Rating: 
Summary: A Load of Fun, if You're a New Yorker & don't mind rip-offs
Review: This book is loads of fun if you're familiar with the NYC glitterati (and geared for women)--however, be warned, it's satire doesn't quite cut the recipients as opposed to glamorize them. It's a bit on the fluff side The other problem with this book is that it has ripped it's entire character and plot from Edith Wharton's Customs of the Country (the publishers must know this as they constantly mention Wharton when describing Bushnell). If you want a great book that doesn't leave you slightly depressed by human vanity, ambition, and greed--pick up Customs of the Country. It's essentially the same, but with a more ironic tone and a better detachment (i.e. writer does not WANT to be the Beautiful Young Thing.
Rating: 
Summary: I enjoyed it
Review: Possibly because I wasn't expecting much, I really, really liked this book. I had only briefly heard about it and thumbed through it in the store. And hour later I was still standing there reading, so it must have something going for it. Great fun.Also would recommend: McCrae's Bark of the Dogwood and The Da Vinci Code
Rating: 
Summary: Trading Up
Review: I think this is the greatest book I've ever read. Candace Bushnell is a fabulous author and really brings her characters to life. Janey Wilcox has so many things going on in her life and Bushnell manages to describe each detail so well it felt like i was part of the story. I love the way she displays Janey as a ditzy blonde who will do anything to get to the top. I strongly recommend you to read this novel because it is a fun read which will make you think about all the self centred people in the world but at the same time it shows you that its not all fun and games being a celebrity in New York because you never know when your past will just lurk up behind you!
Rating: 
Summary: A long hard slog
Review: I really like Sex and the City, but Trading Up is just stupid. The characters aren't insightful and it's full of cliche, even the ending where everything comes together magically in 8 pages. Barf.
Rating:
Summary: More like "Trading down"
Review: This book was stupid, to say the least. Raunchy, filthy, not to mention pointless. It was equally as retarted as "Sex and the City"(The name tells all). Janey Wilcox is the junkiest, most irritating character in any book that I have ever read. I couldn't even finish it because I was so disgusted. To wrap it up(like a bean burrito) it stinks(like rotten cheese), and I reccomend never reading it.
Rating:
Summary: transparent as the character, Janey
Review: If you like to read six-hundred pages about Prada handbags, seducing men, more Prada handbags topped off with a cocktail, this book is for you. I can't believe that I felt committed enough to finish it.
Don't be tricked into thinking it's going to be as clever as Sex in the city. Where was Bushnell's editor?
Rating:
Summary: Love of designers
Review: I love sex and the city and thought 4 blondes was okay I was glad that my favorite character from 4 blondes was the focus of this book. If you love the fashion of sex and the city and the designer band names you will love this book. It is sad to see the fall and raise of the main character. This story gives you hope to overcome a lot of difficult things. I thought this was a good read and I was sad to see it end. I can't wait for the next book by Candace Bushnell.
Rating:
Summary: Shame on you Ms Bushnell!
Review: From the terrific Sex & The City, to the satisfactory 4 Blondes, Candace Bushnell has hit a iceberg with Trading Up. Janey Wilcox is the main character in this book (first introduced in 4 Blondes) and she is possible the most unlikeable character ever! I found I couldn't sympathise with her in this novel. Perhaps that was the idea Bushnell had - to create a female protagonist whom the reader dislikes. This book is sllllooooow moving, though towards the latter stages of the novel it got slightly more interesting (barely). I was disappointed with this one - if you're really stuck for something to read then this is the book for you! I think Sex & The City (on which the show is based, in case you've been living under a rock!) was heaps better!
Rating:
Summary: Not plot or character driven, a book that goes nowhere
Review: I read Trading Up with few expectations but I was still disappointed. If you're looking for a quick, light read, look elsewhere; this is probably the most taxing book I have ever picked up. Janey, the main character, may be unlikable, but she is also maddeningly boring. I found that I didn't care about the minutiae of her life, or the lives of her friends and acquaintances, all of whom seemed to be almost identical to Janey both in personality and lifestyle. Bushnell references brand names and New York landmarks frequently and with such insistence that you are reminded of the type of people who, like her prose, feel the need to compensate for their lack of personality.
Rating:
Summary: Bored?
Review: If you're looking for a Cinderella story where the beatiful golden-hearted princess conquers all--look further. Janey Wilcox, Bushnell's main character, is anything but a princess, in fact I grew to despise her by the end of the novel. So is this a good or a bad thing? Actually, I think that one should applaud Bushnell for making her lead not so darn lovable. I think she depicts personal motivations fairly accurately--in the sense, of course, that Janey is a power hungry, social climbing super-model. Trading Up is a worthwhile read if you are willing to accept the fact that some parts tend to drag on or could be omitted. As another reviewer mentioned "It Would Be Better on the Beach"...I couldn't agree more.
| 
