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Girl From Mars
A truly out-of-this-world romance from LBD star Julie Cohen
I, Philomena Desdemona Brown, do solemnly swear to forsake all romantic relationships... It's not like the vow, made by Fil and her three nerdy male best friends, seemed much of a big deal at the time. Frankly, Fil wouldn't know romance if it hit her in the face, and with her real love being her artist job at Girl from Mars, the comic whose heroine has never had a love interest, she doesn't exactly mind being relationship-free anyway. Until her world is rocked to its core when one of her long-standing quartet and Girl from Mars herself both unexpectedly fall in love. Is it time to give in to temptation and finally fall in love?
I, Philomena Desdemona Brown, do solemnly swear to forsake all romantic relationships... It's not like the vow, made by Fil and her three nerdy male best friends, seemed much of a big deal at the time. Frankly, Fil wouldn't know romance if it hit her in the face, and with her real love being her artist job at Girl from Mars, the comic whose heroine has never had a love interest, she doesn't exactly mind being relationship-free anyway. Until her world is rocked to its core when one of her long-standing quartet and Girl from Mars herself both unexpectedly fall in love. Is it time to give in to temptation and finally fall in love?
416 pages, Paperback
First published December 11, 2008
4 people are currently reading
476 people want to read
About the author
Julie Cohen
61 books570 followersJulie Cohen (also writing as Julie Mae Cohen) is an award-winning, bestselling author and a popular teacher of creative writing. She was born in Maine in the USA, and currently lives in the UK with her family and a terrier of dubious origin.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
August 22, 2024
Cute story. The ending was very abrupt and I didn’t like that. I liked the characters and their growth in the series.
October 17, 2012
Fil Brown has a life she loves, which allows her to indulge her love for comics and sci-fi. She draws her beloved "Girl From Mars" comic, about a female superhero, and she's got three really close male friends who provide her with the love and support of a family.
And then, things start changing. One of her friends falls in love, and this changes the whole dynamic of the foursome's relationship. And Fil can't even find a refuge in work, because that's in flux as well: the powers that be have brought in a new hotshot writer, Dan McKay, to breathe new life into the Girl From Mars life, and the annoying man has some ideas about the character's love life that Fil is resoundingly against.
I really, really liked this. I picked this up because I have enjoyed previous Little Black Dress books by this author, but this is my favourite so far. I loved the comic book stuff, and thought geeky Fil and her even geekier friends were absolutely wonderful. I adored spending time with them. The book's got loads of humour, but at the same time, there's plenty of heart there as well, to the point that I welled up a couple of times. I really identified with Fil's feelings for Jim and Digger, two of her friends. This fierce, protective love, where you see their vulnerabilities and failings and want to hug them and never let anything hurt them. I've felt that, and even though nothing too sad happens here, the emotion felt quite raw and real.
The romance was nice as well, even though it wasn't my favourite element. Since this was because I liked the other elements so much, rather than because there was anything wrong with the romance, I have no problems with this. I especially liked that for a lot of the book, I just had no idea who Fil might end up with. I was surprised to be surprised, to be honest. I've read so much romance that by now, I can usually point out the intended hero as soon as he enters the picture.
Something else I loved was that, more than with any other author, with Cohen's books I always get a bit of a thrill to realise that the story is actually set in my world. No, I don't illustrate comics, or even live in London, but I always get the feeling with her characters that they are like me, that they do the sorts of things I'd do... go to the pub when I'd go to the pub, go to the same shops I go to, that sort of thing. The funny thing is, this doesn't happen so much, even with other British authors. I suppose it might be because according to her bio, Cohen, like me, moved to England as a grown-up. So maybe what British authors (and, I guess, readers) would take for granted, she takes trouble to note, and so do I.
MY GRADE: A B+.
And then, things start changing. One of her friends falls in love, and this changes the whole dynamic of the foursome's relationship. And Fil can't even find a refuge in work, because that's in flux as well: the powers that be have brought in a new hotshot writer, Dan McKay, to breathe new life into the Girl From Mars life, and the annoying man has some ideas about the character's love life that Fil is resoundingly against.
I really, really liked this. I picked this up because I have enjoyed previous Little Black Dress books by this author, but this is my favourite so far. I loved the comic book stuff, and thought geeky Fil and her even geekier friends were absolutely wonderful. I adored spending time with them. The book's got loads of humour, but at the same time, there's plenty of heart there as well, to the point that I welled up a couple of times. I really identified with Fil's feelings for Jim and Digger, two of her friends. This fierce, protective love, where you see their vulnerabilities and failings and want to hug them and never let anything hurt them. I've felt that, and even though nothing too sad happens here, the emotion felt quite raw and real.
The romance was nice as well, even though it wasn't my favourite element. Since this was because I liked the other elements so much, rather than because there was anything wrong with the romance, I have no problems with this. I especially liked that for a lot of the book, I just had no idea who Fil might end up with. I was surprised to be surprised, to be honest. I've read so much romance that by now, I can usually point out the intended hero as soon as he enters the picture.
Something else I loved was that, more than with any other author, with Cohen's books I always get a bit of a thrill to realise that the story is actually set in my world. No, I don't illustrate comics, or even live in London, but I always get the feeling with her characters that they are like me, that they do the sorts of things I'd do... go to the pub when I'd go to the pub, go to the same shops I go to, that sort of thing. The funny thing is, this doesn't happen so much, even with other British authors. I suppose it might be because according to her bio, Cohen, like me, moved to England as a grown-up. So maybe what British authors (and, I guess, readers) would take for granted, she takes trouble to note, and so do I.
MY GRADE: A B+.
September 22, 2012
Fil is great- she's also awkward as fuck, intense, self-protectively callous, and utterly oblivious when she wants to be. The book plunges forward into the nerdlove more commonly dissected on my most favorite of blogs, http://captainawkward.com/, than seen in your typical contemp romance. I really liked who surfaced as Fil's ultimate love interest and it made an intriguing contrast to another Cohen romance, One Night Stand. That said, what really made this book was the constant framing through all of the canons and fandoms that defined me growing up- plenty of Star Trek, a smattering of D&D, marathons of X-Files, and ect. Hilarious, and spot on. I could also easily see the relationships, smoldering with banked over disfunction but sputtering along in determined see-no-evil, hear-no-evil style. I've been in a few social circles like this, and I have seen far more at that motherload of nerd-disfunction, UofC. It was nice to see one of us plopped down in the role of romantic lead, and to see her (eventually) pull her shit together and learn how to be an adult. Awkward, but self-actualized. It's what I go for every day.
August 13, 2012
Oh, what a wonderful book! Just what I needed to distract myself on a day when I had the house full of builders making lots of noise!
Julie Cohen is a brilliant storyteller and she really shows it in this book. She captures the thoughts and feelings of her heroine perfectly, and takes her on a journey that had me absorbed right from the start.
The descriptions of the comic book art, and how the heroine creates it, are described with such rich and vividness, I could really visualise it.
The characters are normal people, as well as slight oddballs, and very relatable in a story that is more than believable.
The love-story is, sigh, built up beautifully and full of ups and downs. The heroine is shy, awkward, and into things most people would find geeky and weird, which makes the book even more endearing, and the author seems to relish writing her.
So many different emotions are explored in the story and it ends up feeling magical. I simply adored it!
Originally posted at http://www.everyday-is-the-same.blogs...
Julie Cohen is a brilliant storyteller and she really shows it in this book. She captures the thoughts and feelings of her heroine perfectly, and takes her on a journey that had me absorbed right from the start.
The descriptions of the comic book art, and how the heroine creates it, are described with such rich and vividness, I could really visualise it.
The characters are normal people, as well as slight oddballs, and very relatable in a story that is more than believable.
The love-story is, sigh, built up beautifully and full of ups and downs. The heroine is shy, awkward, and into things most people would find geeky and weird, which makes the book even more endearing, and the author seems to relish writing her.
So many different emotions are explored in the story and it ends up feeling magical. I simply adored it!
Originally posted at http://www.everyday-is-the-same.blogs...
October 13, 2014
What you get here is a very convincing portrayal of Miss Geek overcoming the inertia of her geek life and geek clan to discover what she needs to do in order to be happier--and there's the thing--she's already happy in her life of back-to-back X-files box sets, Marvel comics, role-playing games, whatever--she isn't a miserable wallflower feeling sorry for herself (thank Zarquon). And those of us who've been there can relate to the awkwardness of introducing real human feelings into that mix. All this existential squirming would have been enough for me to enjoy the book but the way Julie Cohen handled Fil's tug-of-war between Jim and Dan elevated it to classic status for me. Granted, the plot swings around some convenient coincidences in places, but am overlooking that as I enjoyed it far too much or as they say in Klingon: paq muDechbej ghotvam'e'.
November 18, 2015
I love this book. The nerd stuff and all. Bits and pieces are coming back of what happened. I just remembered because after all this years, my paperback finally came back to me.
My baby's home and the euphoria I felt was oh oh oh! Until I inspect the pages and see for myself that it has cobwebs and all. Now really, the very reason I'm not buying hard copies anymore or asking my college/cpa friends for paperback as a gift was because my hometown friends doesn't care if it stay brand new looking just how the way I bought and after my read it in the first place.
Yeah, the review's totally out of context but I'd love to reread and revisit the pages once more.
This was a totally hilarious read and I remember cringing on some parts, and hiding with my hands because I was totally embarrassed but the H, totally BBF material.
My baby's home and the euphoria I felt was oh oh oh! Until I inspect the pages and see for myself that it has cobwebs and all. Now really, the very reason I'm not buying hard copies anymore or asking my college/cpa friends for paperback as a gift was because my hometown friends doesn't care if it stay brand new looking just how the way I bought and after my read it in the first place.
Yeah, the review's totally out of context but I'd love to reread and revisit the pages once more.
This was a totally hilarious read and I remember cringing on some parts, and hiding with my hands because I was totally embarrassed but the H, totally BBF material.
no-thank-you
May 31, 2018I gave up at 40%, after setup of what seems to be a love triangle where the female character gets to choose between her best friend, a guy who accuses her of being on her period when she's cranky, and her new colleague, who gives a press conference about taking over as writer for a female-led comic book and makes a joke about how her sexy costume influenced the development of his libido as a boy. Just not at all for me, despite (or because of?) me being a HUGE comics fan.
January 31, 2012
Originally posted at Romance Around the Corner
In case you didn’t know, I’m a huge fan of The X-Files. I own the DVD’s, the movies, the books (that's right, books!), I have posters, t-shirts and once I went to an UFO convention even though I don’t believe in any of that. I also have a book blog (I hope you did know that!). Yep, I’m pretty much a nerd. So when I saw this book and read that the heroine was a fan of The X-Files I left everything I was doing in order to read it. It was entertaining, but it had some shortcomings.
Philomena Desdemona Brown, Fil for short, is a nerd. She has blue hair, is a fan of every Sci-Fi show out there and loves comic books. She loves them so much that she works for one, yes, Fil is the current illustrator of the famous comic Girl from Mars, a story that’s been in print for over fifty years. She is very talented but she is socially award, and she is perfectly fine with it, or so she says.
Her best –and only- friends are Stevo, Digger and Jim. They have a relationship that’s both close and closed. They are tight and supportive of each other, never judging and sharing common likes and dislikes, but they also enable their own isolation by maintaining a strict routine and avoiding change. One day Stevo commits the ultimate crime: falling in love with an outsider. Fil, Jim and Digger are shocked at first and soon become angry when they realize that Stevo prefers to spend time with his boyfriend than with them. So what’s left of the group decides to make an oath, they will forever remain single, no dates, no boyfriends, no girlfriends, no going to clubs, nothing! Now, in real life fate would say something like this: “Oh really? Is that what you want? Well, you got it bitch! You’ll be single forever and ever. Here’s a cat to start your collection” But in romance novels after you do something like that you immediately meet the love of your life, which is exactly what happens to Fil.
When Fil meets Dan she is surprised that a guy like him (handsome, charming and wearing a suit) is showing interest in her. First she thinks he’s interested because he’s American, it’s his first time in London, and is desperate for a friend, but when he asks her out she freaks out. She’s attracted to him but she can’t break the oath, so she runs away. But it turns out that Girl from Mars isn’t selling well and the company is bringing a screenwriter specialized in romantic comedies to help the story, and of course that writer is Dan. Now she has to work with him while battling the attraction and trying to regain the normalcy in her life. And of course, every romance fan knows that that battle was lost even before it started.
I liked the premise of the book, nerdy girl meets hot boy and falls in love. Not the most original but I’ll take it since I love heroines that are less than perfect. But Fil wasn’t just less than perfect because she had blue hair and was socially awkward, she was less than perfect because she was reluctant to change and grow as a person. I had the impression that her “nerdiness” was more of a façade and a defense mechanism than an actual choice. The relationship she had with her friends was good because it allowed them to be free but it was hurting them, because they were too dependent on it. So when one part of their group decided to change and move on, the whole system became unbalanced. I liked Fil but she got on my nerves a lot because when she refuses to talk to her friends and accept that they were being unreasonable, she became even more unreasonable and childish which ended up hurting everyone.
Dan, on the other hand, I loved. We don’t get his POV during the book, but he was open and honest so it’s pretty easy to see where he’s coming from. I admit that for once I would love to see a less than perfect hero, just as much as I love seeing less than perfect heroines, but he wasn’t the jock who always gets the girl at the end of the movie book. He had depth and felt mature and fresh, a good balance to Fil’s childish ways.
Their relationship was sweet, but I was exasperated by Fil’s constant backpedaling. She kept going back and forth, back and forth; today she wanted to be with Dan, tomorrow she didn’t want to betray his friends. She wasn’t a teenager, but she acted like one.
The secondary characters play an important role in the book, Jim in particular. He has been Fil’s best friend since they were kids and even though I liked him, their relationship was too codependent to be attractive to me as a reader. Someone was going to end up hurt there, and that’s exactly what happened. This is slightly spoilerish so I’ll hide it, but I think you can see it coming from page one:
There are lots of interesting details about comic books that I found fascinating, although I’ve never been a fan of the genre. There’s also the story of Girl from Mars of which we get to see snippets throughout the book, and I admit that the ending of that story touched me more than the ending of the actual book.
It sounds like I didn’t enjoy the book, but I did. I was absorbed by the story and couldn’t stop until I got to the end. I had a strong reaction to the heroine that was mainly negative but I didn’t dislike her, she was exasperating but I was able to understand her reasons to be that way and I think that by the end of the book she was at a better place -with a lot of work to do-.
I think fans of contemporary romance tired of the same old formula would enjoy this book for its unique heroine and sweet hero.
In case you didn’t know, I’m a huge fan of The X-Files. I own the DVD’s, the movies, the books (that's right, books!), I have posters, t-shirts and once I went to an UFO convention even though I don’t believe in any of that. I also have a book blog (I hope you did know that!). Yep, I’m pretty much a nerd. So when I saw this book and read that the heroine was a fan of The X-Files I left everything I was doing in order to read it. It was entertaining, but it had some shortcomings.
Philomena Desdemona Brown, Fil for short, is a nerd. She has blue hair, is a fan of every Sci-Fi show out there and loves comic books. She loves them so much that she works for one, yes, Fil is the current illustrator of the famous comic Girl from Mars, a story that’s been in print for over fifty years. She is very talented but she is socially award, and she is perfectly fine with it, or so she says.
Her best –and only- friends are Stevo, Digger and Jim. They have a relationship that’s both close and closed. They are tight and supportive of each other, never judging and sharing common likes and dislikes, but they also enable their own isolation by maintaining a strict routine and avoiding change. One day Stevo commits the ultimate crime: falling in love with an outsider. Fil, Jim and Digger are shocked at first and soon become angry when they realize that Stevo prefers to spend time with his boyfriend than with them. So what’s left of the group decides to make an oath, they will forever remain single, no dates, no boyfriends, no girlfriends, no going to clubs, nothing! Now, in real life fate would say something like this: “Oh really? Is that what you want? Well, you got it bitch! You’ll be single forever and ever. Here’s a cat to start your collection” But in romance novels after you do something like that you immediately meet the love of your life, which is exactly what happens to Fil.
When Fil meets Dan she is surprised that a guy like him (handsome, charming and wearing a suit) is showing interest in her. First she thinks he’s interested because he’s American, it’s his first time in London, and is desperate for a friend, but when he asks her out she freaks out. She’s attracted to him but she can’t break the oath, so she runs away. But it turns out that Girl from Mars isn’t selling well and the company is bringing a screenwriter specialized in romantic comedies to help the story, and of course that writer is Dan. Now she has to work with him while battling the attraction and trying to regain the normalcy in her life. And of course, every romance fan knows that that battle was lost even before it started.
I liked the premise of the book, nerdy girl meets hot boy and falls in love. Not the most original but I’ll take it since I love heroines that are less than perfect. But Fil wasn’t just less than perfect because she had blue hair and was socially awkward, she was less than perfect because she was reluctant to change and grow as a person. I had the impression that her “nerdiness” was more of a façade and a defense mechanism than an actual choice. The relationship she had with her friends was good because it allowed them to be free but it was hurting them, because they were too dependent on it. So when one part of their group decided to change and move on, the whole system became unbalanced. I liked Fil but she got on my nerves a lot because when she refuses to talk to her friends and accept that they were being unreasonable, she became even more unreasonable and childish which ended up hurting everyone.
Dan, on the other hand, I loved. We don’t get his POV during the book, but he was open and honest so it’s pretty easy to see where he’s coming from. I admit that for once I would love to see a less than perfect hero, just as much as I love seeing less than perfect heroines, but he wasn’t the jock who always gets the girl at the end of the movie book. He had depth and felt mature and fresh, a good balance to Fil’s childish ways.
Their relationship was sweet, but I was exasperated by Fil’s constant backpedaling. She kept going back and forth, back and forth; today she wanted to be with Dan, tomorrow she didn’t want to betray his friends. She wasn’t a teenager, but she acted like one.
The secondary characters play an important role in the book, Jim in particular. He has been Fil’s best friend since they were kids and even though I liked him, their relationship was too codependent to be attractive to me as a reader. Someone was going to end up hurt there, and that’s exactly what happened. This is slightly spoilerish so I’ll hide it, but I think you can see it coming from page one:
There are lots of interesting details about comic books that I found fascinating, although I’ve never been a fan of the genre. There’s also the story of Girl from Mars of which we get to see snippets throughout the book, and I admit that the ending of that story touched me more than the ending of the actual book.
It sounds like I didn’t enjoy the book, but I did. I was absorbed by the story and couldn’t stop until I got to the end. I had a strong reaction to the heroine that was mainly negative but I didn’t dislike her, she was exasperating but I was able to understand her reasons to be that way and I think that by the end of the book she was at a better place -with a lot of work to do-.
I think fans of contemporary romance tired of the same old formula would enjoy this book for its unique heroine and sweet hero.
March 5, 2012
This was definitely a romp, but surprisingly good. Don't get me wrong; don't expect high literature, but do expect an entertaining read with enough depth to make the read more realistic. This is definitely a romance novel/beach-read type of book, maybe like The Devil Wears Prada, but with a nerdy girl heroine. By nerdy girl heroine, I mean, a *real* nerdy girl/buddy girl who isn't really that great with people, whose two best friends are guys, plays D&D and takes refuge in comic book binging when she's had a rough day. In short, the girl has serious nerd cred.
I'm not sure how appealing this book would be to "normal" (meaning of "normal" as used in the book as well) since stereotypically, it doesn't seem like many people who habitually enjoy reading romance novels would chortle at the numerous references to X-files, ComicCon, immortal demons impervious to physical damage in a D&D game, etc.
However, Girl From Mars uses the nerdy/buddy girl successfully as the equivalent for the alienated, insecure girl of the romance genre, but she is refreshingly a bit more defined than the bland heroine who is usually intentionally left so to allow readers to insert themselves. Her love interest is, of course, perfect and angsty and likes her for her quirks, but the thing that I really think makes this novel different from others is that it is also about the main character's friendships, and the difficulties and misunderstandings many people have experienced when from all sides of the precarious significant other-friend balance.
P.S. Sometimes it does seem like the author highlights using comic books as escapism so that sometimes the main character seems too "fangirl." However, I do appreciate that the author makes some subtle parallels between Fil's passion-bordering-on-obsession with comic books, her parents' for literature and Dan's for films. It seems to make the suggestion that a passion is a passion and no matter what they're worthwhile and enriching.
I'm not sure how appealing this book would be to "normal" (meaning of "normal" as used in the book as well) since stereotypically, it doesn't seem like many people who habitually enjoy reading romance novels would chortle at the numerous references to X-files, ComicCon, immortal demons impervious to physical damage in a D&D game, etc.
However, Girl From Mars uses the nerdy/buddy girl successfully as the equivalent for the alienated, insecure girl of the romance genre, but she is refreshingly a bit more defined than the bland heroine who is usually intentionally left so to allow readers to insert themselves. Her love interest is, of course, perfect and angsty and likes her for her quirks, but the thing that I really think makes this novel different from others is that it is also about the main character's friendships, and the difficulties and misunderstandings many people have experienced when from all sides of the precarious significant other-friend balance.
P.S. Sometimes it does seem like the author highlights using comic books as escapism so that sometimes the main character seems too "fangirl." However, I do appreciate that the author makes some subtle parallels between Fil's passion-bordering-on-obsession with comic books, her parents' for literature and Dan's for films. It seems to make the suggestion that a passion is a passion and no matter what they're worthwhile and enriching.
Want to read
March 4, 2009Awaiting some reviews of this one. Could be fun, and different!
January 20, 2011
It was fun but rubbish.
December 22, 2011
I loved the book and ate it all up in two days, but admittedly I think Fil should have ended up with James I mean Dan is amazing but he doesn't beat jim :(
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
May 8, 2016Review to come!
May 21, 2017
Loved so much!!! Highlighted my brains out. It's NOT A ROMANCE though. It has a very strong romance woven into the plot and there's a HFN at the end. However, this is more of a turning-point-in-your-life fiction. Older coming of age. (Older being late 20s I think here.)
Anyone who is reading this for a feel good romance alone will not be happy. If you can be happy with a really, awfully good book that sits slightly outside the romance genre, this is the one.
ADORED.
Anyone who is reading this for a feel good romance alone will not be happy. If you can be happy with a really, awfully good book that sits slightly outside the romance genre, this is the one.
ADORED.
May 29, 2017
Julie Cohen has a way to make me keep reading. A good read.
December 4, 2020
Really enjoyed!!!!
August 29, 2021
Amazing!!!
June 14, 2010
With her blue hair and black baggy clothes, Philomena, or Fil to her friends is not your typical heroine.
Living with her best mate Jim, Fil's life is simple and just how she wants it. She has three great friends and her dream job working as an illustrator for the comic 'Girl From Mars'.
Then one night the sanctity of their foursome and the latest X-Files marathon is rocked. One of her friends had the audacity to go and fall in love. Completely taking the group by surprise the revelation shakes up Fil and the remaining two friends. Will their group ever be the same?
An amusing night and a few too many drinks later the remaining two friends: Fil, Digger and Jim take a vow to never date or fall in love. Thus keeping the group and their lives the same forever.
Then enter a new writer to Fil's most beloved 'Girl From Mars' who decides that it's time the comic had a shake up too and Fil is aghast. The Girl From Mars cannot fall in love too can she? You see, her job is more than a vocation for Fil, as far as she's concerned in many respects she is the Girl from Mars.
I had a debate when I began to write this review about what genre to classify this book as. Officially it's classed as Romance, but at times it very much reminded me much more of a chick lit novel. It clearly has a strong romance story running throughout, but Fil's relationship with her friends and the sub plots surrounding them are equally important as the main love story.
Fil is a really funny character and I loved her rag tag group of X-Files, and Dungeons and Dragons loving friends. Enjoying the fact that this book deliberately avoided a lot of the clichés it could easily have fallen into.
Another important thing to note about this book is don't be fooled by the cool Sci-Fi looking cover. Other than the fact that Fil is an illustrator for a Sci-Fi comic, there is nothing science fiction related about the plot at all. Which I found a bit disappointing.
The book looks at the role of your friends as you grow up and those pivotal moments that change your friendships forever. Everyone can remember your first friend to get a boyfriend, the first to get married and the first to have a child. And while those changes to the group dynamic are irrevocable, true friendships adapt and grow stronger.
This is a really fun book, it's a tongue in cheek romp that good naturedly delights in the somewhat geeky antics of Fil and her friends.
However, while it became evident two thirds of the way through the book I wasn't going to get my wish, I couldn't help but think that Fil had ended up with the wrong guy. And would of loved to see how the book would of concluded if she had chosen her other suitor.
Verdict:
This book is an entertaining romantic comedy that comic book lovers will enjoy.
This book has its bases covered, from the will they, won't they story line, to the romantic love triangle and the much coveted happy ending.
Personally, I was just hoping for a different one.
This review originally appeared on www.bookchickcity.com
Living with her best mate Jim, Fil's life is simple and just how she wants it. She has three great friends and her dream job working as an illustrator for the comic 'Girl From Mars'.
Then one night the sanctity of their foursome and the latest X-Files marathon is rocked. One of her friends had the audacity to go and fall in love. Completely taking the group by surprise the revelation shakes up Fil and the remaining two friends. Will their group ever be the same?
An amusing night and a few too many drinks later the remaining two friends: Fil, Digger and Jim take a vow to never date or fall in love. Thus keeping the group and their lives the same forever.
Then enter a new writer to Fil's most beloved 'Girl From Mars' who decides that it's time the comic had a shake up too and Fil is aghast. The Girl From Mars cannot fall in love too can she? You see, her job is more than a vocation for Fil, as far as she's concerned in many respects she is the Girl from Mars.
I had a debate when I began to write this review about what genre to classify this book as. Officially it's classed as Romance, but at times it very much reminded me much more of a chick lit novel. It clearly has a strong romance story running throughout, but Fil's relationship with her friends and the sub plots surrounding them are equally important as the main love story.
Fil is a really funny character and I loved her rag tag group of X-Files, and Dungeons and Dragons loving friends. Enjoying the fact that this book deliberately avoided a lot of the clichés it could easily have fallen into.
Another important thing to note about this book is don't be fooled by the cool Sci-Fi looking cover. Other than the fact that Fil is an illustrator for a Sci-Fi comic, there is nothing science fiction related about the plot at all. Which I found a bit disappointing.
The book looks at the role of your friends as you grow up and those pivotal moments that change your friendships forever. Everyone can remember your first friend to get a boyfriend, the first to get married and the first to have a child. And while those changes to the group dynamic are irrevocable, true friendships adapt and grow stronger.
This is a really fun book, it's a tongue in cheek romp that good naturedly delights in the somewhat geeky antics of Fil and her friends.
However, while it became evident two thirds of the way through the book I wasn't going to get my wish, I couldn't help but think that Fil had ended up with the wrong guy. And would of loved to see how the book would of concluded if she had chosen her other suitor.
Verdict:
This book is an entertaining romantic comedy that comic book lovers will enjoy.
This book has its bases covered, from the will they, won't they story line, to the romantic love triangle and the much coveted happy ending.
Personally, I was just hoping for a different one.
This review originally appeared on www.bookchickcity.com
July 19, 2010
Sometimes you pick up a book not because you know the author or her previous books, not because its the genre you adore, and not because of all the reviews you're read. Sometimes you just pick up a book because it feels like a book you'd love.
Boy, was I righ this time.
Girl from Mars is a fun, snappy, entertaining romantic comedy with more depth than most. Fil is a comic book artist with a small group of fellow geek friends who are her life. That and the comic she draws for Girl From Mars. And then she meets the gorgeous Dan.
What I liked best about this book was it played with my expectations. I went into it thinking I knew what was coming, that I had the characters pegged. But I didn't, not quite. I would say I know (or knew) the comics scene pretty well although maybe that was a number of years ago now, but I do know these characters, and Julie captured them so well. More than that, she made me feel affection for them, understand them, and sympathise with them.
My favourite scene is when Fil is at a convention and a teenage girl approaches to show her some artwork. Fil hasn't realised she's a success, nor what an impact she has on her audience, nor that she is a role model for other young female artists. For me it was a powerful scene and really cemented the character in a positive way. She's charming, she makes mistakes, but she matters. And that is important to me as a reader.
My eyes even got a bit blurry towards the end and this light and fluffy rom-com turned out to be one of those wonderful books I didn't want to end. I tried to ration out the last couple of chapters, to make them last as long as possible, but I couldn't even manage that.
Highly recommended. :)
Boy, was I righ this time.
Girl from Mars is a fun, snappy, entertaining romantic comedy with more depth than most. Fil is a comic book artist with a small group of fellow geek friends who are her life. That and the comic she draws for Girl From Mars. And then she meets the gorgeous Dan.
What I liked best about this book was it played with my expectations. I went into it thinking I knew what was coming, that I had the characters pegged. But I didn't, not quite. I would say I know (or knew) the comics scene pretty well although maybe that was a number of years ago now, but I do know these characters, and Julie captured them so well. More than that, she made me feel affection for them, understand them, and sympathise with them.
My favourite scene is when Fil is at a convention and a teenage girl approaches to show her some artwork. Fil hasn't realised she's a success, nor what an impact she has on her audience, nor that she is a role model for other young female artists. For me it was a powerful scene and really cemented the character in a positive way. She's charming, she makes mistakes, but she matters. And that is important to me as a reader.
My eyes even got a bit blurry towards the end and this light and fluffy rom-com turned out to be one of those wonderful books I didn't want to end. I tried to ration out the last couple of chapters, to make them last as long as possible, but I couldn't even manage that.
Highly recommended. :)
Read
November 22, 2010I've enjoyed the various Julie Cohen contemporary romances I've read, but I really loved GIRL FROM MARS. It's from Little Black Dress - the books are romantic and light in tone, and some readers would call them "chick lit," though they aren't, really, in my opinion. Generally, they're less explicit than most romance novels.
GIRL FROM MARS starts off with the heroine, who's the artist for a comic called "Girl From Mars," in the midst of an X-Files marathon with her three best friends, all male. It's four a.m. on a Sunday, and they've taken a temporary break for waffles.
I could probably stop there. I was sucked in by that like the book was a Hoover.
The romance itself is fairly conventional, but though it was fun, that wasn't what I loved so much about the book. I loved the characterization; I loved the picture Cohen gave me of the friends who were all hiding in different ways, and how they found their way out into new lives. I loved that despite the heroine's worry that she had no real life because of her fandom, she never gave it up and in fact incorporated it even more into herself. I especially loved how the heroine's deep love for "Girl From Mars," both the comic and the character, was such a large and meaningful part of her life, and how she shared it as part of building her relationship.
The three male friends have their own character arcs, one of them less happy than the others, but still hopeful (I wouldn't mind reading a book about how he finds happiness). I ended up reading the last large hunk of the book in one evening, even though I hadn't really intended to do so.
GIRL FROM MARS starts off with the heroine, who's the artist for a comic called "Girl From Mars," in the midst of an X-Files marathon with her three best friends, all male. It's four a.m. on a Sunday, and they've taken a temporary break for waffles.
I could probably stop there. I was sucked in by that like the book was a Hoover.
The romance itself is fairly conventional, but though it was fun, that wasn't what I loved so much about the book. I loved the characterization; I loved the picture Cohen gave me of the friends who were all hiding in different ways, and how they found their way out into new lives. I loved that despite the heroine's worry that she had no real life because of her fandom, she never gave it up and in fact incorporated it even more into herself. I especially loved how the heroine's deep love for "Girl From Mars," both the comic and the character, was such a large and meaningful part of her life, and how she shared it as part of building her relationship.
The three male friends have their own character arcs, one of them less happy than the others, but still hopeful (I wouldn't mind reading a book about how he finds happiness). I ended up reading the last large hunk of the book in one evening, even though I hadn't really intended to do so.
August 17, 2011
I loved this book! It's got an unusual premise and works out very well. Philomena, also known as Fil is a comic book illustrator for her favorite comic "Girl From Mars." She got three best friends, Jim, Digger, and Stevo. Things start to change when Stevo falls in love and distances himself from the gang. Not understanding the attraction, the rest of the gang goes to a nightclub to try and pick up people and they get shot down. Smarting form the pain, they make a pact to not date and just keep their circle as is to protect themselves from pain and humiliation. Of course, that's just when temptation and changes enter Fil's life, and boy does she try to fight them all.
I liked how the friendship between Fil and the guys was shown. They were a tight knit group and Stevo's defection hurt them quite a bit. It always hurts when friends leave you. I also liked how they fought the changes that were happening. Fil really fought against her feelings and the changes taking place in her workplace regarding "Girl From Mars." Change is inevitable even though we do resist it. It was nice to see her fight her feelings and eventually fall in love.
This is my second Julie Cohen book and I look forward to reading more from her!
I liked how the friendship between Fil and the guys was shown. They were a tight knit group and Stevo's defection hurt them quite a bit. It always hurts when friends leave you. I also liked how they fought the changes that were happening. Fil really fought against her feelings and the changes taking place in her workplace regarding "Girl From Mars." Change is inevitable even though we do resist it. It was nice to see her fight her feelings and eventually fall in love.
This is my second Julie Cohen book and I look forward to reading more from her!
April 28, 2010
I wanted to give this book 5 stars. Actually, I kind of wanted to give it 50. I know it probably doesn't deserve that much, but I really really love it. A lot.
I pretty much hate 99% of all chick-lit I try. Because I hate 99% of all characters in chick-lit I try. I find them vapid and idiotic and mushy and calculated. But I still sometimes try to read them, because, on the very rare occasions where I find Chick-Lit that doesn't make me sick, I really enjoy it.
Girl from Mars is one of those rare cases. I know the basic story and developments and plotpoints are exactly the same as they are in all of these things, but there are also Dalek jokes and Comic Conventions and Pub Quizzes and guys who are dreamy because they look like Jean-Luc Picard. And there are characters that actually have a little depth to them, and backstories, and are likable and relatable and don't make you want to stab them with a spork.
And now I wish that Julie Cohen would start a sub-genre of romantic comedies that involve awesome geeky girls who are Comic book artists and their awesome equally geeky friends. Because I would love to read about them.
I pretty much hate 99% of all chick-lit I try. Because I hate 99% of all characters in chick-lit I try. I find them vapid and idiotic and mushy and calculated. But I still sometimes try to read them, because, on the very rare occasions where I find Chick-Lit that doesn't make me sick, I really enjoy it.
Girl from Mars is one of those rare cases. I know the basic story and developments and plotpoints are exactly the same as they are in all of these things, but there are also Dalek jokes and Comic Conventions and Pub Quizzes and guys who are dreamy because they look like Jean-Luc Picard. And there are characters that actually have a little depth to them, and backstories, and are likable and relatable and don't make you want to stab them with a spork.
And now I wish that Julie Cohen would start a sub-genre of romantic comedies that involve awesome geeky girls who are Comic book artists and their awesome equally geeky friends. Because I would love to read about them.
August 4, 2011
It's about Fil, who with her best friends, Jim and Digger make a vow to forsake all romantic relationships (after being deserted by fourth member of the team, Stevo, for "lurve") and to stick together forever! Although, Fil has blue hair and a cool job as the artist of the Girl from Mars comic, she and her friends are total nerds - proven by their ideal weekend being a back to back X-files marathon! Fil's professional and private life is thrown in turmoil by the arrival of Dan, a gorgeous and successful American film writer and suddenly it seems really difficult for her to stick to her promise, even though they did vow in Klingon!
It's well written fun, and although instantly forgettable, at least it throws in some different characters to the usual chick-lit and the importance of friendship was sensitively handled. A little bit of me felt that after all Fil's dilemmas she maybe got the wrong man, but my biggest surprise was that the nerds managed to get any romantic action at all in the first place!
It's well written fun, and although instantly forgettable, at least it throws in some different characters to the usual chick-lit and the importance of friendship was sensitively handled. A little bit of me felt that after all Fil's dilemmas she maybe got the wrong man, but my biggest surprise was that the nerds managed to get any romantic action at all in the first place!
June 24, 2013
4 Stars +
Girl From Mars is the perfect book to curl up with on a quiet rainy weekend.
I really really enjoyed this book, the characters felt real enough to step out of the pages, they were flawed, vulnerable, strong and so delightfully quirky!
Fil is far from your typical chick lit heroine and I think that that is a big part of the charm of this book. It's all about watching Fil grow, change, open her eyes and learn to let people in and you're cheering her on every step of the way.
The writing is solid, the descriptions - particularly of the comics and the art - are vivid and engaging. And there is just the right mix of humour, true feeling and a touch of sadness - the novel is not without conflict, but I don't want to spoil anything!
The romance feels perfect for Fil and the book and blended in very nicely with the rest of the story.
The whole book was a breath of fresh air and I will be checking out Julie Cohen's other books.
Recommend for anyway looking for nicely paced chick lit that is a little bit different or as a relaxing beach or rainy weekend read.
Girl From Mars is the perfect book to curl up with on a quiet rainy weekend.
I really really enjoyed this book, the characters felt real enough to step out of the pages, they were flawed, vulnerable, strong and so delightfully quirky!
Fil is far from your typical chick lit heroine and I think that that is a big part of the charm of this book. It's all about watching Fil grow, change, open her eyes and learn to let people in and you're cheering her on every step of the way.
The writing is solid, the descriptions - particularly of the comics and the art - are vivid and engaging. And there is just the right mix of humour, true feeling and a touch of sadness - the novel is not without conflict, but I don't want to spoil anything!
The romance feels perfect for Fil and the book and blended in very nicely with the rest of the story.
The whole book was a breath of fresh air and I will be checking out Julie Cohen's other books.
Recommend for anyway looking for nicely paced chick lit that is a little bit different or as a relaxing beach or rainy weekend read.
July 25, 2011
Girl from Mars (Little Black Dress) -Julie Cohen
It's a fun little book to read! I have to say I enjoyed it a lot. Quite easy to read, but not too unintelligent. I picked up the book from my sister's pile of library goods she had just finished while waiting for inspiration to strike my mind into finding another great read. Then as my day went on, it became a nice little companion for a lonely night. But as I continued to read it I read a little passage and it's stuck with me:
"QamuIs Heg qaq law' lorvIs yInqaq puS "( Klingdon- the language used in Star Trek) Which means "Better to die on your feet than live on your knees" I instantly knew I was meant to find this book. I meant to read that little quote- even if it took 354 pages to get there. It sounds horrible to me that a "chick book" had such a profound impact on me- but sometimes it's the little things that can bring you back down to earth and help you through difficult times =) Four stars<3
It's a fun little book to read! I have to say I enjoyed it a lot. Quite easy to read, but not too unintelligent. I picked up the book from my sister's pile of library goods she had just finished while waiting for inspiration to strike my mind into finding another great read. Then as my day went on, it became a nice little companion for a lonely night. But as I continued to read it I read a little passage and it's stuck with me:
"QamuIs Heg qaq law' lorvIs yInqaq puS "( Klingdon- the language used in Star Trek) Which means "Better to die on your feet than live on your knees" I instantly knew I was meant to find this book. I meant to read that little quote- even if it took 354 pages to get there. It sounds horrible to me that a "chick book" had such a profound impact on me- but sometimes it's the little things that can bring you back down to earth and help you through difficult times =) Four stars<3
December 31, 2015
I was immediately drawn to this book as soon as I learned the title. And then I knew I had to read the book when I read the synopsis. Comic books! Geeks! Nerds! MY PEOPLE!
So Fil is a graphic novel artist, and she idolizes the character of her comic: Girl From Mars. Only, the comic isn't doing so well so management brings in this hotshot Hollywood screenwriter who happens to be the original GFM creator's grandson.
Anybody see where this is going?
Only, Fil made a pact with her nerdy friends to swear off all romantic relationships, so that no one of them will ever end up alone and abandoned when the others find significant others.
It's a little contrived but it works. And Cohen brings all the characters to life, and brilliantly uses the GFM comics to further the story of Fil and Dan.
I will definitely have to check out more that Cohen's written.
So Fil is a graphic novel artist, and she idolizes the character of her comic: Girl From Mars. Only, the comic isn't doing so well so management brings in this hotshot Hollywood screenwriter who happens to be the original GFM creator's grandson.
Anybody see where this is going?
Only, Fil made a pact with her nerdy friends to swear off all romantic relationships, so that no one of them will ever end up alone and abandoned when the others find significant others.
It's a little contrived but it works. And Cohen brings all the characters to life, and brilliantly uses the GFM comics to further the story of Fil and Dan.
I will definitely have to check out more that Cohen's written.
May 4, 2012
Hhhmm what can I say? I dont know why I grabbed this book, maybe because of the catchy title, the funky illustration or the fact that I wanted to give this romance fiction book a read after not reading this genre of books for humpteen of years.
Flipping through the first few pages, felt like I was reading a script from New Girl (acted by zooey deschanel). As the story progressed I got a little hooked on (exactly as if you were watching a soap on tv) although I kinda knew where the story was heading to...quite typical.
If you want an evening of nothing but love romance, flirtatious dreamy thoughts and to rekindly the old soft spot (which cupid plunked a hole in that many years ago) then this book would be fun to read.
Flipping through the first few pages, felt like I was reading a script from New Girl (acted by zooey deschanel). As the story progressed I got a little hooked on (exactly as if you were watching a soap on tv) although I kinda knew where the story was heading to...quite typical.
If you want an evening of nothing but love romance, flirtatious dreamy thoughts and to rekindly the old soft spot (which cupid plunked a hole in that many years ago) then this book would be fun to read.
May 22, 2012
This one kinda got to me. It's not exactly chicklit? And it's not anything else either. I don't really know where to put it. It's about a geeky group of friends, and not the funny haha chicklit geeky group.. but the seriously geeky people. I think that's what I liked about this book, it's funny but it's also pretty much realistic. It's not chicklit, and I was seriously touched by the story. I couldn't stop reading and I loved seeing our main girl grow into herself and learn stuff about herself and her friends. It's a serious book with a funny edge and there's romance but not the annoying kind. It's actually kinda perfect.
September 21, 2012
I've loved Julie Cohen's latest two books so I researched her backlist and picked up Girl From Mars because of the fantastic cover.
I absolutely loved it, it was funny and original, the heroine (in my humble opinion) ended up with the right guy in the end but as a reader I was kept guessing right until the very end.
Fil is a comic book artist, she's independent, creative, hilarious, passionate about her work and also quite vulnerable. I am a bit geeky and really got all the SFF references. This is just a brilliant book that packs a punch and I really couldn't put down. Just brilliant.
I absolutely loved it, it was funny and original, the heroine (in my humble opinion) ended up with the right guy in the end but as a reader I was kept guessing right until the very end.
Fil is a comic book artist, she's independent, creative, hilarious, passionate about her work and also quite vulnerable. I am a bit geeky and really got all the SFF references. This is just a brilliant book that packs a punch and I really couldn't put down. Just brilliant.
October 8, 2014
Every so often there's a book that you pick up and it speaks to you instantly. For me, Girl From Mars was just that sort of book. I recognised the type of people in it and definitely recognised the dynamics of the friendship Fil has with Jim and Digger.
The comic book geek side of things was very entertaining and I loved the insight into how Fil sees the world. There are two potential suitors in this book and I honestly did not know which one she was going to choose right until the end.
I don't know why I didn't read this book sooner.
The comic book geek side of things was very entertaining and I loved the insight into how Fil sees the world. There are two potential suitors in this book and I honestly did not know which one she was going to choose right until the end.
I don't know why I didn't read this book sooner.
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