Nancy K. (Kitt) reviewed on + 17 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
In the vein of 'The Devil Wears Prada' and 'Bridget Jones' comes Katie Castle, a fashion nobody that works as a production assistant to a fashion somebody with aspirations to become a fashion know-it-all. Katie is willing to do whatever it takes to get her shot at the top, and she doesn't care who she claws, bites or backstabs to get there. Shes perfectly selfish. Worse yet, shes aware shes that selfish and she doesnt care at all.
The most unfortunate thing about Katie as a protagonist is that we usually seek to see ourselves in the characters in books and theres very little to see in Katie thats likeable. Shes mean, catty and self-centered. The more you read, searching for that redeeming characteristic thats going to let you like her, the more you discover it just doesnt exist. Thats okay though since there isnt anything particularly likeable in the other characters either so you dont really take up their side.
Halfway through the book Katie's circumstances change and she has to start her climb all over again only this time she's nicer. Not through any internal contemplation or revelations. Not because she recognizes she's done any wrong to them all, but merely because her environment changes does Katie become the least bit circumspect. Even then you don't get the impression it is the result of anything as deep as self-discovery or newfound friendships, just a liberal dose of these-people-might-be-useful-to-me-better-not-tick-them-off. Its sad really.
All in all I dont know why I finished reading it. Except that somehow Katie was still an absorbing character. The characters are well drawn if not sympathetic and writing style is fine. The author has a consistent flow to her style (it never dragged on or felt rushed) which is something many more accomplished authors continue to struggle with. For a first book Im pretty impressed. Now if shed just write about someone I could care about
The most unfortunate thing about Katie as a protagonist is that we usually seek to see ourselves in the characters in books and theres very little to see in Katie thats likeable. Shes mean, catty and self-centered. The more you read, searching for that redeeming characteristic thats going to let you like her, the more you discover it just doesnt exist. Thats okay though since there isnt anything particularly likeable in the other characters either so you dont really take up their side.
Halfway through the book Katie's circumstances change and she has to start her climb all over again only this time she's nicer. Not through any internal contemplation or revelations. Not because she recognizes she's done any wrong to them all, but merely because her environment changes does Katie become the least bit circumspect. Even then you don't get the impression it is the result of anything as deep as self-discovery or newfound friendships, just a liberal dose of these-people-might-be-useful-to-me-better-not-tick-them-off. Its sad really.
All in all I dont know why I finished reading it. Except that somehow Katie was still an absorbing character. The characters are well drawn if not sympathetic and writing style is fine. The author has a consistent flow to her style (it never dragged on or felt rushed) which is something many more accomplished authors continue to struggle with. For a first book Im pretty impressed. Now if shed just write about someone I could care about
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