This Way Up

by Paige Nick

Stella du Preez has the perfect life. Well almost. She is married to a great man. She has a great, supportive family. She lives in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Her friends are the best.

But … well, her job isn’t great. As the sex column agony aunt, Dr Dee, she has to deal with an almost unending slew of queries about the ickiest of things when all she really wants is to be taken seriously as a journalist.

Then, just when it seems like things can’t get worse on the work front, Stella’s dream job – of features writer – is given to the all-too-likeable Thandi. Upset and disappointed, Stella calls Max to tell him what has happened, but instead she tells a small untruth – a little white lie – that slowly but surely unravels her whole perfect world.

Genres: Fiction

398 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Alison Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lotsa fun; quick easy read. For full review go to http://thebooksmithblog.wordpress.com

[Tiah]

Laughed my ass off.

[Amru · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked it and I think it was a wonderful book.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Cringe voyeurism" isn't my favourite genre - being the chronically embarrassed type myself - but the main character grows a spine and is single and mostly happy by the end, so thumbs up!

[Hjwoodward · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Lovely fluffy escapism. Having three sisters myself, I found a lot of the incidents resonated. For example, the way a sister will drop you in it to deflect focus on her own bombshell. Or not forgive you for weeks. And of course the way they will be there when you really really need them. This was great fun to read with a few laugh-out-loud moments! Glad I came across this in the library (and am so grateful our libraries are open again!)

[Ronel Mick · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me, it took a while before getting into the book, but once there it was all systems go. It has all the elements of a fun book, set in a city that i live in, which was awesome as i knew the places, fun to read with all the ups and down. sometimes i had to laugh silently as most times i read on the train. Have already recommended the book to a few of my colleagues at work.

[Tharina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible!! What made it more terrible is the South African setting and the South African slang "curse" words! The "heroine" is a pathetic martyr! Who in her right mind would anyway make an appointment with a male prostitute!! Aids?? STI's?? Never mind that she didn't go through with it. I didn't finish it, I stopped at the one night stand with a tattoo artist before I got the urge to throw myself of the Gouritzmond bridge without bungee cords.

[Siyamthanda Skota]

I'm only rating this book 3 Stars instead of 2 because I had the most fun laughing at some of the most hilarious incidents which take place in the book. Otherwise Stella is the most irritating human being I've ever read about. If there was no Poppy travelling somewhere in Europe I would not have bothered to finish this book. Because Stella is that annoying and I'm just too impatient! Otherwise, great fun indeed!

[Paige Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hey look, it's on visual bookshelf.