love this book!
Review: Fishbowl is such a good book! It's funny because it's so real to life. If you've ever had roomates you will understand what I mean. There's Ally the chubby,naieve romantic, Jodine the cynical intelelectual, and Emma the girl. Imagine these people living together in real life! I love the fact that each chapter is written from a different characters perspective so you know what they all think of each other.I would recomend this book to anyone because it's so funny!
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