A sexy, challenging and wildly entertaining novel about a 30-something journalist who’s hoping to uncover the scoop of her career while raising her two kids.
There aren’t enough hours in the day for overworked newspaper reporter Jo Randall. What’s she going to investigate this week? Are vaccinations safe? Does cling film kill? She’s getting close to cracking the biggest scoop of her career — if she could just land an interview with the intriguing environmentalist who won’t talk to her.
But how will Jo meet her deadlines when her distractions include two needy daughters and a Barbie birthday party; her pompous ex-husband and his pneumatic girlfriend; her best friend Bella Browning; and the romantic intentions of a scruffy super-chef. There’s no doubt about it, Jo’s going to be . . . Up all Night .
Carmen was born and brought up in a chilly and windy corner of Scotland in the depths of the countryside.
This may explain her lifelong phobia of cows and abiding interest in cities, department stores, books, the cinema and newspapers.
She is currently working on her eigth novel for grown-ups and her third novel for teenagers. Well, she likes to keep busy.
Carmen did once study English Literature at University College London, but, ignoring everything she’d learned, she spent most of her 20s working as a local, regional and then national newspaper reporter.
Knowing deep down that she was supposed to be an author not a journo, she left her day job to have a baby and write her first novel. (Hey, and just four sleepless, penniless years later it was published!)
Although there is a corner of her heart that will always belong to London (property developers welcome) she now lives in Glasgow, Scotland, with her husband, Thomas, and two children, Sam and Claudie, plus Jimmy the (lunatic) Jack Russell and Clive, Orangey and Gorcha, the fish.
Fortunately her hobbies are cooking, cleaning, arguing about whose turn it is to walk the dog, clean the fish tank, take out the rubbish, do the laundry... and so on.
Up All Night starts off as a light fun read about Jo’s friendship with Bella, and her lusty relationship with her post-divorce toyboy, but it then takes on a far more serious shift.
Jo is an investigative journalist and although the book was originally written in 2005, the storyline is just as prevalent today as it was back then. She investigates the controversy of childhood immunisations whilst struggling with the complexities of life post-divorce when you have children.She also interviews a hopeful Green MP who talks about her lifestyle and the effects of the modern world and infantile allergies. Although this is fiction, the issues are still very real now and it’s rather sad how little progress society has made in many respects.
Interesting story. Not at all what I thought it would be but I’d definitely recommend it. A good one for post-read discussion.
I generally like Carmen Reid for a light chick lit read, but this one wasn't very good unfortunately. The story was a bit whingy and worst of all, there was a gaping plot hole! Not an important part, but a bit irritating non the less. I didn't invest in the main character (perhaps because she was a mom, and I'm not) but liked the humanization of the ex-husband through his interaction with their children. Meh. Give it a miss unless you are really addicted to Carmen Reid.
I got "Up All Night" because I really enjoyed "The Personal Shopper" and I wanted to check out more Carmen Reid books. This one, however, just bored me and I've just decided to shelf it for now. I may give it another go later. Maybe it's just a bit too hard for me to relate to a divorced w/two kids character, I'm more down with the singletons ;)
Very slow at starting then when it finally did seem to be going somewhere it didnt. Such a let down. There were soooooo many loose ends, that if my 15month old had not been sleeping beside me as i finished the book it would have been bounced off the wall on the other side of the room!!!
Big disappointment. But make up your own mind obviously.
I've liked the two other Carmen Reid books I've read but this was a dull read. Not much happens and the ending is weak...I started so I finished but not one of my faves!