One-Hit Wonder [Hardcover]

Lisa Jewell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 30, 2002

Shy and gawky, Ana has always daydreamed about living the life of her exotic half-sister, Bee, a pop singer who had a #1 hit single before she inexplicably vanished from the celebrity scene. She gets her chance when Bee turns up dead, and Ana is dispatched to the big city to clear out her apartment. Instantly seduced by the secondhand glamour of Bee's baubles, bangles, and bottles of Perrier-Jouet, Ana takes up with Bee's wild club-hopping cronies, along with her sexy chauffeur. But news of a missing cat and a remote country cottage soon convince her that her sister was leading a secret life. Now Ana is on a mission to discover what really happened to Bee Bearhorn, the one-hit wonder-and what is about to happen to the unremarkable Ana Wills.

An irresistibly entertaining tale of a woman who takes control of her life by temporarily taking on someone else's, One-Hit Wonder is this acclaimed author at her witty and captivating best.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Tall and gangly Ana Wills has never felt comfortable in her own skin and has spent years dreaming of her beautiful older half-sister Bee's glamorous life. Bee, who had a falling out with their overbearing and neurotic mother, Gay, left over a decade ago and never looked back. She eventually made it big on the music scene as an '80s rock star, with a knockout number 1 song. When Bee dies in mysterious fashion perhaps by her own hand at the age of 36, Ana is forced to leave the quiet and predictable town of Devon and travel to London to collect Bea's effects. In Bee's huge but surprisingly run-down flat, Ana is consumed by the clues she discovers about Bee's longtime depression and angry with herself for not making more of an effort to stay in touch. Bee's best friends black singer and exotic dresser Lolita Tate and Flint Lennard, Bee's erstwhile chauffeur are anxious to help Ana discover the details of her sister's existence. Lol and Ana click immediately, and Ana can't help being attracted to the enigmatic and hulking hunk, Flint. The three soon learn that Bee was leading a double life, one that included a disabled adolescent boy and a secret place for their rendezvous. Devastated, Ana finally stands up to Gay, who believes that Bee led a charmed life. "She had looks, Mum. She had money. She had absolutely nothing else. Take it from me. I've seen her life." Hints throughout suggest that Ana, too, has musical talent; it is that talent, despite the pain of loosing Bee, that will be her instrument of self-discovery. Jewell, author of Ralph's Party and thirtynothing, sounds a series of secrets and gradual revelations that keep the narrative at high pitch and bring it to a satisfying conclusion.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Shy and unassuming, Ana Wills always looked up to the half sister she never really knew. Bee Bearhorn's one 1980s gold record indelibly etched her pop star image into Ana's mind, if not the rest of London's. But when Bee dies unexpectedly, Ana is left wondering who the sister was she thought she had all figured out. With the help of Bee's friends, Ana unearths her sibling's secrets and discovers the true staying power of a one-hit wonder. Jewell's third novel (after Ralph's Party and Thirtynothing) is an engaging coming-of-age tale skillfully told by interweaving the past and present. By turns funny and poignant, the book pulls no punches in dismantling the walls people build around themselves. Jewell's prose is focused and fluid; readers can expect unpredictable twists and turns as Ana gets closer to uncovering her sister's real life as well as some unrealized truths about herself. A substantial and welcome addition to women's contemporary fiction collections, it is recommended for public libraries. Amy Brozio-Andrews, Albany P.L., NY
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Adult; First Printing edition (May 30, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525946535
• ISBN-13: 978-0525946533
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,244,475 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow................................., April 12, 2005

By 

K. Brown "El Rudo Lucky Pierre!" (Walnut, Ca USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: One-Hit Wonder (Paperback)

I just finished reading this book a few minutes ago, and I don't know what else to exclaim except "I totally loved it!"

Confession time... despite the scores of books I have read, I am one of those who will browse in a bookstore, see a flashy book cover or a catchy title and, like a fish to bait, grab it, and peek at what's inside (yeah, many of you probably do it too, but think you're too hep & packed full of intelligentsia to admit it, even to yourselves!). The title "One-Hit Wonder" and its day-glo cover lured me in, but what convinced me to buy it was to opening chapter, which consists of a former pop-star's letter to her estranged kid sister. Without knowing anything else about the plot, I was moved by the letter itself.

Out of the letter and into the story: young, tall, nerdy and awkward Ana Wills travels from her sleepy hometown of Devon to London, where her big sister was recently found dead. The original purpose of this trip is to clear out her sister's apartment and tie up loose ends. But after searching through her sister's belongings ---and making the seemingly simple discovery that her sister had a cat named John (who is MIA)--- Ana decides to search out people who were friends with the sister she barely knew. What is intended to be a one day clean-up trip into the big city turns into a belated coming of age novel.

And if one had to boil this story down to one category, that's how I would nail it: "belated coming-of-age." The cool thing is, we don't have to nail it down to one genre. This book can be categorized as a mystery, saga, pop-culture, slice of life, romance... Lisa Jewell encompasses quite a lot of stories in just one story.

What intrigued me throughout the story was the unpredictable nature of the characters as a whole. It's not that each character did things mind-blowingly against his or her nature. The unpredictability shows in the wide variety of characters strolling in-&-out of this novel; some are as simple and predictable as a Charles Dickens character or a Speed Racer villain; other folks have much more substance than meets the eye. Lisa Jewell will keep you guessing, which I found to be half the fun of the book.

"One-Hit Wonder" is both a fun and emotional read. And if you are one of those guys who can't get into "chick-flicks" and see this as a literary chick-flick, well... just like the occasional "Steel Magnolias," I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by this totally awesome tale!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lisa Jewell Finally Shines, August 5, 2002

By 

S. Smith (Michigan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: One-Hit Wonder (Hardcover)

A while back I read Lisa Jewell's other books: "Ralph's Party" and "Thirtynothing" and I must say, I was really disapointed. In each book Jewll showed that somewhere inside of her was an author capable of creating likeable (or at least memorable) chracters and plots, but somewhere along te way, each book simply sagged. However, I can finally say that with the reading of "One hit wonder" that Jewell's talent as an author is recognizable. The plot is somewhat original but what it lacks in this area is made up by the mystery that Jewell keeps readers in and the well developed protagonist, Ana. However, if I gave this book four stars instead of five it's only because I thought that Bee's story took too much precedence over everything else. I would have liked to have seen a more in depth look at Flint and Ana's relationship. Also, wile Ana was well developed ad Bee became more so as the book progressed, I thought that other chracters were still a bit two-dimensional.

Despite this complaint I really enjyed the book and thouroughly recommend it. It had humor,tragic irony, satire and was an all around good time. If you liked this book I would recommend anything by Marian Keyes (especially "Lucy Sullivan is getting married").

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Warm, full of hope, well done, June 20, 2002

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: One-Hit Wonder (Hardcover)

I'm so glad that more books from the UK are being published here in the US, making it easier (and less expensive) for those of us who are hooked. One Hit Wonder is truly different from many of the books of this genre - it's all about solving a mystery. No, not a blood `n guts, running through the alley mystery. This is about Ana solving the mystery of herself, with her (dead) sister providing the guidance, if you will. It's sad in places, very funny in others, but engrossing throughout. From the synopsis, you can see that Ana comes to London to collect her dead (from apparent suicide) sister's things. She ends up staying on with Bee's friends and finding out more about herself (and her sister, her family) in a few weeks than she has in her whole life. Naturally, she find love, but even that is a quirky, odd story that adds to the charm of the book.