Rating: 
Summary: Tells it like it is!
Review: I enjoyed this book very much. Mostly, because I am a former nanny and have experienced, firsthand, the lifestyle described. The mothers were every bit as self-centered as Mrs. X and only have children to create the illusion of the perfect family. Of course nannies put up with it for the money and for the children's well-being. If you were ever interested in seeing how the "other-half" lives, I would reccommend this book. You will see that the saying is true, "Money can't buy happiness."
Rating: 
Summary: Fluffy yes, but sharp - tells it like it is
Review: No, this book it not a representation of ground breaking literature, but it is very enjoyable and sharp. It is written like a serial which sucks you in quick and has you rapidly turning the pages to find out what horrid event lurks around the next corner. Though a lot of it seems pretty over the top, predicatable and may appear stereotypical, I sorry to say that much of what is represented in this book is probably very true. Growing up in New York, spending a lot of time in Central Park watching the "Park Ave." socilaites' nannies raise their kids and working in the Hamptons, waiting tables on people just like those depicting in this book, I can attest that what is displayed within is very real. On Park Ave., "Mr. and Mrs. X" and the 'nanny' are a dime a dozen. Go to the Hamptons during the summer and you will see first hand the whole Nantucket section right before your eyes. You would think that people that HAVE children might also be interesting in RAISING them (particularly those with more money than imaginable). Sadly, this is not always the case. Maybe the reason this book was so predicatable and stereotypical is because people like the "Xs" are so predicatable and stereotypical. It is unfortuante that Grayer is going to grow up and be just like his father. But it is inevitable and happens all the time. Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus may not be the Brontes, but they did manage to turn out a very good first book. Recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Vacationing Soon?
Review: A quick way to sum up this novel? Fun. This book has it all: juggling college kid, annoying roommate, love interest, childhood fun, unfaithful husband, callous wife, eccentric grandma - the list goes on and on. The story gives a great look at the stereotypical New York elite (fiction or not, you all know these people exist) and the people who serve them. The dialogue is at times very unconvincing, but the story plays itself out regardless. A lot of loose ends are left at the end, leaving you to imagine the next stages of Nanny's life. Or if you're like me, it will drive you crazy wanting to know what happened with this, that, and the other thing. This is definitely a beach novel - fun, fast, and always entertaining.
Rating:
Summary: All of it's true... in fact, I've worked for much much worse
Review: As a former personal assistant to celebrities working from within their "Estates" ... I was anxious to read the Nanny Diaries. For as bad as the writers present the life of Nanny, I didn't think it was half as bad as being a personal assistant (read: slave), so in that sense, I didn't think Nanny's employers, the X's were that bad. But the characterizations of the X's rang very true, especially as they got worse at the end and their full lack of self awareness, their unappreciation and unawareness of the work Nanny does, and their total self-involvement to the exclusion of anyone else is fully revealed. I KNOW there is a whole world of Nannys and personal assistants who have beared witness to this behavior (it's the rule, not the exception). I have commiserated with many at one of those assistants at ACPA (Association of Celbrity personal assistants meetings in NYC and L.A. -- just two meetings and I don't plan to attend again...) And Nanny gave me such amazing catharsis at the end (the writers sufficiently prepares the reader for desiring this blow-up) that I want to anonymously mail the book to all my former celebrity employers. Big time kudos to the writers!!! The prologue is exceptional and a great hook, so much so that, disappointingly, the rest of the book, although still very good writing, is never again up to that level. (I know how this happens, the first chapter is the first part you see every time you open the file and so it is the only chapter that gets more rewrites.) In any case, the subject matter is what captivated me. I finished this very quickly. Congrats to Emma and Nicola for exposing the inhumane X's. Unfortunately, the upstairs/downstairs society will go on regardless of how many books are published...
Rating:
Summary: The Nannie Diaries
Review: This book kept me in its spell until I finally turned the light off at 5:00 am. I sympathized with Nan and wanted her to bail out of that awful job that I knew would end badly. On the othe hand I knew she had bonded with the child and could not abandon him as his parents had done.The authors were able to make the little boy come to life. Consequently, I fell in love with him and wanted to protect him from his unrealistic and confusing life at all costs.I did'nt want the story to end, and finished the book wanting to know more,more,more. I recommend this book to everyone who has ever loved a child and wants to give him/her the things that are really important in life
Rating:
Summary: I Don't Understand!
Review: I am extremely critical of the novels I choose to read, and this being said, I really don't understand how people can give this book only one star. I found it fascinating and could not put it down. For those people who do not understand the goal of the book, it is called SATIRE. This novel vividly depicts the lifestyle of those who have more money than they know what to do with, and the message is simple: Money doesn't buy happiness! The style in which the book was written had me hooked, and I could not put it down. I read it in one day! I found myself laughing aloud at points, and although I am sure most of the events in the book are fictionalized, I do feel that each episode with the X's must be based on some true experience. In any event, this book was thoroughly enjoyable, and I would not hesitate to recommend it. I am hoping for a sequel.
Rating:
Summary: I laughed, I cried
Review: When I began reading this book, I was reay to begin a book that I was sure would be light and funny. What I found was a strong and telling story about the inner world of the "upper class". I found myself laughing out loud during many scenes, as well as crying during the powerful scenes involving Grayer and his profound need for love, attention and acceptance from his mother.
Rating: 
Summary: The Nanny Diaries: A Novel
Review: HIGHLY OVERRATED!
I forced myself to finish it due to all of it's wonderful reviews - I kept thinking surely something great is going to happen at the end - but alas that was not the case!
Rating:
Summary: A FUN PEEK AT HOW THE UPPER CRUST CRUMBLES
Review: The buzz is that matrons on Manhattan's Upper East Side are guessing exactly who the authors have skewered in this backstairs peep at the rich and famous. The good news is that if you cannot guess because you don't number the wealthy among your acquaintances, you'll still enjoy this peek at the Upper Crust and how they crumble. Both authors worked as nannies in the Big Apple, but no longer do so. Why should they when their tell-all is selling like hot cakes? According to McLaughlin and Kraus their book is a collaborative effort based on experiences with the 30 privileged families for whom they worked. No names, they insist, just the facts, Madam. Nanny in our story is a young NYU student who is hired to tend to Grayer, a precocious, tantrum tossing four-year-old. The fact that she is hired is an indication of mother's concern for her offspring as references are never checked. As Nanny says, she is hired because "I am white. I speak French. My parents are college educated. I have no visible piercings and have been to Lincoln Center in the last two months." Thus begins the challenging task of seeing to Grayer's mental stability, his physical health, and myriad lessons. Above all, she is to ensure that the tot doesn't "snag, spill, or spoil a single element" of the family's magnificent apartment. Chuckles abound as Nanny attempts to coax and coerce the recalcitrant Grayer into obedience. In addition, there is the Halloween party for which Madam has had costumes from The Lion King custom made, while Nanny goes as a portly Teletubby. Through all of this the bemused young woman holds her own. However, even Mary Poppins might have been dismayed with the philandering and mostly absent father. Mixed with the humor is a good dose of sadness as one realizes how emotionally starved Grayer is in his land of plenty. What a shame that his parents cannot find any time for him in their privileged days. A mother who demands that only lavender water be used in her steam iron blissfully overlooks a son who cries for a flicker of attention. - Gail Cooke
Rating:
Summary: Good first effort
Review: Good first effort. This book starts off very promising with clever writing and funny internal dialogue. However, I have to say that I was very disappointed in the ending - it just drops off suddenly, as if the authors got tired of writing and said "ok, the end" (with a little psycho-babble thrown in). Definitely a beach book but better bring another if you're staying more than the weekend.
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