Rating: 
Summary: Keyes does it again!
Review: Sometimes I am a bit apprehensive about reading Marian Keyes books - they are so big! But they do not disappoint! Sushi for Beginners is a great novel - a great summer read. Join gals Lisa, Ashling, and Clodagh in Ireland at work and at play. I found this to be excellently written and it had an interesting technique with the prologue and the three girls - read the book and you'll see what I mean!
Rating:
Summary: Fun with some serious undertones
Review: 'Sushi for Beginners' focuses primarily on two very different women thrown together by work. Lisa Edwards is a London sophisticate on a hot career track while Ashling Kennedy is the perfect second in command type person who wishes she had Lisa's elan and attitude. The two women meet at the start up of Colleen, an edgy Irish fashion magazine. The magazine and the two women's personal lives allow the introduction of a variety of interesting characters including Lisa's almost ex-husband, Ashling's feckless boyfriend and best friend, and Jack Devine, the handsome boss that both Lisa and Ashling find attractive.'Sushi for Beginners' follows Lisa and Ashling as they seek professional and persona success. As Lisa's marriage with the husband she still loves comes to an end, she discovers new aspect of herself and new priorities. The journey, however, is filled with funny mis-steps and misunderstandings. Ashling begins to learn to stand up for herself, and discovers true love simply by being herself. This is a very enjoyable novel, and one I found difficult to put down. The characters have enough foibles to be real, and the reader can empathize with the humiliation and embarassment both Lisa and Ashling encounter. The surrounding characters are personable, interesting, and accessible. I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys 'chick lit' or Marian Keyes' other books.
Rating: 
Summary: Fun, Light, Irish
Review: When I started this book, I had just finished the superb "The Da Vinci Code", and was initially disappointed at the seemingly trite, sarcastic, over-cliched dialogue of the "in crowd". An example: "The shoes were a size too small--no matter how many times she asked the Patrick Cox press office to send a size six, they always sent a five. But free Patrick Cox shoes were free Patrick Cox shoes. What did an unimportant detail like excruciating agony matter?" Ugh! The aggressive, hard-core, verbally caustic Lisa seemed less a person than a cartoon character.
But, in the end, I was won over. "Fecking eejit" became my descriptive phrase from everyone from my husband to stupid drivers. I couldn't stop laughing, no actually smirking, at the light funny story and the funny Irish slang.
The book is a fun, laugh out loud, slightly over the top read. I would recommend it. There is enough sharp wit and funny dialogue and whack-job characters coupled with a current look at relationships (mostly dysfunctional) to appeal to everyone.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Superb!!!!!
Review: I've read all of Keye's books...except for "Lucy Sullivan" and this is by far the best yet. I really had to dislike Lisa.... but Ashling and Clodaugh totally made the book the superb read it was....neither was flashy or gorgeous...but managed to keep both feet on the ground. I also got a kick out of Trix. I anxiously await Keye's next book!
Rating:
Summary: a very good summer read
Review: while lucy sullivan is getting married remains my favorite keyes book, i really enjoyed sushi. her writing makes me feel i am IN dublin (i have a lot of family in ireland) and i enjoyed the entire story...enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Enjoy!
Review: Instead of the coveted transfer to a glamorous New York magazine, Lisa Edwards finds herself the new editor of "Colleen" in Ireland, of all places! No more perks or parties. This is not good! Ashling Kennedy is very glad to have her new job as Lisa's assistant even tho Lisa is the boss from Hell. Ashling is a "people pleaser" - even going so far as carrying a purse filled with things people may need -bandages,, pins, buttons, etc. If there's an emergency, she's ready for it. Her own life could use a little fixing up but with her new job and a new boyfriend, maybe it'll be okay. A side story concerns Ashling's friend Clodagh - a stay at home mom with some extremely annoying children. As the book goes along, the three stories converge and it becomes very hard to put the book down. I didn't. If you remember her last book "Angels", she gets one more dig in at California. Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: A cruel waste of time
Review: Up until SFB, I have always enjoyed Keyes' novels. This one did not live up to her previous efforts however. In fact, I was thoroughly dismayed that it took her so many, many pages to tell such a flat-out boring story with flat, two-dimensional characters. If you've never read Keyes before, may I suggest the fantastic Watermelon or Last Chance Saloon. These two are her best, and leaps and bounds better than SFB. At the end of SFB, I felt like I didn't know anyone, and what little I did know, I didn't much care for. Major disappointment and well below Ms. Keyes' previous talents.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed Keyes Fan!
Review: If you are a fan of Marian Keyes work, as I am, you may want to skip this book. (I can't believe I just typed that!)
I found the subject matter in "Sushi" to be compelling, but Keyes just didn't give me any interesting characters! There was no one to cheer for. I didn't even care enough about Ashling to be on her side when she was getting jerked around! It may have had something to do with the way the book erratically skips around between their stories, never giving the reader time to bond or relate to any one character.
It's a shame because I felt character development had been one of Keyes strongest talents.
The Bottom Line: Make your way through Keyes' other books first!
Rating:
Summary: More Sushi Please
Review: I love the work of Marian Keyes, and in my humble opinion, I think this is her best work since Watermelon. You can help but love Aisling, who tries so hard at everything. She has her good friends - I loved Joy's humor, her problematic parents, and her work drama. Keyes can balance the heartbreaking pieces about Aisling's depressed mother and hilarious office situations. Part of the Keyes' magic is her ability to give you the story, a good grasp of the setting, and the side characters that keep you smiling. Things like Lisa' country cottage and her description of Boo and Lisa's neighbor kids really kept me into the story.
I enjoyed reading about the warmth of Ireland melting Lisa's tough exterior and the pain involved in her marriage. Can't wait to read the next Marian Keyes book!
Rating:
Summary: My favorite Marian Keyes novel!
Review: Having read Marian Keyes's previous books, I knew I had to get my hands on this one. I was not disappointed. Once again, Keyes writes a wonderful novel that mixes a dark plot with sharp and witty situations. Sushi for Beginners, like Last Chance Saloon, focuses on various characters in third person narrative. Set in Dublin, Lisa, an ambitious Londoner, has been given the task of launching a new fashion magazine for Irish women. After she somewhat recuperates from the initial culture shock, she meets some rather eccentric characters at work. She decides she dislikes Ashling, the sweet deputy editor, and develops a crush on Jack Devine, the Managing Director and notorious maverick. What develops is a tale of betrayal, deceit and heartbreak. One of these people is on the verge of a nervous breakdown... Who will it be? The focal point of this novel is depression. Ashling suffers a bout of the aforementioned mental illness when Clodagh, her best friend, shows her true colors. Ashling's world captivated and spoke to me. What I love about Marian Keyes is that she mixes tender romance with a serious subject matter that readers could relate to. I love the wit in this novel -- much more subtle than her previous efforts. I also love all of the secondary characters -- namely Trix, Dylan and Jack Devine. As mentioned, Sushi for Beginners is my favorite Keyes novel. Highly recommended...
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