I've been rereading some old favorites and recent reads...trying to cut down on the old nook budget which, due to nausea and self-pity, was beginning to balloon out of control. So I took another pass at Meg Cabot's She Went All the Way, her stand-alone chick lit romance novel.
Background: I never read The Princess Diaries but I suspect, judging by the Queen of Babble trilogy and her 3 "Boy" novels, that her famed YA series had traces of her smart, sassy, yummy writing. I'm a Major Fan of Ms. Cabot's books.
Set Up: Oscar winning screenwriter Lou Calabrese hops on a helicopter to a remote film location in rural Alaska, annoyed that she has to share a ride with film star Jack Townsend who famously changed a catchphrase line she wrote for him six years ago...and she's never forgiven his lameass egotistical "I think I need a bigger gun" quip that became a bumper sticker and pop cultural phenom. When their pilot tries to blow Jack's head off, Lou saves him and the copter crashes in the wilderness in a snowstorm. Their adversarial relationship continues as they attempt to survive the elements and evade paid assassins bent on making Mr. Townsend a distant memory.
What Worked:
It's Funny. I like her sense of humor. Her fine deadpan use of the phrase "F--- bunnies" to refer to womanizer Jack's ex girlfriends is priceless.
Supporting characters: Jack's society matron rich mom comes off dimensional, sympathetic and endearing. As does Lou's gruff ex-cop dad. Neither descend into caricature which is pretty impressive alongside some of the contrivances present.
The MC. She's tough, smart, and doesn't take any crap off Mr. Fabulous. Except when lust makes her all stupid.
What Didn't:
The Romance. Sorry, guys, but anytime a character utters the line "Has anyone ever told you that you are really cute when you're mad" my gag reflex engages. Plus, she's mad at him, he's nearly gotten her killed, pulled some stupid stunt jumping a gorge on a snowmobile with her in tow and she's all Oh the Kiss He Kissed Me SWOOOOON CITY! I have never felt this way ever not ever before where are the trilling birds from Disney's Cinderella I feel a musical number coming on...
Two Words: No condom. That's right, folks. Our h/h hook up without protection. I lost all respect for everyone involved, including myself for reading the book. How difficult would it have been to mention that the heroine, who carries peanut brittle in her purse in case she gets hungry might have a condom in there too? I realize it's a snowstorm and all, but seriously...I would have felt sooo much less used and dirty as a reader if Cabot had tossed in a convenient prophylactic.
The Verdict: Fine if you don't think too much or mind that they're risking disease.
I love Meg Cabot. The Princess Diaries are good, her Heather Wells series (starting with Size 12 Is Not Fat) is good, and so are her Mediator books. She also wrote a handful of historicals under the name Patricia Cabot, my favorite being Educating Caroline. And she's got the Allie Finkle series for younger readers, although I'm not sure if it's for kids quite as young as the ones you teach.
ReplyDeleteI read one of her teen books (president's son as boyfriend) - it was funny. I've always wanted to try Size 12.
ReplyDeleteI've been lurking around Size 12 for a while wondering if I'd like it. I'm going for it now.
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