This One Is Mine: A Novel (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Former television producer and writer Semple (Arrested Development; Mad About You) bashes Hollywood celebrity, New Age nonsense and struggling relationships in this smart and funny debut. Violet Parry, who puts aside a TV writing career to have a baby and take care of the sumptuous L.A. home of her legendary impresario hubby, David, scratches a seven-year itch with D-list rocker Teddy Reyes. Yet Violet is hardly ready for the roller-coaster ride with a man who thinks only "about my rent and my car and getting laid and staying sober." Meanwhile, David's conniving sister, Sally, sets out to snag a rich husband, training her sights on Jeremy, a robotic sports-stats genius with a promising TV career. In one of the most hilarious sendups of New Age claptrap, David figures out if he's willing to stick around to see where Violet's wild ride will take them. Semple's takes are tack sharp as her delightful cast is driven comically and tragically ever deeper into a culture of artifice. Semple obviously knows her turf, and she does an exquisite job of stomping all over it. (Dec.)
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From Bookmarks Magazine

Critics had mixed reactions to Semple's debut novel. While some appreciated the social commentary and satire, others were not impressed by far-fetched plot twists and cliched characters. Teddy, in particular, seemed to have few redeeming qualities, which made Violet's behavior incomprehensible. Though Semple, writing with wit and warmth, gives readers a fascinating insider's view of Hollywood, USA Today saw too much of a sitcom in the novel. Other critics pointed out that This One Is Mine, because of its unexpectedly poignant character development and themes of compassion, understanding, and redemption, is no made-for-TV movie. With its fast-paced plot, laugh-out-loud shenanigans, and touching conclusion, this novel will charm readers who can forgive a new novelist's few missteps.
Copyright 2009 Bookmarks Publishing LLC

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; 1 edition (December 4, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031603116X
• ISBN-13: 978-0316031165
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #227,689 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars While This One May Be Mine, Maybe You Can Have One, January 18, 2009

By	Sacramento Book Review "SacramentoBookReview.com" (Sacramento, CA) - See all my reviews

Meet Violet Perry: married to a man who manages rock bands, one child cared for by a full-time nanny, intelligent and witty, wealthy. It would seem she has everything, but her life is still lacking. Her marriage is a little bit rocky, and her husband, David, never seems to care about what she has to say, so long as she always seems interested in what he's been up to. And, because she feels unfulfilled, Violet's willing to risk everything important to her for a brief affair with an unlikely candidate named Teddy: bass player for a Rolling Stones cover band, strapped for cash, recovering drug addict.

Meet Sally Perry: David's younger sister, former ballerina, diabetic, and secretly deep in credit card debt. Sally wants nothing more than a dream wedding to a rich man, to get herself out of debt, and live happily ever after in the kind of lifestyle her brother and his wife now have. She finds the perfect candidate in Jeremy White, author of a sports statistics column and soon-to-be television star. Events culminate during Sally's wedding, but by no means does the fun stop there; the story continued to surprise me to the end.

In /This One is Mine/, Maria Semple spins the story of two women dissatisfied with their current lives and willing to do something to change that. This story has all the makings of a good "chick lit" novel: a bored housewife (and one who wishes she were), small amounts of steamy romance, quirky new age ideas, and ridiculous amounts of wealth to power it all. I didn't really identify with any of the characters; Sally was shallow, Violet too emotional and disconnected. But I still thoroughly enjoyed this book. The pace is quick, jumping past uneventful times while lingering in the important scenes. The writing is fairly simple, but interesting and engrossing as well; I particularly enjoyed Semple's use of various modern slang terms. /This One is Mine/ was a good, light, fun read to take my mind off more serious matters.

Reviewed by: Holly Scudero

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Livin' the wacky life in LA!, December 29, 2008

By	Bruce M. Beehler - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Maria Semple's new novel is a wild ride through LA with vivid close-ups of lives both upscale and down. This is a must-read for East Coasters wanting to better understand the mysteries of the West Coast. More than that, the story tells the stories of two women's akilter lives--sister-in-laws--who are as different as night and day. And, in portraying the complex relationship between high-flying music impresario David and Violet, his stay-at-home wife, the author captures perfectly how love suffers twists and turns in ways no one can predict. The sweat-lodge scenes are a scream, but the lessons David learned there lead to Violet's rescue and are gentle gifts to the reader--messages for all of us to take to heart... Semple has a great ear, and gets the tone just right. There is not one false note in the book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Off-Beat & Humorous, December 24, 2008

By	Sheri S. (Montreal, Quebec) - See all my reviews

"This One Is Mine" completely took me by surprise and I mean that in a good way. Violet Parry has the successful husband, the adorable baby girl, a luxurious mansion in Los Angeles and staff who can cater to her every whim. Beyond the facade of a privileged lifestyle, Violet feels completely alone. Her husband David is a music producer who works all of time and doesn't understand her needs. She longs for a connection and is almost desperate for attention and love, when along comes Teddy Reyes, a scruffy bass player, who is wrong for her in every way. It is clear there is chemistry between them and so they begin a really unconventional affair. Then there is complicated and neurotic Sally, David's younger sister, who has her heart set on socially awkward Jeremy. These characters are all eccentric and lost in their own little way. It takes a number of difficult and often hilarious (but only for the reader) events to teach them the important lessons in life and where their priorities should lie. This book is so much more than a desperate housewife seeking an affair and a single woman seeking companionship. This is one of those dark comedies that forces you to read in between the lines and extract deeper meaning. The plot takes some strange turns but the ending seemed perfect and almost poetic to me.

This book is incredibly compelling in a quiet way. I enjoyed Semple's zany humor and vulgar language aside, it was an enjoyable read. Semple has such a vivid imagination enabling me to easily envision the characters' peculiarities and find something relatable about each one of them. This is one of those off-beat books that is unexpected and can elicit laughter from even the most subtle humor. I loved how unique this book was and though some may find it too unconventional, it worked for me.

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