His Insignificant Other

Rating:
Summary: Significantly Enjoyable!
Review: Blessings on Karen Siplin. Yesterday I had jury duty and her first novel, His Insignificant Other, saved my sanity. I loved this book even more than Such a Girl - which I also greatly admired - and I hope that all those who only read the second will go back and read the first. From start to finish, this is a smart, entertaining, provocative, never-drops-the-ball-once kind of read featuring a complex heroine who is neither sinner nor saint but just a confused human being like everyone else I know.

Rating:
Summary: And the answer is...
Review: Casey falls asleep while waiting for her boyfriend, John Paul, so they can celebrate an anniversary of togetherness when suddenly she is awakened. Someone is in the room with her. It is not John Paul as she had hoped, but Mali, John Paul's former girlfriend. Mali has just returned to the United States from a trip abroad and has nowhere to stay. Mali pleads with Casey to let her stay with her until she can resolve her homeless situation. Of course Casey's first thought is "no way" but she is also astute enough to know that if she doesn't agree to help her, Mali will simply go to John Paul and beg to stay in his apartment. Casey feels insecure because John Paul has cheated on her with Mali in the past. He claims it was only once but Casey doesn't want to put that temptation before either of them again.

This book is sad and funny at the same time as Casey attempts to find out who she really is, what she will tolerate and whether or not John Paul truly loves her and is the man for her. In her search, we meet her friends. These young people occasionally switch partners, disapprove of each other's mates, throw wild parties, all in the name of searching for their future.

It is a clever, well written novel that is entertaining and a pleasure to read. While the subject is serious, there are some scenes that will have you laughing out loud. It is a very realistic look into the lives of twenty-something people.

Reviewed by alice Holman
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers


Rating:
Summary: Are you insignificant or are you his/hers'?
Review: Have you ever felt insignificant around your companion? You ever noticed your companion actions are cautious when his/her ex enters the room. What about the sound of your lover's voice, the voice that is reserved for you, does it change when he/she is conversing with an ex? If you answered yes then you know how Casey Beck felt throughout Insignificant Other.

This soap opera written novel of bedhopping and revengeful sex left me empty. I do not understand how so much went on amongst this circle of friends and they continued to call each other friends. Mali was the girl who was John Paul's' girlfriend for four years. Casey is John Paul's' current girlfriend, who cannot get pass the relationship John Paul had with Mali. Casey continues throughout the book taking her friends and John Paul on her emotional roller coaster until she makes a decision that could change her life.

...

Insignificant Other was a very different book for me. The thoughts in the book were good the author just didn't do a good job conveying all the drama that could've been. My nosiness kept me turning the pages, I had to know how it ended. I don't think this story was developed enough so that I could feel closure. I never got to know the villan Mali enough to depise her and feel bad for Casey. One of my pet peeves about a book is the title must match the story and in this case Karen V. Siplin did an outstanding job.

Missy

...

Rating:
Summary: BORING
Review: I did not care for this book.The characters were boring and it took too long to get into it.I stopped reading it bc it was so boring.I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.Im glad I checked it out and didnt waste my money buying it!!!

Rating:
Summary: Relationships at their most comedic, painful, and successful
Review: I read Ms. Siplin's first chapter on her website and was so wrapped up in her main character, that I immediately received the book to read, and I'm so glad I did. I read it in one sitting, and it is already up on my fave list of 2002.

In His Insignificant Other, we have Casey Beck, a 29-year-old sister who lives in Brooklyn, New York. As the novel opens, Casey has been celibate for several months, blocking the loving from her boyfriend, a man who confessed of having a one night stand with his ex -- the beautiful Mali -- a month into their relationship. Casey is finally about to release her celibacy-induced build up on her anniversary when the most surprising thing happens. Mali returns...and she needs a place to stay. Casey, not wanting to lead the ex to her man, agrees to let her stay with her, and thus begins the bedhopping, dramaful, reflective, hilarious, yet serious novel that Siplin has penned.

I fell in love with the main character, Casey. Her narration of the story was real to me; I saw this sister, I felt for her, and I understood her confusion of the situation she was dealing with. The friendship between Casey and her best friend, Ariadne, was a great one, and believe me when I say there is enough drama and sexcapades in this novel to keep you flipping the pages with fervor, trying to figure out what happens, who ends up with who, and who will finally get his or her life in order.

For a debut novel, I am truly impressed with Ms. Siplin's writing style, dialogue and narrative in His Insignificant Other.

I definitely will be on the lookout for future works!

Shon Bacon

Rating:
Summary: The Worst Book I Have Ever Read
Review: I read the book about the girl who worked at the hotel as an operator and I really enjoyed that one. There aren't too many African-American writers who can catch on to authentic dialogue, humor, sarcasm, and diversity all in one novel. Where some specialize in one, they also completely fail in another. It was interesting to see Siplin pretty much ignore the race identity factor in the book, which was almost a relief because many times, it's not necessary to bash it in the ground (read: Omar Tyree). She knows how to set up a sex scene without giving me entirely too many graphic, vulgar details (read: Eric Jerome Dickey and Zane). She also knows how to add humor and sarcasm in the same crisp fashion as Lynn Messina. The operator book was good, but it slowed down in the middle. This book was a great read all the way through. I love the ending. Phenomenal. Even when the main character was dead wrong in some parts, along with other characters, Siplin has a way of making you forget that "fill-in-the-blank" is wrong and we should be mad at them. Her characters are colorful, grip the page, and make me appreciate an easy, enjoyable read. I will definitely buy all of her books.

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyed it a lot!
Review: I really liked this book. It was funny and kept me at the edge of my seat. I had a hard time putting it down. I saw myself in Casey, since I'd been in similar emotional turmoil - the insecurity, the denial, the void that needed filling. But, I learned my lessons and moved on.

You read the book and realize that at some part in the book, Casey very well may be you or someone you know. How many of us can deal with that...especially if we're still trapping ourselves in a relationship where our role is the "insignificant other"???

I recommend this book to anyone who likes reading a good "woman" story. The title is clever. The writing is sharp and witty. This book isn't for those with short attention spans or who skim through pages of books, skipping sentences hoping that, as with soap operas, they can pick up the story line after skipping a few pages. It moves quickly, as if to keep up with our minds. Our minds move forward with assumption and wonder and the book doesn't leave us wondering and wishing we can get 10 pages ahead to find out what happens next. It keeps us busy with more info, more thought, more juice. It's not a slow moving book. No long-winded descriptions of everything and anything and no dragging out a situation or subplot.

This is for women and men who appreciate fine writing about real issues - the good, the bad and the embarassingly ugly.

Rating:
Summary: SHAMELESS!!
Review: I really took a liking to the graphics on the cover of this hardback novel, and that's what initially drew me in. What kept me interested was the storyline itself; I found it to be the tale of a woman on the cusp of thirty, who is just beginning to come into her own. Casey Beck has a film degree and has "settled" for teaching at a local New York college, not knowing what else to do. She's "in love" with John Paul, her boyfriend of 5 years....but the return of his ex-girlfriend, Mali, has sent her entire life into something of a tailspin. What follows are confrontations (as all travel in the same circle of friends) and what I considered to be avoidable drama. Although I liked the author's reading style, I found this novel to be riveting...in much the same way one cannot avoid viewing a train wreck. I found NONE of the characters at all likeable--not sure if that's a reflection of the storyline itself or a lack of character development on the part of the author. The behavior of all of the friends involved--Mali, Polo, Peter, you name it--I found to be unbelievable and borderline ridiculous.
Three stars mainly because I'm having difficulty separating my dislike for the characters from my enjoyment of the book itself. I would recommend this tale as an enjoyable, light, read.


DYB

Rating:
Summary: I really enjoyed this book
Review: I was sorely disappointed by Karen V. Siplin's novel, His Insignificant Other. The book synopsis printed on the inside flap of the cover was much more interesting than the story itself.

For starters, I could relate to the main character, Casey Beck, as I too was once at the brink of 30 contemplating my career and love life. However, it was painful and aggravating to read how Casey continually let her poor-excuse-for-a-boyfriend John Paul use her as a runner-up or a consolation prize. It was more than obvious from the very beginning that Casey, and not the antagonistic ex-girlfriend Mali, was The Insignificant Other. I am so frustrated and disgusted with this book that I don't know what else to say.

Yeah, I do. I found many parts of the story to be rather implausible. The cast of characters had so much drama and trauma going on that I found it hard to believe that they were all in their late 20's. From the beginning, I had wanted Casey to lose her loser friends, and kept reading only to find out when and how she finally breaks free of that crowd. While the Casey and Peter incident proved to be an interesting and unexpected twist in the plot, I never really cared about Gabriella or Peter, let alone John Paul. The author did succeed in creating intrigue by way of the character of Josh. And while I didn't find Ariadne as hilarious as some other reviewers did, she was the breath of fresh air that was so sorely needed.

It was difficult to visualize the cast of characters or their surroundings as Ms. Siplin chose to hide them behind a lot of vague descriptions. Save for the antagonist Mali's height, Ariadne's eccentric style and the "whiteness" of Gabriella, Peter and Josh, I had nothing to go on. Both John Paul and Dock are handsome in a generic sense, and Casey has what was described as a "sad face." It was only after I finished the book that I was able to visualize her characters; I visited Ms. Siplin's website and happened upon a list of actors that she would like to cast as characters if she were to turn the book into a movie. Then, and only then, could I get a grasp on what her characters looked like. I still don't know what in the world motivated them to do some of the insipid things they did, though...well, except for those who engaged in recreational smoking.

As an avid reader of fiction, I always look for the author to give me descriptions, or to paint a picture of their story for me. Whether it's a detailed description of a character, or a vague description of a setting, I need the author to let me see their story. For whatever reason, Ms. Siplin doesn't give the reader much to go on. That made the story all the more frustrating for me. I can only hope that Ms. Siplin's next novel has much more character development and a more plausible plot.

READER BEWARE: Either you're going to love this book, or you're going to hate it. If you feel compelled to read His Insignificant Other, I would strongly recommend that you wait for the paperback version, or better yet, wait for the movie (if there will be one). I think with a team of expert script doctors and good casting (Ms. Siplin has a good head-start; check out her website), this has the potential to be a pretty decent movie.

Rating:
Summary: insignificantly boring!
Review: I was very disappointed with this book. The inside flap and the overall description of the story made it sound really good, however it was a book that I continuously fell asleep on. In fact, I am still not finished with it, and I doubt if I will. The main character seemed very insecure and every chapter you hoped that something different would happen instead of another scenario of her being in an atmosphere where she was questioning her boyfreind about his ex, Mali. Casey constantly worried and nothing happened. Hopefully she will do better next time...