So 5 Minutes Ago : A Novel

Rating:
Summary: What's Her Problem?
Review: I am chugging onward to the end of this book, with only about 20 turgid pages to go. A total waste of time. I usually like to read about working women--- I know first hand of the trials and tribulations. But the main character, Alex Davidson, does nothing through the entire book but gripe and complain, and it makes one wonder-- if she is so unhappy, why doesn't she get another job. The problem is-- it's not really clear why she is so unhappy. The group she works with is having problems, but hey--- don't we all. Also, it's never really clear what the big deal is-- a take-over, heads roll, but nothing makes real sense, reader-wise. I haven't been so turned off by a book since "The Devil Wears Prada." Which I couldn't bring myself to finish. If this is womanhood in the workplace, we're doomed. Back to the kitchen !!!

Rating:
Summary: Hollywood Shmollywood
Review: I am not entirely sure how this book got as many stars as it did. It really wasn't that great. The main character Alex was not a nice person at all. She's whiny and seems to think way too much of herself when bothers to think at all. Her best bud Rachel is snotty and over the top. The other main characters are not much likable either. The development of the non-central characters was pretty bad too. I'll cite C Se. as an example. She was quite obviously J Lo. but for God's sake just say so or don't try to pretend she is someone else. Come up with something original at least. I am giving the book 2 stars because I actually liked the plot (when they finally got to it that is). Too bad the unlikable characters ruined it. I didn't mind the cut throat image of Hollywood. I actually expected that -- I just wanted a character to like. A good girl stuck in a bad world if you will.

Rating:
Summary: Snore....
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this dip into the inner workings of the Hollywood PR and celebrity machine. Our heroine, a publicist, is delightfully wry as she struggles through her crazy days dealing with self-involved lunatics-most of them not so heavily disguised portraits of recognizable stars. I particularly enjoyed our heroine's visit to the home of two wacko lesbian lovers; hilarious. It's not Middlemarch, but in an entertaining, breezy way, De Vries paints a detailed portrait of a warped universe she obviously knows all too well. So 5 Minutes Ago serves as a welcome escape from the real world.

Rating:
Summary: Should have stopped reading after 5 minutes
Review: I was disappointed in this book. It seemed like something that the author rushed out using a standard Hollywood plot outline. I didn't have any sympathy or hatred for any of the characters, and didn't really care at all. I thought the characters were pale stereotypes of people. I definitely don't recommend this book to anyone.

Rating:
Summary: eh, not as good as i expected
Review: i was expecting this book to be a fun dishy novel, like nanny diaries or the devil wears prada...instead, it was plotless, and although it was a quick read and i can't say i didn't enjoy it, after i finished reading it, i was left thinking "wait...what was the whole point of that book???". i would definitely recommend picking up the devil wears prada instead!

Rating:
Summary: Get over yourself
Review: I was really disappointed with this book. I found the main character of Alex to be shallow and whiney. She reminds me of people I know who crave chaos and complain about it constantly but never do anything about it. I work in the entertainment industry and unfortunately there are people who need to have their hands held, but all I kept thinking was, "if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen!!" I just thought Alex was pathetic and I wanted to run as far away from her as I do anyone I meet you who you just want to tell, "shut up already!"

Rating:
Summary: Hollywood Down and Dirty
Review: If you are a follower of the entertainment business and are looking for a fun light read, look no further than So 5 Minutes Ago by Hilary De Vries. This book will have you laughing out loud and on the edge of your seat as you follow the trials and tribulations of Alex Davidson's life. Alex is a Hollywood publicist who's agency doesn't
represent the cream of the crop, rather the ones who's
careers have seen better days.

Alex's job is to look after their every need, get them to photo shoots on time, spin control and arranging red carpet events. While she thinks she's little more than a babysitter, she knows she shouldn't complain because everyone thinks her job is so fantastic.

Things get down and dirty when her company is bought out. All of a sudden, Alex isn't sure how long she'll have a job. As her old boss is getting pushed out of the company, Alex has a first hand view of the backstabbing that goes on.

So 5 Minutes Ago takes you into the secret world of Hollywood celebrity. I'm not sure if we're getting a true insider's view, but Hilary De Vries sure makes it feel that way!

Rating:
Summary: So 5 Minutes Ago
Review: This book is hilarious!! I am a personal publicist in the entertainment industry, and like it or not Hilary DeVries captures the character perfectly. Unlike a novel like "The Devil Wears Prada," where the protagonist does nothing but whine and complain about her job and what she feels are duties that are "beneath" her, DeVries is pretty accurate in her depiction of what the job of a Hollywood publicist entails. Nobody is going to argue that trying to get an actor to show up at a photo shoot on time is totally rediculous. However, the fact remains that just as it's a personal assistants job to attend to whatever their boss (in any business) might ask of them, it's a publicists job to make sure their clients are portrayed in the best possible way. This by the way is PR 101...in any industry. Bottom line...maybe Hollywood isn't as glamourous as people want to belive it is and the vast majority of young twenty-somethings that chase their dreams of stardom to California might want to stay home. If you do end up working in the biz, you too will find this book very funny. One last thing, for those who said this book wasn't well written...Hilary DeVries happens to be a very respected journalist for the New York Times...then again maybe not all of you actually read the newspaper.

Rating:
Summary: Snore....
Review: This book put me to bed early every night. I tried staying awake, but I could only survive a few pages before nodding off. It's just boring... I appreciate the attempt at making a book on such subject matter, but I wasn't intrigued.

Rating:
Summary: Not what I imagined....
Review: This novel has gotten mixed reviews - some good, some bad. I will rate in the middle with *** stars.

It was very slow and took me a couple weeks to make it to the half-way mark, but I was bound & determined to finish it.

Once I got through the middle, the plot held my interest until the end. I wish I could say that from start to finish. :-(