Her

Rating:
Summary: Nothing more than a great pair of boots
Review: Her relies on slick presentation and the promise of a fresh idea. The sassy cover displays a hot pair of knee high smoky gray suede boots. The slick presentation promises a sassy read. This book is nothing more than a gorgeous pair of boots with nothing to fill them. Ms. Zigman's aspirations are more cinematic than literary. The slim novel showcases Elise, freelance editor, DC newcomer, Georgetown grad school student, who is recently engaged to a great guy. Elise has the potential to be hip and human but she is nothing more than plastic and pathetic. There is nothing funny about an obsessive compulsive 35 year old riding a self-destructive streak. She definitely needs a couple of more sessions on the couch and a prescription or two. Her is Adrienne. Accompished Adrienne is her fiancée's ex fiancée, the uber woman who turns out to be well, human and fallible. Of course there is jealousy on Elise's end. It is a slim rendition of a neurosis gone bad not funny. You pity Elise and for some reason you do not hate Adrienne. The lucid, original prose found in Animal Husbandry is missing. Ms. Zigman writes this purported 'beach read' with a sense of misguided urgency. She rips off scenes from Sex and the City episode where Carrie rips though her new boyfriends' things. The scene was a gut wrenching display of insecurity that lasted less than five minutes. Ms. Zigman keeps it rolling for the entire novel. This book is nothing more than a sell out and a shame.

Rating:
Summary: Stalking and Paranoia 101
Review: I heard this was a funny book, but what I didn't hear was that the protagonist was a psycho-stalker. She is so self-absorbed and such a whiner that she made me want to grab her by the shoulders and shake some sense into her. Definitely do not purchase this book. I'm grateful I got it from the library.

Rating:
Summary: Paranoia's galore!
Review: I think Laura Zigman is one of the most gifted chick lit writers of this era. I loved Animal Husbandry and Dating Big Bird because I thought she brought something new to a genre full of Bridget Jones-wannabes. I looked forward to reading Zigman's third novel, Her. In Zigman's case, third time isn't a charm.

It's not that I didn't like the book -- after all, I thought it full of Zigman's signature wit -- I was just annoyed with the heroine, Elise. Threatened by her fiancé's friendship with his gorgeous ex-girlfriend, Elise embarks on a search to find whether or not there is something sinister about the ex-girlfriend's insistence on being part of Donald's life. Though the heroine addressed the fact that she'd become extremely paranoid, I still felt as though I wanted to strangle her at times. Well, I guess I shouldn't judge her too badly considering I have had some bouts of paranoia myself...

Her is still worth reading. Laura Zigman's fun approach to romantic comedy is money well spent.

Rating:
Summary: Skip it
Review: Like other reviewers, I believe this effort does not measure up to the author's first two novels. What I loved about those two books is her ability to weave really astute and insightful observations about life and love into her stories. I kept waiting for that to happen with this book, but it didn't. This is meaningless fluff from an author who is capable of much better.

This is slapstick comedy with annoying, one dimensional characters. There may be a small laugh or two along the way, but those don't make up for this completely unbelievable plot.

Skip this one and read her first two novels. You won't be sorry.