Rating: 
Summary: Heartbreaking and haunting
Review: I was expecting a comedy, but this book touched my heart. I was near tears many times throughout this absolute page-turner. There are many kinds of child abuse and this book illustrates a cold selfish mother who cannot give love to her 4-year-old boy who needs it so desperately. At the end of the book all I wanted to do was find this little Grayer (the child in the book) and wrap my arms around him and take him home. This is a fascinating, heartbreaking, eye-opening book and it will stick with me for a long time. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that it broke my heart too much.
Rating: 
Summary: waste your time doing something else
Review: I heard this book on tape during one of my long drives . It was truly terrible. A very whiny book, with frankly not a very good story. For anybody who has lived in New York or in any major city none of the "shocking" aspects of how rich people live are very interesting. The themes keep on repeating themselves over and over. The character has no backbone. Amazing that this book can be a best seller. At least I got it at the public library for free. I would have kicked myself if I would have spent the money buying it.
Rating:
Summary: Nanny Diaries not so funny
Review: I had heard a lot about this book, so I eagerly picked it up over Christmas time. I agree with many people here, it is a page turner. I finished it in one day. I just couldn't put it down. I just had to see what happened at the end, and at the end, I was left hoping it was going to be continued.The book follows the life of a nanny for a rich family in New York. From the first page you are told that one rich family is pretty much the same as another and how they treat their kids. The goal is finding the best out of the worst of them. The lead character is working to get her degree and is Nannying on the side to earn her way through college. Through out the book you will read all of Nanny's horrors that the X family put her through. You think the X parents are just insane and wonder what world they came from that this behavior is acceptable. Grayer is just a cute 5 year old, he has his good days and his bad. He desperately wants his mother and fathers attention but never receives it. Throughout the entire book I wondered what made Nanny stay? Why would she continually put up with being treated so poorly! She states it is for the money, but continually complains about how little the money is throughout the book. So you have to realize that Nanny is not without her own issues. Nanny geniunely does love Grayer, perhaps more then she should. However this poor child needs anyones love. The main focus in this book is how badly these rich people treat their kids. Reflecting after I read the book, I really felt this book was aiming at all walks of life here. How easy it is for some to push their kids to the side and how they put things above their children and try to justify it. Not just rich people, but regular Joe Schmoes too. Ahh perhaps I'm just overly emotional after reading the book but the book really did make me think about these things after reading it. So kudo's for making it throught provoking. One of my favorite lines in the book "Grayer loves you. I have borne wintess to his love for you. And he doesn't care what you're wearing or what you've bought him. He just wants you there. Wanting him. And time is running out. He won't love you unconditionally that much longer. And soon he won't love you at all." That to me sums of the book pretty well. Why 4 stars? As much as I enjoyed the book, there were aspects that really just annoyed me. I know I was reading a passage through Nanny's life here, but there were times they spent way to long going on about things outside of the Nanny Business that I felt distracted away from the main story. Or they would build things up and then take them no where, you never read about them again in the book, so you wonder why you just spent 10 pages reading about it. Then other parts they do a good job building up, making you wonder, you can see how it relates, and then the book just ends and the only sense of closure you remotely get is with the Nanny business, the rest you are just left hanging. Perhaps they are planning a Nanny Sequel? One thing that did make me wonder, they did state at the beginning this was purely fictional. However at the end of the book Nanny has one very long rant against the X's, pointing out every failure as a parent and as an employer. It made me wonder if these were actual feelings and rants that the two authors had been feeling for a long time and found this to be a perfect outlet for it. The anger seemed a bit too directed I thought. I would definitely recommend for reading, just keep an open mind that this may not be as funny of a read as perhaps you thought it was going to be.
Rating:
Summary: So true...it hurts!!
Review: As a former nanny with a child development degree, I can tell you the senero's explored in the book are very realistic. The one dimentional "ice queen" Mrs. X is a tad bit oversimplified. Most of my employers had equal amounts of witchiness and warmth. Yet,I found myself reliving the awkward moments I experienced as a nanny. (the occational condesending tone, the ever inceasing responsibility added at a whim). ... It was a fun blast from the past. I felt the feelings of "Nanny".
Rating:
Summary: This is entertainment, folks!
Review: I read with amusement the dissenters' reviews of this book. Lighten up! A couple of confused reviewers mention Wolfe and Faulkner in a perplexing attempt to point out that this is not fine literature. Nor is it intended to be, folks. Just as not every meal we consume is a four star gourmet feast, not every book written is meant to be a substantial piece of classical literature. Now that we have that out of the way, this book is a very good read. Only some of the minor characters wobble a bit: the rest are quite well developed. The authors really made me appreciate my own solidly middle class, stay at home mother: the super-rich mothers portrayed in this book are absolutely frigid, status-obsessed lunatics. Treating nursery school selection and admissions requirements as seriously as a prep school or college interview process is madness. There are several misspellings and semantic errors in the book which drives me crazy, but ultimately forgiveable. I recommend it for when the family's away or you're on a long flight as you won't want to be interrupted.
Rating: 
Summary: The Nanny Diaries
Review: Absolutley wonderful book! I felt like I was living in the novel. I could not put it down
Rating:
Summary: Fizzled
Review: I thought the characters were good and the story line was awesome. But I found myself profoundly disappointed with the ending. I was hoping for Shawshank Redemption when he escapes or Al Pacino's final speech in Scent of a Woman. It was apparant that this kind of memorable ending was their goal but they could not quite achieve it. That said, I would recommend this book because you will not have the high expectiations that I did.
Rating:
Summary: Read if YOU are a Nanny!
Review: Much like the main character in this novel, I have supported myself through college by also being a nanny. Reading this book was like reading a book on my life! It is a wonderful book for any babysitter or nanny. You will be able to relate on some level and also may end up being very thankful for the families you have worked for! I LOVE THIS BOOK! You will laugh, cry, and be unable to turn the pages fast enough!
Rating:
Summary: SO true... even in Maine
Review: After being a Nanny in Kennebunk, ME for 2 years, I had more emotions seep out while reading this book than I ever would have expected!! Whether it's in an upscale neighborhood or not, being a Nanny is one of the most difficult- and rewarding things I have ever experienced. While this book is simply an amusement to most, since I (along with the majority of every other Nanny) have been in such similar sitautions I felt the up's and down's with every page. I think Emma and Nicola did an amazing job expressing what it is to be a Nanny, and in essence, raise someone elses child with barely even a thank you. I cried my heart out at the end, as I did in my own life when my employer began to turn on me for no apparent reason. Which certainly doesn't suggest that she was ever a "nice" person to work for in the first place. It is a very stressful job. Although as I have learned, the children are the part that keep you sane. They are the ones you fall in love with. While the parents are the ones who drive you crazy and take advantage of your love for THEIR children. And if it weren't for the love you have for these innocent little people, we probobly WOULD just tell off the oblivious parents. This book is a must read for ANYONE considering becoming a Nanny, or hiring one (or anyone doing any kind of child care). How I wish I could meet these wonderful authors- and while it may not be "Romeo and Juliet", it's one of the best books I've ever read. If you can relate without being offended or critical, you'll truly have a good glimpse of what the majority of nanny life is.
Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put it down!
Review: This was such a great book for several reason - it was a quick read, but also addictive (I stayed in bed til noon on my day off because I couldn't stop reading!). The story was well written, clever, funny and kept me interested throughout. It also made me a little sad to realize that there is probably more than one family that could fit the description of the family in the book. I definitely recommend this one!
| 
