Customer Reviews

Who You Know

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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!

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.

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!

I recommend Theresa Alan's book to any woman who wants to get away for awhile. I'm a fast reader and had to pace myself because I didn't want the story to be over. Ms. Alan is an honest and entertaining writer. Her characters came to life as I read her brilliant words. I am telling ALL of my friends to get this book! I can't wait for the next ones!! Believe me if anyone out there has read The Idiot Girls Action Adventure Book by Laurie Notaro, they have to read this book too! Buy it now!!!

I purchased, "Who You Know" as a present for my wife on a whim. And what a great find it was! I sat down to glance at the book before my wife came home and looked up an hour later. It was instantly obvious that Theresa Alan is going to be a huge success. I can't wait for my wife to finish it, so I can read it as well. Buy this book because it's bound to be a favorite!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the deeds and experiences of these three friends. And that is from a senior citizen.

This hardly compares to Ya Ya Sisters. Its an okay read, but it lacks in substance. Read it if your looking for something mindless to pass a night or two.

I very much enjoyed the narrative style of the novel. It allows one insight into the thoughts and motivations of each of the three protagonists (Rette, Jen, and Avery) that otherwise would not be available had the story been told from a single character's point of view.

This was my introduction to "chick-lit" and, not being a "chick", I was pleasantly surprised. In fact, I learned a few things about female behavior that I had not previously known. More importantly, I found myself drawn into the story and interested in the characters.

This is the metric I use to gauge a novel: how hard is it to put it down and how strong is the pull to pick it back up. I finished reading this book in my favorite Indian restaurant and found myself ordering refill after refill of chai so I would have an excuse to stay and finish the book. This was somewhat embarrassing since I was treated to strange looks as I laughed aloud at some turn of a phrase, surprising insight, and discovery that my moniker ("Fred") is not a good name for a romantic love interest.

I suppose I should thank Ms. Alan for this last insight into a possible source of my romantic woes that runs counter to the counsel of Bill Shakespeare: there is something in a name. Instead, I would thank her for a deliciously hard-to-put-down novel.

I bought this book on a recommendation from a friend. She was right, these women are witty, clever and real. I can't wait for another charmer from Theresa Alan.

Not often do i find a book that keeps my attention....until this one! Avery, Rette and Jen are three single women with a whole boatload of problems with the opposite sex. Great laughs and good twists!