Oh guys, you've no idea how excited I was to read a book by Andy Jones - finally! I love reading women's fiction written from a man's perspective, and I also have both Andy Jones's previous book on my TBR pile, though have never come to reading them - YET - and so I was truly desperate to read "The Girl 99".
So this book. Arrrgh, it got me a headache. So torn about this one! It may be a book also for women but mostly I think it was for men - the story seemed to me like a never - ending boastings of a man about his conquests - and it actually was only about taking girls in his bed and crossing them off the list. Just look at me, the pasha, ha! And truly, if it is the way that men think and behave than I am really happy to be a woman. I'm sorry, maybe I just didn't got the story but this is how I feel, and it has nothing to do with feminism - I just felt like the women were objectified in this story. It might be that the main character is only looking for real love, to find The One but well, for me he's looking in the wrong way. However, OK, Tom has redeemed himself showing that he also has feelings and emotions, that he's not the heartless bastard that his best friend wanted to make out of him, and - hallelujah! - he seemed to learn what real love is. Tom was rather prone to putting himself into embarrassing situations and mostly he was rather misunderstood by the opposite sex. Hmm. His journey into the happy ever after was bumpy and painful. I also liked the writing style - it was sharp, the author is a good observer of reality and the story is original.
I liked the fact that there were also other aspects to the story. The author touches upon family dynamics as well in his novel and Tom's family was really well portrayed. The interactions between Tom and his father and sister were entertaining yet poignant, and the relationships in this family were so well captured and felt so realistic - the author writes as it is. But sadly, there was nothing that wow-ed me in this story and eventually I started to skim reading.
At the end the author mentions that his debut story is about one of the characters that also stars in "The Girl 99". Well, duh, but it didn't make me want to immediately read this book. Sadly. I was hoping for much more, for a clever, hooking, unique read but sadly nothing doing.
All in all, "Girl 99" was light - hearted and humorous (though it was not my kind of humour, however it is just my personal feeling and opinion and it doesn't mean that other people are not going to enjoy this book, which they already do!) book about finding love when you don't expect it. It is written in a very modern way, full of nowadays remarks, and it is especially visible in the way the characters communicate, as the dialogues are sharp and well - written. Yes, it was not only a story about making it to number 100, but also about finding out who you are and what it is you want for your life, and I appreciate that, and I am really, truly sorry that it didn't work for me.
Copy provided by the publisher in return for an honest review.