Rating: 
Summary: 3 is doing it justice
Review: I think this book would have been better if it actually was about hunting and fishing.It starts off, Bank is trying to be witty. She jumps around too much. The first chapter gives me a headache. It's boring. The writing in mundane. It reminds me of stories I used to write in high school. The "he said" then "she said" stuff. She pulls it together a little half way through the book. I enjoyed bits and pieces but the overall story was just lacking something. Each story connected but I felt like she left too much out. I wanted to relate with her but I couldn't. It seemed really wishy washy. The characters weren't very believable. They were cartoons of characters. Overall, it was an easy read. It kept me busy for a few hours but if you really feel like you must read it, borrow it from someone or get it at the library. Don't spend your money.
Rating: 
Summary: disappointing
Review: I was looking for a fun, easy-going book when I came across The Guide. It took me less than 3 days to get through, and I was partially confused the entire time. I never found the "fun, sexy" main character that was advertised on the book jacket. What I did find was random stories that never gained enough depth to give insight into the art of "hunting and fishing." Actually the only time these terms were brought up was in the last few pages of the book. The rest of the book just told parts of Jane's life and two random chapters of other people's life. I found never found any guidance for life, dating, or love... Each chapter started with me guessing who's head I was in and who they were, how old they were, anything. Most were about Jane, but it could of been a new person each time - I never saw connections from chapter to chapter. I will comend Melissa Banks for making it very easy to read and in the end showing hope for love.
Rating: 
Summary: It made me laugh for minutes on end.
Review: I didn't put this book down from the minute I got it in the mail until I had finished. I think it is a light-hearted book on some heavier issues of relationships, both romantic and in the family. It's a shame not all of its readers found this book as funny as I did - in each chapter there were bits of sarcastic humour that had me laughing out loud for minutes on end - my husband commented that it must be good, he's never heard me laugh that hard over a book. I'm a cheap-o when it comes to book-buying - I bought it used and it was worth it!
Rating: 
Summary: A perfect companion
Review: Having recently found myself in the position of having an abundance of time and a shortage of cash, I have started to re-read the books I already own and so had the happy accident of rediscovering 2 books which are both improved by each other's company. The Girl's Guide... is short, sweet, witty and to the point. I wish Ms. Bank had spent more time with adolescent Jane but overall the book had depth in it's brevity and a surprising sympathy for the male characters (not always present in "girl fiction").
The "unrelated middle chapter" that has been much critisized did not jar me as much as it has some readers because, be honest, who hasn't peeked out their windows at the neighbors and wondered "Why can't my life just be normal like theirs?" This glimpse of the neighbor's reality emphasises that Jane's on the right track to having a "normal" life even if she doesn't know it yet. The perfect companion book for this is "High Fidelity" by Nick Hornby. Read them together for a terrific he said-she said look at what it means to grow up emotionally and get over past mistakes. Read them both also for the witty quips that you can file away and pass off as your own at the next appropriate moment. That's what I'm going to do!
Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended
Review: Don't make the mistake of pigeon-holing this book as romantic lit for young unmarrieds, or, in the current vernacular, as chick lit. Also, don't buy the line that it will make you scream with laughter as did BRIDGET JONES. There is considerable wit in the dialogue and in the narrative voice that imbues most of the stories, but for the most part the situations are not hilarious. It is about blindly negotiating the rapids of love, but it is more than a simple gloss on romance. It is a striking, literary look at how love as defined first by family expands to a scary, complicated new world in which the self is in peril of being lost. You should also know that GIRL'S GUIDE is not a novel as it is sometimes referenced. It is a collection of confluent short stories, most featuring the continuing saga of Jane Rosenal in an effervescent first person narrative. If there is a flaw in Bank's plan, it is that the Jane stories present such a strong, chronological projectile that two other interspersed pieces that provide different perspectives on this thing called love seem intrusive. Thematically, though, they work well and offer some experimentation. The author's style shows a spine made of contemporary literary fiction mores, but her voice breaks free of prescription. Since the reader spends considerable time with Jane, you should know that she is a very warm, intelligent, REAL person. She is very witty. She gets a lot right about love and jobs. She makes the book go down easily and leaves you interested in seeing what Bank does next.
Rating:
Summary: Clean and Clever
Review: Because I was tired of people asking me why I haven't yet read the "Harry Potter" books, I decided while I was waiting for my bus at Port Authority to buy a paperback copy of the first book in J.K. Rowling's series. It was there that accidentally happened across Melissa Bank's book. I started reading it on the bus. Got home, had some lunch, did a little nothing, and finished reading the book before dinner. It wasn't that the story was so riveting that I was compelled by some external force to finish; but it was a good story relayed in a clever fashion that kept me interested and entertained, and I'll admit that that's a hard thing to do. Bank's writing style is clean and her dialogue is realistic. Kudos!
Rating:
Summary: FABULOUS Storytelling
Review: The author weaves a tale of love, pain, and life like an intricate afghan. Initially, upon picking up the book, I thought the book was actually a number of short stories. Each "chapter" could be read as a short story, but together provide a more all-encompassing picture of the heroine. Each chapter discusses an important relationship with a man in her life. Highly recommend this book for any girl.
Rating:
Summary: totally enjoyable
Review: I kept seeing this book in the bookstore.. and after hearing some friends mention it - I decided to read it... Wow, what an enjoyable book! I finished it in a day or two - I just couldn't put it down. I'll definitely be recommending this one to friends.
Rating:
Summary: Unusually perceptive and multi-layered
Review: I hardly ever read contemporary fiction was extremely turned off by the likening of _The Girl's Guide.._ to _Bridget Jones' Diary_.. but I picked this one up anyway and kept reading. I really admire the tone of this book- the main character (narrator) is perceptive, THOUGHTFUL, intelligent, but human. So are the other characters. The stories are very realistic and the concept of honesty rides through many of them. I enjoyed it quite a bit and am thankful to Bank for an intelligent book. The last story made me happy. Good books should do that for you.
Rating:
Summary: Right On Target
Review: I think that this was an excellent depiction of all the difficulties of dating in the 1990's and 2000+ that women experience. The complexities of love, life, and career and intricately woven into a tale of a young woman seeking that ideal life partner. It is a book that all women, especially young ones, can relate to. It is a relatively fast read for those short on time, and difficult to put down once you start.
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