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| Plot Summary of The Other Side of the Story |
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"
Morrow, May 2004, 24.95, 528 pp.
ISBN: 0060520515
Her distressed mom calls events planner Gemma Hogan to inform her that her father Noel is gone. Gemma is stunned thinking her dad died, but mom explained that he left her for a thirty six years old woman. That shocks her almost as much as believing dear old dad died as Noel's new squeeze is only four years older than Gemma is.
Literary agent Jojo "Yank” Harvey gets a million-pound advance for a first time novelist, an Englishman who lived as a woman in Afghanistan. Jojo also does well by writer Lily Wright, who took Gemma's man away from her and had a child with him. Lily wrote a bestseller adding to Gemma's ire and envy. Though Jojo is a superstar at work, she is a loser in personal relationships seeing a man with no intentions of leaving his wife or children. Meanwhile the events planner decides to prove she is better than Lily by getting a book contract for herself.
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY is an amusing look at the publishing world (and a few zillion sidebars) through a not so rose colored chick lit lens. Gemma is an interesting protagonist who wonders what to do about her parents (mom barely leaves the bed for pit stops) and even more important how to trump her best-selling, man stealing, and baby producing enemy Lily without a pregnant pause. Though the story line has too many subplots that never fully get developed, Gemma holds the humorous tale together as she seems like a real person struggling on all fronts in a world that wants to crush her.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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"This is the story of three different women (Gemma, Lily and Jojo) and how their lives interconnect during the course of a year.
First there is Gemma who is a Party Planner extraordinaire and whose Father has just left her Mother. This puts Gemma in the position of not only being the Mother to the Mother but also trying to sort out her anger for her father. While doing this she is given the opportunity to write a book, for which Jojo is the agent.
Then there is Jojo. Jojo is half American half British and looks like Jessica Rabbit. She happens to be in love with and involved with her boss (did I mention he is already married)? She is Lily's agent as well as in a twist of fate she becomes Gemma's. Jojo is trying to make partner at the firm she is working for and you follow her progress through this endevor.
Then there is Lily. Lily used to be Gemma best friend until she stole her boyfriend, fell in love with him, had a child with him, oh and she continues to live with him. All this and she becomes and author after she is mugged. She writes a whimsical best seller that is represented by Jojo but can't seem to write another book. You follow her life with her husband and her daughter as she tries to write, buys and the loses a place to live.
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Tanya, Resident Scholar
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"This is the story of three women, whose lives cross with each other. First there is Gemma Hogan, who tries to support and help her mother, after her father left her and the family after 40 years of marriage for someone younger than Gemma. Gemma's social life consists of emails to her friend. Some of them are so funny, that come to the attention of literary agent, Jojo Harvey, who asks Gemma to publish them.
Jojo Harvey is an ambitious sexy woman, who works really hard and is in the right way to a good career. well, apart from the fact that she sleeps with her boss. Her married boss.
Finally, Lily Wright, one of Jojo's clients and Gemma's friend. Or ex-friend, should we say, as she is married to Gemma's love of life - Anton. Somehow, Lily finds it very diffiicult to get over the guilt about Gemma. All three characters' paths cross each other in their ways to finding love and happiness."
Blerina Pepiu, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of The Other Side of the Story |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book?
- thoughtful
Time/era of story
- present (2000-2010)
Romance/Romance Problems
Yes
Kind of romance:
- playing footsy while inconveniently married
Life of a profession:
- writer
Family, struggle with
Yes
Struggle with:
- Father (or standin)
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Job/Profession/Status story
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Female
Profession/status:
- writer
Age:
- 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Ethnicity/Nationality
- British
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Female
Age:
- 20's-30's
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings?
- 1 (None)
Europe
Yes
European country:
- England/UK
- Ireland
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- no torture/death
Unusual Style:
- a lot of stream of consciousness
- No single main character?
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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