Book Review

OK, I don't normally do this, but this has got to be one of the best reads I've had in a long, long time.



"Jemima J" by Jane Green

My sis bought this book, which was later passed to Yx, and I just had to take a peek. OK, at first it was the endless promises by Yx that there were softcore porn sections in it (which later turned out to be just PG-13 standard stuff about lying under the sheets. Damn, I am just so manipulable.) - then the suspense about what this book contained built up as Yx went nuts over being healthy. Yes- Yx, the girl who thinks that jogging ought to be punished by decapitation and disembowelment, nagging daily about going jogging, swimming, skating and whatnot?

To cut a long story short, and obviously influenced by the Brit writing style, this book is bloody fucking nice. At first glance it was crappy girly stuff, but it turned out to be inspirational, insightful and moving in a subtle manner. "A novel about ugly ducklings and swans", the title read. It's about this girl, Jemima Jones, a massive woman who later shed pounds and pounds and pounds. It's a story about spirit, seeing beauty beyond the superficial, friendship so true it makes you want to cry, and a potpourri of love. About fat women with unrevealed beauty, gorgeous blondes behaving in horribly-predictable manners, and men of all sorts with their wants, needs, lusts and depth of character.

IMO, not the kind of book you can re-read in the immediate aftermath, but very enjoyable nonetheless. And all of a sudden I feel so warm and cuddly towards everyone in my life.