On The Verge

Rating:
Summary: Careers and Friends
Review: "On The Verge" deals with Eve Vitali who worked as an assistant/secretary/receptionist for "Bicycle Boy" a magazine that is devoted to bicycles in New York City. Eve had just graduated with a degree in journalism from college and this was her first "real" job. She had just gotten an apartment with her college friend Roseanne and was hoping to write and basically be successful. Unfortunately, her job was unsatisfying and Eve basically spent most of her time surfing the Net or playing hangman. Besides Roseanne, Eve also relied on Tabitha, a classy but arrogant friend who also worked for the publishing company but with another magazine. The book basically chronicled their daily lives; hitting the bars, flirting, going on dates and at the same time, trying to find fulfilment in their jobs.

I enjoy "On The Verge" because it is a little different from other chick-lits. This book deals a lot more with finding success after graduating from school and basically, trying to fit in. It is not hard to identify with the characters especially if you are a recent graduate. I think "On The Verge" is quite balanced, in the sense that it did not neglect careers when focusing on finding love, unlike many chick-lits authors. This is not the best I have read, but it is definitely better than average. I'm definitely enjoying the Red Ink Dress books.

Rating:
Summary: New Author "on the verge" of a hit!
Review: "On the Verge" by Ariella Papa is a great little gem for those early 20-somethings out there who are really doing what they want just yet - who haven't really met the right guy - and are all around, pretty confused. It has a touch of glamour with the parties and dates but all in all - it's the story of a normal young woman struggling to find her path in life.

This genre has becoming increasingly popular and this newest addition is a great addition. Other books in the "Red Dress Ink" series are less then stellar but, this one is a clear winner with a lot of promise. I found Ms. Papa's style refreshing and a nice quick read. Other reviews have mentioned the few problems with the editing and grammar - I agree this was a bit distracting at times but all in all a great debut from a promising new author.

Rating:
Summary: Careers and Friends
Review: "On The Verge" deals with Eve Vitali who worked as an assistant/secretary/receptionist for "Bicycle Boy" a magazine that is devoted to bicycles in New York City. Eve had just graduated with a degree in journalism from college and this was her first "real" job. She had just gotten an apartment with her college friend Roseanne and was hoping to write and basically be successful. Unfortunately, her job was unsatisfying and Eve basically spent most of her time surfing the Net or playing hangman. Besides Roseanne, Eve also relied on Tabitha, a classy but arrogant friend who also worked for the publishing company but with another magazine. The book basically chronicled their daily lives; hitting the bars, flirting, going on dates and at the same time, trying to find fulfilment in their jobs.

I enjoy "On The Verge" because it is a little different from other chick-lits. This book deals a lot more with finding success after graduating from school and basically, trying to fit in. It is not hard to identify with the characters especially if you are a recent graduate. I think "On The Verge" is quite balanced, in the sense that it did not neglect careers when focusing on finding love, unlike many chick-lits authors. This is not the best I have read, but it is definitely better than average. I'm definitely enjoying the Red Ink Dress books.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Read!
Review: "On The Verge" was a quick and fun read, perfect for the summer, and would be great to take along on a plane trip or commute to work. I definitely think that this book was a lot better than "Bridget Jones" maybe because I'm American and the humor and cultural references in "Verge" made more sense to me. I related to Eve and her friends, even though I'm married with a baby (okay, I admit to living vicariously through novels). I can't wait for more books by this author - I would love to see a follow up, perhaps focusing on one of Eve's friends!

Rating:
Summary: On The Verge Of Being Cute & Flirty
Review: Ariella Papa delivers a winner with her debut novel, On The Verge. Papa's main character, Eve Vitali, is a twentysomething administrative assistant who lives in New Jersey but has a New York state of mind. With the help her friends Roseanne and the oh-so-memorable Tabitha, Eve takes the first steps from dependency and dismay, and by the end of the book she's boldly walking on the verge. Along the way, Eve entertains us with her colorful accounts of her romantic liaisons, and gives us some rather juicy details of her hot and steamy tryst with a very cute and very sexy Rob King.

Ms. Papa's exceptionally descriptive writing, matched with her witty and realistic dialogue, makes the reader feel like they are in the heart of New York, working, partying and hanging out with Eve and her friends.

The only thing that could make this reading experience even better is if Ms. Papa introduced me to the real Rob King!

Rating:
Summary: Accept Yourself
Review: Ariella Papa's first publication is an excellent read. She ties witty remarks that must be tied to a active imagination able to picture the story unfolding. Papa's talent for written humor is not easy to be picked up but is fantasticaly applied.

Eve Vitali is a determined young women that is trying to make something better of herself as opposed to living with her parents and 'skating' by. She is humorous and a character any secure young women in her twenties can relate to. "On the Verge" is a situation that is not a fairy tale that is mindless and full of money and overzealous men making it "entertaining", rather it is a story to relate to. Papa captures this quest with wit and characters that are so flawed they follow the "ugly baby" rule, you love them.

I could not put this book down. Papa makes the assistant's life glamorous while making the story so real the experience of reading becomes one of those great moments when you become your leading character, which in this case is a charming, clever, and determined woman.

Cheers to Red Dress INK for supproting young authors that offer an honest peice of candy of a read.

As for Papa, I look forward to her next publication.

Rating:
Summary: It's all true!
Review: As a 23-year-old woman out of college on her 1st job, I found Papa's 1st book so TRUE TO LIFE! She describes events and emotions that I could never as eloquently put words to as she has. The narrator and her friends were totally believable. While I am not in the high-powered world of publishing in NYC, Papa's discussions of the working world, social life after college and female friendships really touched me.
I laughed out loud a number of times and was even late for work a few mornings not wanting to put it down! And ask my boyfriend about me staying up late to read it!
I typically don't read this sort of fiction, but I found this extremely refreshing and a fantastic summer (or anytime) read.
I hope to see more from Papa.
Additionally, the title (which has relevance at the end) completely describes the emotionally roller-coaster that leaving school puts one through. From needing to order higher-class drinks to being the lowest on the totem pole at work... this book really captures this time in my life. I'd be very interested to hear what readers a bit older feel about this...

Rating:
Summary: I have such a headache...
Review: As a girl in her twenties, looking at the prospect of graduating college soon and hoping with all of my heart to move to and "make it" in the big city of New York, NY this book immediately grabbed my attention. The first few chapters were entertaining enough for me to stick with it but it soon went downhill from there.

After finishing the book (and what a grueling read it's been) I can safely say that there isn't a single character of redeeming value in its entirety. Tabitha, our protagonist's best friend, is narcissistic, superficial, and kind of stupid to say the least. The older sister, Monica, borders on psychotic in a way that is neither entertaining nor efficient in gleaning sympathy from the reader toward the unfortunate protagonist who has to deal with her. Roseanne, the protagonist's roommate is also shallow, also stupid, very dull, and her g-rated substitute curse words become extremely aggravating after awhile. The men this woman dates are horrendous stereotypes of every classical male cliche imaginable. Heck, the main character, our heroin, our lovely protagonist herself is nothing more than shallow, whiny, overly critical of everything and everyone involved in her life (to the point of being extremely, mind-numbingly annoying), I should also mention ANNOYING, relatively stupid herself, spoiled, naive (once again in an annoying way that would make you want to hit her in real life because she honestly expected some bigwhig at work to literally hand her a promotion on a silver platter or something) and she takes everything and everyone in her life for granted. How can you like a book if you hate the protagonist? It seemed to me that not a single character in this book had any charisma, appeal, or entitlement at all to be walking through it's pages!

Speaking of which, there were almost three hundred of these said pages and throughout the duration of them not a single thing of value actually happened, except maybe for the far-fetched ending, which could never happen in the real world anyway, so there you go. Basically what I share with you of this book's content is that these distinct characters (whom I described above) go out at night and drink. It doesn't matter what night of the week it is. Sometimes it's the afternoon on a weekend. But they drink. The next day they wake up hungover and go to work, after which they will begin to drink again in the evening. Evening after evening is spent in the apparently very tedious activity of debauchery. Sometimes mindless dialogue or casual sex is thrown in for effect, but always this drinking. I had a headache by the end of the book, most likely brought on by the mere idea of all of this endless drinking! I had to take painkillers! I felt hungover myself! All I wanted was for the drinking to stop and something interesting to happen. Any book devoting so much of its volume to mindless subplots involving alcohol perhaps ought not to have been written in the first place. Which brings me to mention to those people who say how this book so accurately parallels their own post-college, mid-twenties lifestyles... I'd check myself into AA if I were you. Really.

Lastly, in addition to the unappealing characters and the pointless (sometimes literally nauseating) storyline... I feel that any author who uses the word "Whatever" so many times in a single book, heck, in a single chapter even, deserves to be hit on the head with a thesaurus. Honest to God, every two paragraphs someone was Whatever-ing someone else, sometimes for no apparent reason. I started to count them all but I lost track after Whatever #36 or something.

The author has obvious talent, I will say this. There were some funny parts and the prose, for the most part, was witty and had a very high, elegant style. Maybe she just needs to stop copying Sex in the City....

Rating:
Summary: Great easy read....
Review: As with all of the other Red Dress Ink books i've read, this was an easy, fun and believable read...A great escape book that makes you feel like you are actually living with the characters...I didn't want it to end and can't wait for her 2nd book..Whoever is in charge of Red Dress Ink is doing a great job, i've really loved all the books by them..so keep up the great work and i'll look forward to more in the future...

As for Ariella Papa, great first book..i wanted to jump inside and go out with the girls on a Friday night..hurry with the next one...

Rating:
Summary: BORING & SNOBBY
Review: Boring, snobbish, direction-less. Eve, the main character, has no substance; rather, she's stumbling along, with a boring life, marveling at her "Amazonian" friend who seems to get all the guys, and laments about her terrible job - which is, might I add, NOT a terrible job. I felt like I was wasting my time reading this book, and that's not a good thing. Anyway, save your money. This one is NOT like a Bridget Jones, or any good chick lit for that matter, if that's what you're expecting it to be.

IN OTHER WORDS, THIS IS NOT WORTH THE MONEY OR THE TIME!