Who You Know [Paperback]

Theresa Alan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2003

Rette. I'd always imagined being the sort of adventurous girl who'd have an affair with a dark-eyed stranger on the Eurail. Instead, I'm getting married, planning the wedding of my mom's dreams, and searching for a dress that can cover my size 14 body without making me look like a toilet paper cover...Jen. Waking up with a searing hangover on a workday? Not good. Waking up to discover you're not alone in bed is ohmygod not good. I'll admit that lately I've been a bit out of control. But I'm going to get it together, I promise. Right after I make that cute guy from IT into my love slave...Avery. Asleep on the couch at ten o'clock - just another Saturday night for me. Maybe there's no such thing as romance. Maybe it's just a concept created by marketing executives to sell perfume, candles, and weekend getaways. Still, hope springs eternal. And it's got to be better than working for a living...right? Against the backdrop of Colorado's majestic mountains, three friends are about to discover that dating can be more fun than a root canal, every job has its silver lining, and who you know may not only take you places - it may give you the best times of your life...

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Alan's debut charts the very different lives of three women--sisters Rette and Jen and their friend Avery--as they bond through work at McKenna Marketing, over drinks at their favorite Boulder pubs, and at fun-filled, gossip-infested sleepovers. Alan does a masterful job of switching between first-person points of view to offer glimpses into each woman's life. Engaged and overwhelmed with her new job and her wedding plans, Rette dreams of loosing 30-plus pounds in time for the big day. Self-absorbed, model-perfect singleton Jen goes through men, martinis, and MasterCards at a dizzying speed and is petrified of being alone. And divorcee Avery longs to find herself and her soul mate, and reawaken her long-dormant passion for dance. As the three women face the trials and triumphs of life, they assist each other in ways that only best friends can--through unconditional love, unrelenting humor, and unwavering support. Reminiscent of Bridget Jones's Diary (1997) and Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (1996), Alan's is a novel to be savored like a good box of chocolates. Megan Kalan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"A gorgeous book, superbly written with compassion and caring. Who You Know should absolutely be number one on everyone's list." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Kensington; 1st Trade. edition (May 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758204787
• ISBN-13: 978-0758204783
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,078,967 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hoorah for hilarious new chick-lit, September 21, 2003

By 

Emma Cooper (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Who You Know (Paperback)

I LOVE this book. When a friend pleaded with me to read Theresa Alan's, Who You Know, I wasn't interested at first because I recently overdosed on `chick-lit' and didn't want to read another book about self-loathing, party-girls who can't find a good man. But Alan simultaneously defies and elevates the genre. Who You Know is laugh-out-loud funny and I fell in love with the quirky, yet very real women who tell the story.

The office scenes were seriously witty and, for me, cathartic, as I felt quite certain I had worked with some of the same coworkers before. It's like having a friend whose thinking what you're thinking, without having to worry about saying those sometimes less-than-noble (but true) thoughts aloud.

What's more is that Alan's writing style is so creative - she offers a beautiful new take and has a natural gift with words.

By the last third of the book I was so immersed in the characters and their lives that when reading one character's chapter I was eager to get to the next character's chapter to see what that character was thinking and so and so on until it was two in the morning and I had finished the book - crying, laughing, and nodding my head about the truths of life.

Thank you Ms. Alan for getting me hooked back on chick-lit. More please!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars So true, May 10, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Who You Know (Paperback)

I loved this book. All three of the main characters (Rhette, Avery and Jen) reminded me of myself and my friends; all unhappy with their miserable jobs, unable or unwilling to play the corporate games to get ahead, and searching for Mr. Right in a frighteningly shallow dating pool. Rhett is trying to plan a wedding that will please her overbearing mother and at times second-guessing the routine of her relationship with her fiancee. Her sister, Jen, is overinduling in both alcohol and men, and not feeling particularly good about either. And Avery is "dating" someone online and wondering whether they should meet face to face, while striking up an unlikely friendship with a co-worker. Alan doesn't go over the top trying to get you to laugh, nor does she pull to hard at the heart strings. It's the perfect mixture of hilarity and real laugh to which we can all relate.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A welcome addition to the genre...., August 15, 2003

By 

J. N Sandell "So many books, so little time" (Maplewood, MN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Who You Know (Paperback)

For her first attempt, Theresa Allen has written a good book, an enjoyable book, one that was not a waste of time to read. But I would not compare her to the other masters of chick-lit (i.e. Marian Keyes and Jane Green) just yet. But if she keeps writing and keeps improving, I'm sure she'll develop a loyal following.

This book centers around three women: Avery, Rette, and Jen who are all in their mid-twenties to early thirties and struggling with things that at one time or another every women has struggled with. These women are stuck in the fast lane intent on finding the perfect guy, the perfect body, the perfect job. All three women are there for one another as best friends always should be. Yet, they are oddly jealous of each other at times because each has something the other wants.

The "plot" if you can call it that really didn't develop until midway through the book and I felt that the ending was too abrupt and just a little corny. I would have liked more development of the healthy relationships in these girls' life and less about their relationships in the workplace.

All in all, this was an easy, fast and witty read. Perfect for a long weekend so sink into your favorite reading chair, unplug the phone and enjoy!