Rating: Summary: A must read for all women and girls! Review: I really loved this book. I realized that I was this girl. The main character is very real and helps you realize that you aren't the only person with these problems. I especially like the portion told from a teens point of view, being one my self. It deals with similar situations that are very real and matter. This book is a great one for a girl or woman or any age because it's so realatable!
Rating: Summary: I really enjoyed this Review: After reading some of the other reviews, I've come to the conclusion that Ms. Bank's book is either a love it or hate it kind of deal.I loved it. I listened to it on audio tape and was completely touched with how raw and real the book was. The beginning dragged a bit for me, but I found myself laughing out loud at some parts as I drove along, and then reduced to tears in a section about cancer later on. The bottom line is this book is real. Very real. Almost poetic. This book is about human frailties and how we all screw up our lives one way or another. If you don't have the stomach for "life" stories, then don't buy this book. But if you want to read (or in my case listen) to a refreshingly new, unique way of looking at life, the clever sculpting of words, then buy this book.
Rating: Summary: So, So Review: I haven't touched a book in month before I found this one, or better yet it found me. I didn't know anything about it and just started to read. I love the way Melissa Banks writes. Short and sweet. It is very easy to read and I had a hard time putting it down. I enjoyed how she jumped from one timeframe to another and it was very easy to follow. The only thing that totally through me off was the story about the neighbors. What was the point of that? After that it went downhill. I kept waiting for those caracters to appear again and until I read some of the other reviews I was certain that the woman with the breastcancer was also Jane. If thats the case, GREAT WRITING, if not, take away another star. I disliked the last chapter the most. Robert was just a little to perfect, such men don't exist.
Rating: Summary: Enjoyed it Review: Some of the reviews I read here remind me of a line from Oliver Stone's movie, The Doors -- "You people have to have your art spoon fed to you". The style was innovative, but easy to follow, and I never felt distracted by it. As for Jane, the story's protagonist, I laughed with her, cried with her, cheered for her and was, at times, disappointed in her. Which made her real. As opposed to the flawless heroine that some of the readers seemed to be looking for. Is this Pulitzer Prize winning literature? No. Is it a good read? Very much so.
Rating: Summary: great fun, but a little disjointed Review: The character, Jane, was very likable and clever and especially so in the first chapter while she is a teenager. Such a great start. Then some strange things began. A whole chapter was given to characters who had only been remotely referred to earlier and they were never brought up again. WHY? Then another chapter was written in second person in a very detached way. Was that our main character? It didn't sound like her. In spite of the lack of unity, the book was an easy and rather enjoyable read.
Rating: Summary: Good, easy read Review: I read this book in one sitting - couple of hours. It is not a monumental, literary achievement, but it gets to the point without smothering the story in the flowery prose and cheap "filler" text that is so common these days. It is nice to be able to read a book as succinct and direct as 'Girls' Guide'. Ms. Bank conveys a story that would take most authors 200 more pages. I agree with most other reviewers about the one chapter that came out of left field - what was that about? It was good, but should be given its own book..... 'Girls' Guide' made me laugh out loud several times (especially the last chapter). It was touching and witty. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good, quick read on a rainy afternoon. I look forward to more from Ms. Bank.
Rating: Summary: i guess i missed the joke Review: i read this book after it was billed as the next 'bridget jones diary'. one difference, bridget was FUNNY and made sense, unlike this novel. the book read more like a bunch of short stories that did not belong together. don't waste your time.
Rating: Summary: A Motivating Read Review: This book inspired me, a 16-year-old girl, to reach for my dreams so I wouldn't end up like the tragic heroine in this novel. Well, maybe being a 35-year-old, single woman who dates a lame old alcoholic man and takes a lot of abuse from her boss (sort of Sigourney Weaver in Working Girl-ish) isn't living a tragic life, but more of a stereotypical one. And the ending is a total sham, you can see it coming from page two. But if you're looking for a light read or want to say to yourself, "At least I'm not this pathetic!", I suggest ordering up this book and reading it all in one afternoon!
Rating: Summary: short stories for life Review: This is a fantastic selection of short stories. Banks is brillant. She captures Jane in different areas in her life. Who hasn't felt jealous or envious of a brother's girlfriend or a guy friend's new date. She is witty, challanging and optimist in these tales.
Rating: Summary: What about the two mystery chapters? Review: I believe that I may have missed something somewhere, but did anyone else think there were two chapters that didn't fit into the story at all? I wasn't even entertained by these chapters, I was confused. And then I waited throughout the whole book to see where they fit in. I read quite a bit and have never see this tactic before. Other than that blatant literary mistake, I found the book loosely entertaining. If you have nothing else to read it may be worth your time.
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