Trading Up

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.

Rating:
Summary: Trading Up
Review: This is a wonderful light hearted book. It quickly grabs your attention and you will not want to put it down till the end. You will enjoy the ups and downs of the main character, Janey Wilcox. It is a good idea to read 4 Blondes first. That book establishes the characters that are in this book.

Rating:
Summary: A disappointment
Review: This book was really not that fun of a read. I was expecting a light-hearted book with a plot and characters I would enjoy reading about, but did not find any of this with Trading Up.

The book is about Janey Wilcox, a Victoria's Secret model who uses anyone and everyone that comes into her life to make it to the top. From a socialite to several movie producers to her own sister, she uses them all to get what she wants.

The only reason I made it all the way through is because I kept thinking, this has to get better. I was wrong. By the end of the book I really did not care what happened to Janey and therefore didn't care that the ending was as bad as it was.

I'm disappointed and definitely would not recommend Trading Up.

Rating:
Summary: Boring!
Review: This book was boring. I kept waiting for something interesting to happen. The main character, Janey, is very unlikable. It was hard to get to the end of the book because I really didn't care by that point.

Rating:
Summary: Not the worst book I've read, but I still wouldn't bother
Review: This is a pretty mediocre book. Its worst flaw is that every one of the characters is so downright despicable that you end up not caring a jot what happens to any of them. You find yourself hoping that Janey will get her come-uppance, but unfortunately when she does, it's short-lived. The writing is barely okay, certainly nothing outstanding, and the plot development is sluggish.

On the positive side, Candace Bushnell obviously knows the Manhattan social scene well and at times you feel that the descriptions are depressingly accurate. I say depressing because it comes across as being such a shallow and superficial world that I am happy to be well removed from it. It's kind of fun to guess at the inspiration behind some of the characters - Gwyneth Paltrow, Rupert Everett, Anna Wintour, Aerin Lauder...

I continued with this book hoping it would get better. It didn't. It's not the worst book that I've read, but I still wouldn't recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Good escapist fun
Review: Suffice it to say that this book is no "Sex and the City," but it is 10,000 times better than "The Devil Wears Prada." Bushnell creates well-developed characters and an interesting plot; it just seems to take too long to work through it.

You may not like the main character Janie but you can laugh at her, shake your head at her and think of at least one person that you have met who she reminds you of in some way. She's one of those self-involved, self-destructive people who seems oblivious to the havoc she leaves in her wake. Bushnells' characterizations of the people around Janie and their efforts to deal with the impact of her behavior are a large part of what keeps this book interesting and entertaining.

This isn't a literary masterpiece but if you need an escapist break, this book will fill the bill.

Rating:
Summary: Stylish, but not as Sexy as other Bushnell Books
Review: As a fan of Sex and the City and anything penned by Candace Bushnell, her latest novel, isn't a good follow-up to 4 Blondes. The main character, Janey Wilcox is a beautiful model, climbing the social ladder but faulters a few times on the way up. I personally like Janey, but found it difficult to fully understand her. I guess that was Bushnell's intent, to show that Janey was all mixed up inside, however she needed to make it clear to the audience exactly why Janey was mixed up.Nevertheless, if you're looking for a stylish book about NY socialites and their dirty secrets, Trading Up, is a must-read.

Rating:
Summary: Pleasantly surprised!
Review: I have to say that I did enjoy the book "Trading Up." The main character Janey Wilcox goes through a social roller coaster which has you rooting for her at the end. Although I was a bit disappointed by the some what unanswered questions, I found the book to be interesting and fun. A look into the lives of manhattans up scale society!

Rating:
Summary: Hilarious!
Review: I totally enjoyed this book right from the beginning and found the story completely entertaining. The world of Manhattan's Upper East Side is totally foreign to me. And after reading this novel, I think I'll keep my distance! Read this book -- it's just plain fun! Also recommended: The Losers' Club by Richard Perez