Jemima J

This book was an easy read. I enjoyed it, but wouldn't search out more Jane Green books as this genre is not my personal favorite. However, it is an excellent example of chicklit. The female protagonist, Jemima, overcomes a personal challenge by the end of the book and "gets the guy". I thought Green made it easy to connect to Jemima because most women have had periods in their lives when looking in a mirror is difficult. Unfortunately, women often view themselves much more harshly than needed and we beat ourselves up instead of patting ourselves on the back. The struggle to be thin and hip begins early in lives of females and while being healthy and fit is optimal, as a middle school teacher I'm witness to the pain of those that don't fit in. I liked the way the book ended with Jemima a "voluptous, feminine, curvy size 10 who is completely happy with how she looks."
When the book began, it reminded me of the movie Holiday. Jemima reminded me of the British character from the show (can't remember her real name) that had a secret crush on the newsroom hunk and as I read I could easily see this book become it's own chick flick movie. When Jemima and her friends from the newsroom discover the Web her world changes, we hope for the better. Jemima undergoes an amazing transformation, from overweight to fit, trim, and beautiful. I found it interesting that Green made most of the thin characters in the book shallow and unpleasant to be around. For example, Jemima's friend, Geraldine, takes her on as a "project" and has used her in the past to rewrite her work. Geraldine chooses Jemima as a serious friend only when she is acceptable to be seen out with. Her editor only offers her a better job when she is thin even though her talent has always been there, and her roommates reminded me of the stepsisters from Cinderella. Prince Charming turns out to be a pig. Besides Lauren and Ben, why were all the thin characters written as selfish snobs?
I thought that Green was trying to remind us of what our mothers told us as children; beauty comes from within, it's not what you look like on the outside, it's the inside that counts...
The book definitely fit the chicklit mold; personal issues - weight, professional struggles (the good ol' boy mentality that women aren't worthy of the good jobs unless they are "lookers"), the unattainable guy, sex, hangovers, friendship, and happy endings.
As I stated earlier, I did enjoy the book. The writing was humorous and light. Jemima's Cinderella transformation was predictable, but Brad's secret life was not. Something I thought that could help the book would to be to change the font when point of view changed. I think it would make it less confusing, and perhaps a little more fun to read.