Thursday, April 29, 2010

This One Is Mine by Maria Semple... A Review

Violet Parry = Anna Karenina with an L.A. Lifestyle

Back of The Book... Violet Parry is living the quintessential life of luxury in the Hollywood Hills with David, her rock-and-roll manager husband, and her darling toddler, Dot. She has the perfect life--except that she's deeply unhappy. David expects the world of Violet but gives little of himself in return. When she meets Teddy, a roguish small-time bass player, Violet comes alive, and soon she's risking everything for the chance to find herself again. Also in the picture are David's hilariously high-strung sister, Sally, on the prowl for a successful husband, and Jeremy, the ESPN sportscaster savant who falls into her trap. For all their recklessness, Violet and Sally will discover that David and Jeremy have a few surprises of their own. THIS ONE IS MINE is a compassionate and wickedly funny satire about our need for more--and the often disastrous choices we make in the name of happiness.

What Did I Think?! This One Is Mine by Maria Semple is wickedly funny, sassy and shocking, with larger than life characters that show us that having it all may not be all that it's cracked up to be, and having nothing has a whole set of other issues... When rich, snobbish, well educated very married Violet Parry meets Teddy Reyes, a down-on-his luck ex-drug addict over-sexed bass player, she thinks she's found something to fill that void, LITERALLY! And I think, what are you doing?! Violet seems to have lost her mind. There's nothing to make you like Violet's husband really, but Teddy seems far from the answer. As Violet throws money, gifts and food his way and herself too, I couldn't stop turning those pages. Then Maria Semple adds to the story one track mind Sally, Violet's sister-in-law, whose only goal is to snag a rich husband and have the perfect accessory. The only thing these two girls have in common is they're both train wrecks waiting to happen, and you can't help but hop on for the ride. While you're watching the scenery Violet and Sally develop into women that you can really empathize with... and that makes the story so much more than just "chick lit".

Maria Semple's writing is smart and fresh. Her story is lust, longing, and happiness. It's ultimately about friendship and the girl getting the guy and finding herself in the process. And it's a book you'll enjoy.

Learn more about Maria Semple at her website MarieSemple.com, read how she came to write This One Is Mine at the Hachette Book Group website and read about how This One Is Mine was an Indie Notable Pick this past January.

*I received a copy of this book to review from Marie's publicist. Thanks Gigi it was a fun read!

*P.S. This Book is Kindle Ready!

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