Customer Reviews

The Parker Grey Show

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Finally a book that isn't cookie cutter Chic Lit. Don't get me wrong, when I discovered the genre, I bought every book I could get my hands on. My book shelves are brimming over... Some are keepers and the others...well, I wish I could get my money back.

I decided to give Chic Lit another try and The Parker Grey Show was a pleasant suprise. Yes, she is a woman recovering from a bad relationship, but there is so much more. This book is more philosophical and has a deeper message. I personally connected with Parker's frustration regarding the direction of her life. Her words also allowed me to envision the colorful mural created in the loft. If my walls were bare, I might try something similar!

It was nice not read a predictable ending... I borrowed the book from the library, but I'm definitely going to buy a copy to add to my collection.

My recommendations for enjoyable Chic Lit authors are:
Marian Keyes, Wendy Holden, Jane Green (Jemima J is the best), Adele Lang, Sophie Kinsella (Just the first two in the series) and of course Helen Fielding. If you want something different, I have also ventured into mystery. One funny series about an "Erin Brockovich" type of slueth is Sarah Strothmeyer's "Bubbles" series.

Happy Reading!

For anyone who loves a happy ending, needs a good laugh or has daydreamed of a television-fabulous life, The Parker Grey Show is a must read! Parker and her small group of friends are smart, cheeky, quirky and hysterical, as they yearn for excitement and drama in their everyday lives. Parker's inner monologue, her daydreams (and day-nightmares) are tongue in cheek, real and refreshing. Her escapades, as she struggles to make decisions on the path of rediscovery, are strange, wild and fun. She reminds us all to let our hair down, have fun...and get what we want!

Although "The Parker Grey Show" is probably dubbed as "chick lit," it's really just a light, easy read into the life of a young New York City woman trying to make it on her own. She doesn't know what to do with her life, is bored with trying to make ends meet as a musician, and lives for her favorite TV show, MEDS, which stars a man, M, whom she can't get out of her mind.

The author of the novel, Kristen Buckley, has a knack for setting the mood of every scene. And her observations are witty and dead-on: "Kinko's is a strange place, populated by odd people obsessed with collation, paper grade, and copier imaging. Strange as they are, I admire their commitment to the process." The characters feel so fleshed out that I can definitely see this as a possible network TV sitcom one day. Parker herself is a true waitress; her thoughts, her feelings, her actions, and her apathy. I found Parker, the character, very likable in that she's not a bad person. She says so herself: "If the tip sucks, I'll be forced to steal from the bar, and I really hate to do that because basically, deep down, I'm an honest person." It's a thought that goes through the minds of all young servers, whether they care to admit it or not. It's evident that Ms. Buckley has been a server in her own time, as she truly captures the spirit of being a waiter/waitress, much like the movies Waitress (Widescreen) and Waiting... (Two-Disc Widescreen Edition).

The novel is a tale of finding oneself and, thankfully, by novel's end, Parker does. Everything is wrapped up in a neat little package, complete with bow. Maybe a bit too neat and complete for "real" life, as the moment that defines her and changes her outlook seems a bit over-the-top and silly (her roommate is kidnapped and she must save her), but the story is lighthearted and enjoyable nonetheless.

Lastly, without giving away too much, as the novel came to a close, I appreciated the multiple meanings of the title. It was a nice touch, and something unexpected. This is definitely a "beach read" book or something to pick up your spirits on a rainy day. And, hopefully, one day...a sitcom. There's a lot to be enjoyed watching The Parker Grey Show.

You're not going to like Parker Grey.

You're going to love her! You're going to wish she was your sister, your roommate or your wacky upstairs neighbor. You're going to want to invite her over for egg sandwiches and re-runs of ER. And you're going to wish you were half as talented as her creator.

Buckley's heroine is irreverent and ridiculous and completely cracked-out on her own neurosis. In other words, she's fabulous.

The Parker Grey Show is "miss your bus stop" good. Read it.

I was in the middle of another book when I picked up The Parker Grey Show and read the first few pages. That was all it took - I abandonded the other book, happily swept up in the story, the wit, the pleasure of knowing Parker Grey.
Kristen Buckley has created a great cast for Parker's show - funny, smart and strange. I also picture her Tribeca loft, in all its eccentric glory, as a wonderful character itself. In the end, the people and pieces come together in highly gratifying ways. A delightful read!

Parker Grey stars in her own show. she's a twenty-something in New York. has immense crush on a TV star who frequents the bar she works in. has neurotic room-mate with an Elvis complex. Parker is also a Juilliard drop-out. she has stopped doing the one thing that she was ever passionate about because she just doesn't feel like it. she tries to "find" herself, and vents out her feelings and frustrations on her apartment walls. there's also a whole side-story full of suspense! and thrill! when her room-mate gets kidnapped and it's up to Parker to rescue her.

you will love Parker Grey. you will connect with her, and see her neurosis reflected in yourself. and at the end of the book, when Parker realises that the one thing that she thought she'd lost was staring her right in the face all the while, you'll wish you were her. as i did.

At first (3 chapters or so) i highly disliked Parker. I'm afraid whiny, stealing, chain-smokers are not my favorite heroines. But I kept reading...just to give the book a chance to develop...and found myself hooked. Unusually, the cute & fluffy ending was surprisingly satisfying, so I bumped my rating up to a 5 star. (Although the bus chase was rather weird.)

BTW, I loved the colorform wall and chandelier idea.

This author is off to a good start. I'll watch for future books.

All I have to say is that Parker Grey may have single-handedly saved the chick lit genre from total ruin. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm tired of reading about main characters obsessed with designer clothes and shoes. I like that the main character is working class and that she has an obsessive love of TV, and that the author has managed to craft a character with so many faults that actually make her endearing. In the wrong hands, it would have just gone all wrong, but I really look forward to Kristen Buckley's future work. I hope she has another novel in the works. I only took one star off because I wish the book could have gone a little longer.

A deeper message wrapped in a fun package of girly fun. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had all the elements of chick-lit that I like but what really kept me hooked was the hidden messages and philosophical statements that we all relate to regarding self-knowledge and self-acceptance.