Book Review 2015- Jemima J by Jane Green

Jemima J by Jane Green

Jemima Jones is overweight. About one hundred pounds overweight. Treated like a maid by her thin and social-climbing roommates, and lorded over by the beautiful Geraldine (less talented but better paid) at the Kilburn Herald, Jemima finds that her only consolation is food. Add to this her passion for her charming, sexy, and unobtainable colleague Ben, and Jemima knows her life is in need of a serious change. When she meets Brad, an eligible California hunk, over the Internet, she has the perfect opportunity to reinvent herself–as JJ, the slim, beautiful, gym-obsessed glamour girl. But when her long-distance Romeo demands that they meet, she must conquer her food addiction to become the bone-thin model of her e-mails–no small feat. 

With a fast-paced plot that never quits and a surprise ending no reader will see coming, Jemima J is the chronicle of one woman's quest to become the woman she's always wanted to be, learning along the way a host of lessons about attraction, addiction, the meaning of true love, and, ultimately, who she really is.

Review-

I love lists, especially if it’s a list of books- list of books written by women, list of best books of 2014 and it is through one such list (list of best chick lit) that I came across Jemima J written by Jane Green.

The blurb sounded interesting and being labeled as chubby right from my childhood, I could definitely identify with the character of Jemima. Jemima, who tries to drown her loneliness in the comfort of food. Jemima, who despite being witty and intelligent works in the most boring newspaper office and is overlooked by her boss and colleagues.

But when Jemima meets a new man through Internet dating her life changes in a way she never thought possible. She loses all her weight and almost, overnight, turns into a slim, svelte girl who is approached by men and film producers with offers she is not interested in. Now, all though I read through this part of the book of Jemima’s makeover I could not resist rolling my eye more than once. The author made it seem too easy to shed one hundred pounds in few months. Maybe she should have given us more information on how Jemima actually did it.

 I liked the unusual narration style that switched between first person from Jemima’s POV and third person from author’s POV. I guess this gives more flexibility for author to give a peek into other character’s thoughts. Though it was difficult to follow the constant switch in the narration, after few pages I quite liked it.

Overall a light-read book that kept me entertained. Not the best chick lit that I have read but not the worst too.

Rating – 3 Star