Rating: 
Summary: disappointed
Review: i was psyched to find this book cause i loved bridget jones diary so much and im a huge fan of "brit-girl" books. this one started out horribly. i had to read in about 5 chapters to get past that "oh my god i cant keep reading" feeling. the middle of the book was great. i saw alot of myself in rosie in terms of her messed up relationship with oliver. then when orourke was introduced, i was like YES something will happen! then the end of it DRAGGED on and on and on. i was excited when i thought that oliver and orourke would butt heads, but aside from that one scene, nothing. and then she was watching him sleep at the end? no. i will not read the sequel.
Rating: 
Summary: good but unbalanced
Review: I really enjoyed Cause Celeb -- there were parts of many different characters which were extremely true to life and the book was quite funny overall. However, I thought Ms. Fielding left a little to be desired in the development of the relationship between Rosie and her significant other (don't worry, I'm not ruining anything). She gives us one spectacular scene and then we are put on hold indefinitely. Altogether, though, a fun, light, and enjoyable read.
Rating: 
Summary: What a let down...
Review: After having listened to both Bridget Jones novels (beautifully read by Tracie Bennett), Cause Celeb was a huge let down. It was the anti-Bridget Jones. The subject matter was heavy and the story was often times boring. Worse still, was Bernadette Quigley's narration....extremely bland.
Rating:
Summary: Shameless Rip-Off
Review: ...From the preening, two-timing celebrity boyfriend to going to jail on a set-up etc. it's really a shameful rip-off of Kathy Lette... but the humor just doesn't come close to Lette's originality. Most people reading this Brit Chick stuff now don't realize Lette started in the late 80s and had all of this material covered by the end of the 90s, when Bridget Jones caused a craze. But did that stop me from reading this all the way through? No!!! It is a good enough story about a selfish girl who learns to think of others and get a handle on what's really important in life (blah blah blah) and reading it helped me get through a few airports. If I'd been at home I think I'd have put it down a lot sooner, though.
Rating: 
Summary: hope this starts a new trend!
Review: Fielding's "Bridget Jones' Diary" started a trend of wannabes, so reading this work written well before "BJD" was surprising and refreshing. Rosie Richardson is a more compassionate, less self-centered Bridget who leaves her shambled lovelife with a celebrity in London when the humanitarian need in Africa calls her. She takes a training course in interational aid and goes to a fake country called Nambula. She is there for 4 years, and in 1989 she has been promoted to Aid Coordinator of their relief camp ---- just when a famine seems inevitable due to natural disasters and a missing shipment from the United Nations. Rosie has an idea to save the Nambulan people that just might work, but she has to face her past in order to make it succeed. This is an excellent book!
Rating:
Summary: Unpleasantly Surprised...
Review: I feel like there should have been a warning on the cover "This is NOT like Bridget Jones" rather than all the Bridget comparisons. It's not a bad book - it's just not what I expected, and not what I would have chosen to read. It was too crass to mesh Rosies two worlds. I felt the book mocked the starvation issue.
Rating: 
Summary: On the setting of Cause Celeb
Review: Well, although I thought this was an interesting read that kept me engaged, I thought it was a little ridiculous to place the story in the imaginary African country of "Nambula." It wouldn't have taken much research to choose an actual country in Africa. The reason I say this is because her representation of Nambula shows evidence of general and demeaning stereotypes of African nations. First of all, Nambula wouldn't just be in "Africa." It would be in a specific region of Africa (North West East South). All of these regions have very different characteristics and cultures. I thought her creation of the Nambulan language was also insulting. Words like "dildo" and "babboon" were used to represent the dialogue in Nambulan. And the translation of the "Good? Good. Good? Good" conversation was ridiculous because what language functions like that? And finally, I felt that it was weird to make the Nambulan people Muslim, which is a very real religion, if they belong to a made up nationality. There was just something incongrous about that. I think Fielding is a good writer, and I thought it was a good read, but I think writers need to be more responsible and do their research in order to do their subject justice. Especially since this tendency to reduce Africa to simplistic terms is so common these days. And on a minor note, isn't it Cause Celebre? Not celeb?
Rating:
Summary: Good, though somewhat uneven
Review: This book is about Rosie, who, after finally breaking up with her emotionally abusive boyfriend, Oliver, goes to do relief work in Africa. Because the UN isn't sending needed supplies, the refugee camp is running out of food. Rosie has to return to London and try to get the celebrities she used to associate with to come to Africa and do a benefit. What really kept me reading the book is that I really liked and empathised with Rosie. She seemed like a good person, and I could relate to her belief that she could change Oliver. Some of the scenes of their arguments were really realistic. The book was also quite amusing in parts. The London social scene was hilarious. The spoofing of celebrity was also quite humourous. Fielding has a very engaging style that allowed me to stay interested in the story. She makes some very good points about celebrity without being totally preachy. I did wish that the celebrities had spent more time in Africa. The last third of the book was actually the best, when the celebrities were planning the benefit. I thought some of the more political stuff in the middle of the book dragged a bit. Despite the fact that the book dragged in places, it was overall a very enjoyable read. Fielding's an excellent writer, and the story rings true to life. Definitely worth the read!!
Rating:
Summary: A Smashing Sucess (Again! ) for Fielding
Review: I loved cause celeb!! It was very educational to learn about the famine, and at some times I just wanted to kick Oliver(...)! People like that should not be allowed to roam freely in society. It was a lot more realistic than Bridget (though don't get me wrong, I love(ed) Bridget!) and Rosie was so helpless. i loved Richard Finch and his cocktails. Keep up the good work, HF, maybe a sequel?
Rating:
Summary: Comedy and tragedy...
Review: For fans of Helen Fielding's work, this is yet another treat! If you haven't read anything by Fielding, yet, you won't be disappointed by her writing. She has a true knack for comedy, and a brilliant sense of telling things like they are. With Helen Fielding's works you know you won't miss out on an adventure. Her work is a treat for the mind... Relax, and let Helen's magical storytelling bring you, first, into the celebrity of London, complete with the average sociopaths. We meet Rosie Richardson, a young woman struggling to find herself, lost amidst the glitz and glamour of the London elite. Fate causes her scheming to land her in the heart of Africa, doing what she was [surprisingly] meant to do. Her plans lead her through tragedy and triumph, but all the while with Rosie learning her strengths as a woman. The characters are developed so brilliantly in this book, you will miss them the moment you put it down. The evolution of Rosie Richardson is fantastic, she is so real, and brings heart to the plight of Africa. This book glides perfectly along the line of comedy and tragedy. Her work is brilliant, and this is another must-read by Fielding. Enjoy!
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