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Heather Wells #1
Size 12 Is Not Fat
"
HEATHER WELLS ROCKS!
Or, at least, she did. That was before she left the pop-idol life behind after she gained a dress size or two -- and lost a boyfriend, a recording contract, and her life savings (when Mom took the money and ran off to Argentina). Now that the glamour and glory days of endless mall appearances are in the past, Heather's perfectly happy with her new size 12 shape (the average for the American woman!) and her new job as an assistant dorm director at one of New York's top colleges. That is, until the dead body of a female student from Heather's residence hall is discovered at the bottom of an elevator shaft.
The cops and the college president are ready to chalk the death off as an accident, the result of reckless youthful mischief. But Heather knows teenage girls . . . and girls do not elevator surf. Yet no one wants to listen -- not the police, her colleagues, or the P.I. who owns the brownstone where she lives -- even when more students start turning up dead in equally ordinary and subtly sinister ways. So Heather makes the decision to take on yet another new career: as spunky girl detective!
But her new job comes with few benefits, no cheering crowds, and lots of liabilities, some of them potentially fatal. And nothing ticks off a killer more than a portly ex-pop star who's sticking her nose where it doesn't belong . . .
"345 pages, Paperback
First published December 27, 2005
857 people are currently reading
78013 people want to read
About the author
Meg Cabot
279 books35.4k followersLibrarian note: AKA Jenny Carroll (1-800-Where-R-You series), AKA Patricia Cabot (historical romance novels).
Meg Cabot was born on February 1, 1967, during the Chinese astrological year of the Fire Horse, a notoriously unlucky sign. Fortunately she grew up in Bloomington, Indiana, where few people were aware of the stigma of being a fire horse -- at least until Meg became a teenager, when she flunked freshman Algebra twice, then decided to cut her own bangs. After six years as an undergrad at Indiana University, Meg moved to New York City (in the middle of a sanitation worker strike) to pursue a career as an illustrator, at which she failed miserably, forcing her to turn to her favorite hobby--writing novels--for emotional succor. She worked various jobs to pay the rent, including a decade-long stint as the assistant manager of a 700 bed freshmen dormitory at NYU, a position she still occasionally misses.
She is now the author of nearly fifty books for both adults and teens, selling fifteen million copies worldwide, many of which have been #1 New York Times bestsellers, most notably The Princess Diaries series, which is currently being published in over 38 countries, and was made into two hit movies by Disney. In addition, Meg wrote the Mediator and 1-800-Where-R-You? series (on which the television series, Missing, was based), two All-American Girl books, Teen Idol, Avalon High, How to Be Popular, Pants on Fire, Jinx, a series of novels written entirely in email format (Boy Next Door, Boy Meets Girl, and Every Boy's Got One), a mystery series (Size 12 Is Not Fat/ Size 14 Is Not Fat Either/Big Boned), and a chick-lit series called Queen of Babble.
Meg is now writing a new children's series called Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls. Her new paranormal series, Abandon, debuts in Summer of 2011.
Meg currently divides her time between Key West, Indiana, and New York City with a primary cat (one-eyed Henrietta), various back-up cats, and her husband, who doesn't know he married a fire horse. Please don't tell him.
Series:
* Airhead
* The Princess Diaries
* Mediator
Meg Cabot was born on February 1, 1967, during the Chinese astrological year of the Fire Horse, a notoriously unlucky sign. Fortunately she grew up in Bloomington, Indiana, where few people were aware of the stigma of being a fire horse -- at least until Meg became a teenager, when she flunked freshman Algebra twice, then decided to cut her own bangs. After six years as an undergrad at Indiana University, Meg moved to New York City (in the middle of a sanitation worker strike) to pursue a career as an illustrator, at which she failed miserably, forcing her to turn to her favorite hobby--writing novels--for emotional succor. She worked various jobs to pay the rent, including a decade-long stint as the assistant manager of a 700 bed freshmen dormitory at NYU, a position she still occasionally misses.
She is now the author of nearly fifty books for both adults and teens, selling fifteen million copies worldwide, many of which have been #1 New York Times bestsellers, most notably The Princess Diaries series, which is currently being published in over 38 countries, and was made into two hit movies by Disney. In addition, Meg wrote the Mediator and 1-800-Where-R-You? series (on which the television series, Missing, was based), two All-American Girl books, Teen Idol, Avalon High, How to Be Popular, Pants on Fire, Jinx, a series of novels written entirely in email format (Boy Next Door, Boy Meets Girl, and Every Boy's Got One), a mystery series (Size 12 Is Not Fat/ Size 14 Is Not Fat Either/Big Boned), and a chick-lit series called Queen of Babble.
Meg is now writing a new children's series called Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls. Her new paranormal series, Abandon, debuts in Summer of 2011.
Meg currently divides her time between Key West, Indiana, and New York City with a primary cat (one-eyed Henrietta), various back-up cats, and her husband, who doesn't know he married a fire horse. Please don't tell him.
Series:
* Airhead
* The Princess Diaries
* Mediator
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,046 reviews
January 12, 2024
Meg Cabot tells the story of Heather Wells, who was a pop idol in her late teenage years. Now she lost her boyfriend, life savings, and record contract and is struggling with her life. She gets a new job as an assistant dorm director in New York.
One day, a female student's dead body is seen at the bottom of an elevator shaft. Was it an accident or a murder? Will Heather find out the mystery behind her death? Is there a serial killer behind these unfortunate events? You will find out the answers through this book
What I learned from this book
1) What are the dangers of getting into a rebound relationship?
A rebound relationship is a relationship that we enter based on a reaction to a previous relationship, where one or both members are still contending with issues raised by the past breakup. Many problems are associated with it, like the mental instability due to the absence of proper recovery, comparisons to the ex, and fear of commitment as you think the new relationship will also end soon if you commit yourself to it.
It is better to get over a breakup before committing to the new one as there is a probability that you will fall into a relationship with a predator who tries to utilize your fragile situation, which will further worsen your mental health.
"I'm going to fall in love with someone else just as soon as I can. I swear. But in the meantime, is it so wrong that I enjoy his company?"
2) Why is littering a social problem?
Littering tells a whole lot about the personality of an individual. It causes a lot of social problems in our community. It creates fire and human health hazards because of the micro and macro organisms attracted to it. Multiple serious diseases like Malaria and Leptospirosis are mainly caused by littering.
"I once saw her throw a Juicy Fruit wrapper on the ground in Central Park. She doesn't even feel guilty about littering."
3) Why should we never body shame another person?
This book's story and climax are strongly connected to body shaming.
Body shaming is the practice of subjecting someone to humiliation and criticism for their physical appearance. The author perfectly portrays what will happen to those who find enjoyment in body shaming others.
Body shaming will profoundly affect the mental health of the opposite person. It can cause depression and anxiety. There are multiple instances where people even committed suicide due to the body-shaming they suffered.
“See,” she’s saying. "I told you, Heather. You're too nice to win. Too weak. Not in good enough shape. Because size twelve is fat. Oh, I know what you're going to say. It's the size of the average American woman. But guess what? The average American woman is fat, Heather."
My favourite three lines from this book
“If there are three words in the English language worse than "Got a minute?" they can only be "About last night...”
“And someday
Someday you'll be home.”
“Some people are never satisfied.”
What could have been better?
The author is trying to discuss a very serious topic of bullying and body shaming in this book. She had a golden opportunity to dive deep into this topic and have a serious discussion. She, unfortunately, decided to go through the issue only in a superficial way.
Some people won't like the inherent sexism present in this book that is commonly seen in Chick-lit fiction. This book will give you a decent reading experience if you can tolerate that.
Rating
3/5 If you are facing a reading slump and if you love to read murder mysteries involving young people this book will be a decent choice.
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August 28, 2007
Meg Cabot has a fan base like no other, and it's really no wonder. All of her books are incredibly enjoyable so long as you're into chick lit and light reads.
Don't let the title of this one fool you. The idea that the title gave me and the actually content of the book didn't mesh at all. I wasn't disappointed by what I got, it was just different.
In my opinion, the plot lines of the Heather Wells Mystery books aren't all that riveting. But Meg Cabot knows exactly what she's doing with her characters. To me, the plot comes in second to the character development. I read the Heather Wells books because I love Heather Wells. Her mystery-solving doesn't really interest me at all, but SHE does. I keep coming back for more Heather Wells, and each time I just sort of giggle to myself over the plot, but by the end of each book I'm more in love with the characters than I have ever been before.
Don't let the title of this one fool you. The idea that the title gave me and the actually content of the book didn't mesh at all. I wasn't disappointed by what I got, it was just different.
In my opinion, the plot lines of the Heather Wells Mystery books aren't all that riveting. But Meg Cabot knows exactly what she's doing with her characters. To me, the plot comes in second to the character development. I read the Heather Wells books because I love Heather Wells. Her mystery-solving doesn't really interest me at all, but SHE does. I keep coming back for more Heather Wells, and each time I just sort of giggle to myself over the plot, but by the end of each book I'm more in love with the characters than I have ever been before.
April 11, 2021
I thought this was pretty typical chick lit, albeit of the mystery variety. It was light, entertaining and didn't require much thinking, which is why I chose it, so no complaints there. I was, however, annoyed by the heroine, Heather Wells, on more than one occasion. Although she saved the day at the end (of course), I found her to be often whiny and passive about everything but solving the mystery. The writing style bothered me sometimes, too - the "size 12 is NOT fat" tagline was used over and over again, and the "dorm, I mean residence hall" line made me want to tear my hair out by the end. I'm on the fence about reading the next one in the series. We'll see!
July 16, 2018
Yet another re-read! I'm a re-reading machine this month. Also, Meg Cabot is love Meg Cabot is life. I would read her grocery lists and love them.
February 7, 2017
Okay, so I don't think everyone would enjoy this book. It's the epitome of chick lit. I like to think of it as Veronica Mars meets Bridget Jones. Our main character is very chatty and the writing style is conversational. The jokes are very repetitive and the mystery is easy to figure out but I had a fun time reading this. I'm sure I enjoyed this mostly because it's a book I read in high school and it made me feel very nostalgic.
February 10, 2025
3.5/5
So, this was quite enjoyable!
This book is about Heather Wells, an ex-pop star that now works at a residence hall because her whole pop career got shattered thanks to her mom and somehow her ex-boyfriend who can’t stop chasing her (and who by the way is still a successful singer).
Her life is alright. She gets somehow along with the students, and she shares a… place (somehow) with her ex-boyfriend’s brother; who she has a total crush on.
Her life’s interrupted when a student is found all the way down where the elevators are at. The police says it was just elevator surfing but Heather doesn’t buy it.. because another student died by the exact same cause a week later.
Heather, now, with the help of Cooper, will try to make her way through all the evidence and information she has and eventually find the culprit.
That, if she isn’t targeted before….
—————
This was an alright read!
Heather is a very decent character, she’s truly…. Just a regular woman who simply happens to be curvy. I feel like I really managed to connect with her, mainly because of her way of reacting, responding, it all felt sorta realistic for me.
Except for the fact that she was about to die or that she found a dead body and all she could think of was Cooper, and how much she wanted to rip off his clothes with her teeth.
The plot was alright. Yes, it was a mystery +chick-lit book but I feel like there were more intriguing aspects needed, cause I sorta felt like it was way too fast-paced and we barely received any info that could help the reader trying to guess who was the culprit. Like, it wasn’t boring but not that catchy at all. Still, it keeps you entertained with the fun dynamic the main character shares with the rest of characters.
The plot twist was… okay. I didn’t see it coming that much but it didn’t surprise me either. The second plot twist, though, was good.
Oh yeah, and I’m not sure if there’s romance but… it’s like super subtle and I would say a slow-burn since there’s more books in the series.
But yeah.. It’s not a huge thriller but I’d recommend this to someone who is looking for a fast-paced, easy, and funny mystery book!
So, this was quite enjoyable!
This book is about Heather Wells, an ex-pop star that now works at a residence hall because her whole pop career got shattered thanks to her mom and somehow her ex-boyfriend who can’t stop chasing her (and who by the way is still a successful singer).
Her life is alright. She gets somehow along with the students, and she shares a… place (somehow) with her ex-boyfriend’s brother; who she has a total crush on.
Her life’s interrupted when a student is found all the way down where the elevators are at. The police says it was just elevator surfing but Heather doesn’t buy it.. because another student died by the exact same cause a week later.
Heather, now, with the help of Cooper, will try to make her way through all the evidence and information she has and eventually find the culprit.
That, if she isn’t targeted before….
—————
This was an alright read!
Heather is a very decent character, she’s truly…. Just a regular woman who simply happens to be curvy. I feel like I really managed to connect with her, mainly because of her way of reacting, responding, it all felt sorta realistic for me.
Except for the fact that she was about to die or that she found a dead body and all she could think of was Cooper, and how much she wanted to rip off his clothes with her teeth.
The plot was alright. Yes, it was a mystery +chick-lit book but I feel like there were more intriguing aspects needed, cause I sorta felt like it was way too fast-paced and we barely received any info that could help the reader trying to guess who was the culprit. Like, it wasn’t boring but not that catchy at all. Still, it keeps you entertained with the fun dynamic the main character shares with the rest of characters.
The plot twist was… okay. I didn’t see it coming that much but it didn’t surprise me either. The second plot twist, though, was good.
Oh yeah, and I’m not sure if there’s romance but… it’s like super subtle and I would say a slow-burn since there’s more books in the series.
But yeah.. It’s not a huge thriller but I’d recommend this to someone who is looking for a fast-paced, easy, and funny mystery book!
not-interested
July 25, 2018I read the first two chapters and realised this was a book that would constantly hit me over the head with the pitiful woes of a 28 year-old woman who peaked early and is desperately trying to persuade herself into thinking she's okay with that.
(I guess the title should have been warning enough. You don't have to convince me that a size 12 isn't fat, Heather [Meg] - maybe check in with yourself.)
(I guess the title should have been warning enough. You don't have to convince me that a size 12 isn't fat, Heather [Meg] - maybe check in with yourself.)
January 4, 2020
Fun, cute, and snarky. An enjoyable chick-lit mystery for a rainy day or beach read.
March 9, 2016
A cute mystery book about a former pop star who becomes the assistant resident advisor to a dormitory excuse me, residence hall. When her residents turn up dead in bizarre elevator accidents, she takes it upon herself to investigate when the police don't.
Has the Meg Cabot flair we all loved. Great beach read. Got a 3 because it was cute and I liked it but I didn't love it/wouldn't reread it.
Definitely want to see more of Cooper in the other books.
Has the Meg Cabot flair we all loved. Great beach read. Got a 3 because it was cute and I liked it but I didn't love it/wouldn't reread it.
Definitely want to see more of Cooper in the other books.
May 29, 2008
I decided I wanted to see how Meg Cabot writes for adults, since I like the Princess Diaries so much. And, honestly, what red-blooded American woman wouldn't be drawn in by the title of this book? Size 12 is indeed NOT FAT. So there.
The mystery side of the story is compelling--and a little hard to figure out, I must admit. Heather's love for Cooper is sort of over-the-top (given she just broke up with his brother four months ago!)--and icky. But I enjoyed Heather's spunkiness, and am willing to forgive some of the repetitiveness of certain points: yes, I know you like DoveBars. And Mochas. And think Cooper is hot. And you love your dog. Gotcha.
I have recommended this book to many people, though, so I must have gotten something out of it.
The mystery side of the story is compelling--and a little hard to figure out, I must admit. Heather's love for Cooper is sort of over-the-top (given she just broke up with his brother four months ago!)--and icky. But I enjoyed Heather's spunkiness, and am willing to forgive some of the repetitiveness of certain points: yes, I know you like DoveBars. And Mochas. And think Cooper is hot. And you love your dog. Gotcha.
I have recommended this book to many people, though, so I must have gotten something out of it.
December 31, 2007
This book was one of the worst mysteries that I have ever read. I hate when mysteries make everyone else in the story so dumb that only the main character realizes that it was murder. Sorry, but any death in a residence hall is going to be given a full investigation, and if a second happens, it certainly won't be shrugged off.
I also found the main character, Heather to be whiny and very unsure of her self. While reading, I had to keep reminding myself that she was 28 since her action and thoughts seemed more to me like those of a much younger person.
The only thing I have to say good about it is that it was a quick read at least.
I also found the main character, Heather to be whiny and very unsure of her self. While reading, I had to keep reminding myself that she was 28 since her action and thoughts seemed more to me like those of a much younger person.
The only thing I have to say good about it is that it was a quick read at least.
December 19, 2023
Kinda disappointed with this one. I like Meg Cabot books a lot, but this was just meh. I didn't care much about the main character, she was so immature for someone her age. And I hate that she had to correct herself about saying ''residence hall'' every two pages, come on, just learn it already.
April 11, 2013
This is a cute chick-lit book with a side of mystery. Heather is a former pop singer who caught her fiance with another woman and whose mom ran off with her small fortune. She's now working as an assistant director at a residence hall at a college and is doing her best to leave her past behind her. I really enjoyed the fact that this girl isn't a whiner like so many chick lit princesses and is getting on with her life on her own terms. She's no longer a skinny young pop star and is living in a rented brownstone owned by her former fiance's gorgeous brother who dates size 2's and whom she has a hopeless crush on. When two female students die under mysterious circumstances in an elevator shaft, Heather is frustrated at the lack of the police action and takes matters into her own hands and starts snooping around putting her life in jeopardy as well.
This book is very much a fluff filled confection with a little side of mystery thrown in but the likable heroine makes it easy to turn the pages and I'll probably read the second book in the series if it falls into my hands.
This book is very much a fluff filled confection with a little side of mystery thrown in but the likable heroine makes it easy to turn the pages and I'll probably read the second book in the series if it falls into my hands.
June 22, 2017
Trigger warnings: murder, some fat phobia.
3.5 stars.
I'd never read anything by Meg Cabot before, but I've been intrigued by this for a while now. And it was...pretty solid? I liked Heather as a character. I liked her investigating the crimes and interacting with Cooper and her being all "HEY, STOP CALLING ME FAT WHEN I'M THE SAME SIZE AS THE AVERAGE U.S. WOMAN". All of that was great.
That said, I could have done without all the insipid song lyrics at the start of each chapter. I could have done without every second character pointing out Heather's weight when, like, a size 12 honestly IS. NOT. FAT. (Yes, I know it's a US size 12 and not an Australian or UK size 12. Still not fat, yo.)
Am I interested enough to keep reading? Maybe. But, like, when I finish pretty much everything on my TBR.
3.5 stars.
I'd never read anything by Meg Cabot before, but I've been intrigued by this for a while now. And it was...pretty solid? I liked Heather as a character. I liked her investigating the crimes and interacting with Cooper and her being all "HEY, STOP CALLING ME FAT WHEN I'M THE SAME SIZE AS THE AVERAGE U.S. WOMAN". All of that was great.
That said, I could have done without all the insipid song lyrics at the start of each chapter. I could have done without every second character pointing out Heather's weight when, like, a size 12 honestly IS. NOT. FAT. (Yes, I know it's a US size 12 and not an Australian or UK size 12. Still not fat, yo.)
Am I interested enough to keep reading? Maybe. But, like, when I finish pretty much everything on my TBR.
May 19, 2023
Review from 2008 when I first read this tale.
If you're looking for a hardcore, edge-of-your-seat thriller, this isn't the book for you. However if you are looking for an entertaining read with a hint of mystery, I recommend "Size 12 is Not Fat" by Meg Cabot.
The downside to "Size 12 is Not Fat" is that it took considerable time to get into the story and I did guess the culprit very early on however the positives include very likeable characters and an amusing and entertaining read.
I liked it enough to decide to read the next in the series, "Size 14 is Not Fat Either".
If you're looking for a hardcore, edge-of-your-seat thriller, this isn't the book for you. However if you are looking for an entertaining read with a hint of mystery, I recommend "Size 12 is Not Fat" by Meg Cabot.
The downside to "Size 12 is Not Fat" is that it took considerable time to get into the story and I did guess the culprit very early on however the positives include very likeable characters and an amusing and entertaining read.
I liked it enough to decide to read the next in the series, "Size 14 is Not Fat Either".
November 21, 2016
One of the commenters on my updates nailed it perfectly for why I really didn't care for this book. The character of Heather is not likable really in this one for me. We find out that the main reason she decides to take the job she does is to go to school (for free) to get a degree to make her more appealing to a man. And she's trying to prove how smart and capable she is to get this same man to fall in love with her like she is with him (this is her ex's brother). We also don't find out much about her backstory and instead choose to focus on her crush on her ex's brother and her justifying everything that she eats by saying size 12 is not fat. I mean that line must have been said almost 100 times during the course of this book.
I now recall why I could not get through this book the first time my friend gave this to me as a gift. The book does not do a good job of developing secondary characters besides Cooper (her ex's brother and P.I.) and the why behind the murders was pretty awful. And I have to say that Heather drove me nuts because her investigation skills were hilariously bad.
Heather is an ex-teen singing sensation who is now broke living with Cooper (her ex's brother) and working as an assistant dorm director at a college in New York. We find out slowly (seriously) that Heather is broke because her mom ran off with her money, that her label dropped her when she insisted on singing her own songs, and that her ex fiancee who is currently part of a boy band or former boy band (I could not keep that one straight) is still trying to force a continuation of their relationship. Between this and the murder mystery aspect it was just too much for the first book in the series.
The writing got old quick. Heather's constant comments about being a size 12 is not fat was headache inducing after a while. That and her describing Cooper, his leather jacket, what someone else looked like and her thinking if they were either too thin or her size. Apparently size 10s don't exist in this world or size 8s either. You are either a size 0, too skinny, or 12.
The flow of the book was terrible. We either have Heather investigating (quotes) obsessing about Cooper, obsessing about her ex, obsessing about her size, or trying to hide from her past in this one.
The setting of New York actually worked in this one very well. I got a good sense of where Heather lived and the dorm.
The ending was a bit of a mess actually. The reveal behind who dun it was all kinds of gross, and honestly I was thinking it may be this person due to process of elimination anyway.
I read this for the Twelve Tasks of the Festive Season: Task the Fourth: The Gift Card.
I now recall why I could not get through this book the first time my friend gave this to me as a gift. The book does not do a good job of developing secondary characters besides Cooper (her ex's brother and P.I.) and the why behind the murders was pretty awful. And I have to say that Heather drove me nuts because her investigation skills were hilariously bad.
Heather is an ex-teen singing sensation who is now broke living with Cooper (her ex's brother) and working as an assistant dorm director at a college in New York. We find out slowly (seriously) that Heather is broke because her mom ran off with her money, that her label dropped her when she insisted on singing her own songs, and that her ex fiancee who is currently part of a boy band or former boy band (I could not keep that one straight) is still trying to force a continuation of their relationship. Between this and the murder mystery aspect it was just too much for the first book in the series.
The writing got old quick. Heather's constant comments about being a size 12 is not fat was headache inducing after a while. That and her describing Cooper, his leather jacket, what someone else looked like and her thinking if they were either too thin or her size. Apparently size 10s don't exist in this world or size 8s either. You are either a size 0, too skinny, or 12.
The flow of the book was terrible. We either have Heather investigating (quotes) obsessing about Cooper, obsessing about her ex, obsessing about her size, or trying to hide from her past in this one.
The setting of New York actually worked in this one very well. I got a good sense of where Heather lived and the dorm.
The ending was a bit of a mess actually. The reveal behind who dun it was all kinds of gross, and honestly I was thinking it may be this person due to process of elimination anyway.
I read this for the Twelve Tasks of the Festive Season: Task the Fourth: The Gift Card.
Read
September 17, 2012I'm not even going to dignify this book by a rating. It was one of the worst books I've ever read and I couldn't even finish it. Heather's character is a complete "airhead blonde". She tries to play at being detective. But oh boy!! I felt the need to strangle her throughout the whole portion of the book that I've actually managed to read. Her character is so one dimensional that it's bordering on pathetic. And oh my God!!! What's with all the ramblings. I found myself skimming through passages and passages that are only expressing her thoughts just so I don't shoot myself. Aside from that, on the romantic side, even though she's in her late twenties, she acts like a fifteen year old with a first crush what with all her obsession with Cooper, her ex-fiance's brother. As for the plot, needless to say that it's not the most original or the most exciting story out there.
Recommendation : DO NOT PICK UP THIS BOOK UNLESS YOU'RE DESPERATE FOR SOME READING MATERIAL AND YOU'VE EXHAUSTED ALL OTHER OPTIONS
Recommendation : DO NOT PICK UP THIS BOOK UNLESS YOU'RE DESPERATE FOR SOME READING MATERIAL AND YOU'VE EXHAUSTED ALL OTHER OPTIONS
February 1, 2020
Tā kā neesmu nekāda detektīvu cienītāja, nevarētu teikt, ka biju sajūsmā par grāmatu kluba mēneša tēmu - omulīgie detektīvi. Bet tā kā man patīk šao mēneša tēmāu pēclasīt to, ko citādi nebūtu iedomājusies, sāku rakāties dažādios sarakstos, kuros iesaka labāko šajā žanrā. Heteres Velsas grāmtās bija vairākos topo - un, būsim godīgi, nosaukums vien piesaistīja manu uzmanību.
Šis nu bija gadījums, kad nejau;si atklāju zelta dzīslu, jo man patiešām ļoti, ļoti patika! Tiesa, esmu pārsteigta par grāmatas labo reputāciju, jo, ja man patiktu dtektīvintrigas, ļoti šaubos, ka šī liktos laba, jo tā gan bija izdomājam pavisam viegli (kaut ne īstas loģikas, bet "lasu-ne-jau-pirmo-grāmtu-dzīvē-un-tāpēc- zinu-kādi-parasti-ir-ļaunie-tēli" loģikas pēc). Un pat izmeklēšanas karstumā, vēl vairāk, pat cīņas uz dzīvību un nāvi vīdū, Hetere ik pa brīdim aizmirstās un apamaldās domās par savas dzīves vīriešiem (arī ptikai hipotētiski potenciālajiem), karjeras nedienām un Amerikas vidējo sieviešu apģērba izmēru. Bet nu man jau galvenais, lai ir asprātīgs sieviešu lasāmbabals ar patīkamu galveno varoni - un tāds gan tas patiešām bija.
Steidzu klausīsties turpinājumu, un tas jau vien ir ko vērts fakts pats par sevi.
Šis nu bija gadījums, kad nejau;si atklāju zelta dzīslu, jo man patiešām ļoti, ļoti patika! Tiesa, esmu pārsteigta par grāmatas labo reputāciju, jo, ja man patiktu dtektīvintrigas, ļoti šaubos, ka šī liktos laba, jo tā gan bija izdomājam pavisam viegli (kaut ne īstas loģikas, bet "lasu-ne-jau-pirmo-grāmtu-dzīvē-un-tāpēc- zinu-kādi-parasti-ir-ļaunie-tēli" loģikas pēc). Un pat izmeklēšanas karstumā, vēl vairāk, pat cīņas uz dzīvību un nāvi vīdū, Hetere ik pa brīdim aizmirstās un apamaldās domās par savas dzīves vīriešiem (arī ptikai hipotētiski potenciālajiem), karjeras nedienām un Amerikas vidējo sieviešu apģērba izmēru. Bet nu man jau galvenais, lai ir asprātīgs sieviešu lasāmbabals ar patīkamu galveno varoni - un tāds gan tas patiešām bija.
Steidzu klausīsties turpinājumu, un tas jau vien ir ko vērts fakts pats par sevi.
October 8, 2011
This could have been so much better, but instead the main character says "Like" too much, is portrayed as a role model for women who are not stick-thin and yet constantly obsesses about how miserable and hideous she is before she distracts herself with some sort of chocolate or baked thing, and is surprisingly easily distracted from the recently-witnessed murder scene by her landlord's nice bottom.
There are so many things that don't make sense in this. For example, having worked out who the culprit is, the two main characters go to visit someone else (to confirm what they already know) instead of going to the police who could do this bit on their own. I understand that our dear heroine is a bit impulsive and mentally challenged, but the cardboard cut-out love interest who isn't characterized beyond a few broody glances and how good he looks in whatever outfit he's wearing should, considering his career, be a little more sensible. And why do they take their bloody dog with them? It blatantly ignores the "smoking gun" rule - the dog serves absolutely no function in that scene (or the whole book, mind you) besides getting its paws wet. The descriptions are lazy and result in confusion, and the characterization is pathetic.
I found the main character whiny, self-obsessed and her constant "dorm-er-residence hall" repetition stopped being cute after the first three times she did it. That it continued to the very last part of the book was ridiculous.
If you cut all the cutesy repetition, catch-phrases, self-obsession, complaints about weight (and food cravings), the word "like" and shoddy descriptions of two-dimensional characters from this book, I think we'd be left with a couple of dead bodies in an elevator shaft. And that was the only interesting thing about it.
Come on, Ms Cabot. You can do so much better than this. Also, boo on your editor for not asking what the point of the damn dog was.
There are so many things that don't make sense in this. For example, having worked out who the culprit is, the two main characters go to visit someone else (to confirm what they already know) instead of going to the police who could do this bit on their own. I understand that our dear heroine is a bit impulsive and mentally challenged, but the cardboard cut-out love interest who isn't characterized beyond a few broody glances and how good he looks in whatever outfit he's wearing should, considering his career, be a little more sensible. And why do they take their bloody dog with them? It blatantly ignores the "smoking gun" rule - the dog serves absolutely no function in that scene (or the whole book, mind you) besides getting its paws wet. The descriptions are lazy and result in confusion, and the characterization is pathetic.
I found the main character whiny, self-obsessed and her constant "dorm-er-residence hall" repetition stopped being cute after the first three times she did it. That it continued to the very last part of the book was ridiculous.
If you cut all the cutesy repetition, catch-phrases, self-obsession, complaints about weight (and food cravings), the word "like" and shoddy descriptions of two-dimensional characters from this book, I think we'd be left with a couple of dead bodies in an elevator shaft. And that was the only interesting thing about it.
Come on, Ms Cabot. You can do so much better than this. Also, boo on your editor for not asking what the point of the damn dog was.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 9, 2010
I thought Size 12 Is Not Fat was pretty cute. It had lot of the usual humor you expect from a Meg Cabot book. Size 12 is about former teen pop star, Heather Wells, several years after her fame has gone away. Years ago her mother ran off with her money and her agent to another country. On top of that she found her fellow pop star boyfriend cheating on her. Since then she's had to find her own way in the world since her life as a teen star is over. She's decided to make something of her life and by chance gets a job working as an assistant for a residence hall at a college. When suddenly several girls are found dead in the elevator shaft, everyone thinks it was just a tragic case of elevator surfing. But Heather knows that girls do not elevator surf and takes up upon herself to find out what's really going on.
I expected Size 12 to just be some fun, light fluff and that's exactly what it was. It's part chick-lit part light mystery. The only real complaint I had about it was when the big confrontation with the murderer happened it was like 3-4 pages of the killer having their big monologue about why they did it and why they now have to kill Heather that I thought was kinda ridiculous. But it's just a minor complaint, and definitely look forward to the next in the series.
I expected Size 12 to just be some fun, light fluff and that's exactly what it was. It's part chick-lit part light mystery. The only real complaint I had about it was when the big confrontation with the murderer happened it was like 3-4 pages of the killer having their big monologue about why they did it and why they now have to kill Heather that I thought was kinda ridiculous. But it's just a minor complaint, and definitely look forward to the next in the series.
February 7, 2019
You know how some things in the late 90s and early 2000s felt like the pinnacle of progressive media, but now it retrospect it's actually not that great and really problematic in it's execution? Well, this was that, but even worse in so many ways.
There will be mild spoilers, more situational than any big plot points.
So let's start out with the weight thing. Skip down to the **** if needed to avoid weight discussion.
"Hell, no. I used to be fat. A real lard ass. Kind of like you are now, actually. A size twelve. I drowned my sorrows in candy bars, never worked out, like you. Do you know I never go asked out - never, not once, until I turned thirty?"
...
"There's something I've been wanting to tell you for a long time. Size twelve - is not fat."
A very large part of this book had to do with weight and size. Now, I'm no expert in size by any means, but pulling from my own experiences going up and down on the scale for most of my life I know a bit. Which I'm guessing is more than Cabot had when she was writing this because Heather Wells is a caricature of a plus-sized protagonist.
First of all, from a technical perspective size twelve is pretty much the bare minimum you can be and qualify as plus sized. Most plus sized stores start at like 14, at 12 you can still shop in most regular stores - you just feel like shit in boutiques.
However, without Cabot reminding you of the protagonists clothing size every other page and in the title, Heather is portrayed as the cartoon "fat friend" seen in many movies and shows from that time period.
Heather talks about food constantly, she complains about her weight constantly, though also has a very false sounding acceptance of it, it is constantly mentioned how physically inactive she is, as well as how she is constantly reminded by the people around her of her weight, she describes every thin person around her as an equally weight obsessed trivial person (aka, a ‘skinny bitch’). None of these things are necessarily unlikely to occur for plus-sized people, I myself could relate to a good number of them, but there shear quantity and frequency of all this together along with the tone made it feel more like a joke than anything else.
At one point in the novel, rather than getting to be pretty in a dress, we're told how Heather borrowed her friends late-term maternity dress - we are reminded more than four times about how tight it was on Heather and how she was practically spilling out of it "and not in a good way."
Now, I'm sure that for an ex-teen popstar that weight is something to obsess over. Hell, weight is always hard for everyone. And yes, we should be demonstrating examples of people not being stereotypical skinny or struggling with their weight or accepting and/or liking their weight.
I just don't think this was the healthiest way to do it.
Because at the end of the novel, when Heather was no closer on the path to character development, she didn't reach the point of 'I'm okay with my body and I like how it looks, I'm okay with being plus sized' - instead she was still very closed to where she'd started at the beginning of the book 'I'm not fat, I'm average.' Heather completely throws off the label of being plus-sized, rejecting it as an option reserved for bigger people - without ever confronting the concept at all.
For all I know, maybe Cabot does address this kind of terrible notion in the next book. But regardless of if she does or not, that previous statement is the message readers are walking away with.
****
"I'm thinking it might be nice to work for a man for a change. Don't get me wrong, female bosses are great and all. But I could do with a break from all that estrogen in the office."
Much of this books humor reminds me of the Gilmore Girls; on the surface it's kind of fun and seems like it could be snappy, but look past the first millimeter and it's just judge-y and mean and self-centrist.
The reader is constantly reminded how Heather is a "nice girl," the only evidence of this is seen through Heather being reckless and overly forgiving. Throughout the narrative, Heather is extremely judgmental of everything: her place of employment, her previous place of employment, both industries, college students, everyone's weight, herself. I mean, who isn't judgmental to some degree (I myself can be very judge-y, I mean look a the length of this review), but Heather is never forced to confront that about herself or is even called out on it.
The concept of gender in the novel itself is ridiculous. The above quote is one very good example of this, the kind of 'oh, quirky funny jokes' that undermine the speakers own sex. The plot point about Heather knowing the girls deaths couldn't have been accidental, because "girls don't elevator surf."
This statement is completely different from 'these girls don't seem to have the personality of people who elevator surf' or even 'huh, not a lot of girls elevator surf.' But rather, that being female is by nature incompatible with elevator surfing.
It's just weak and lazy mystery writing. (That’s right, the genre of this book is actually a mystery. It showed up occasionally between all the nonsense.)
Last but not least, I just wanted to touch on how the "diversity" was extremely limited and frankly uncomfortable in its execution. The majority of the characters were also caricaturish and the romance was underwhelming and felt recycled. And the writing felt almost identical to Cabots books for younger audience with a couple more swear words.
I do not recommend and will not continue.
There will be mild spoilers, more situational than any big plot points.
So let's start out with the weight thing. Skip down to the **** if needed to avoid weight discussion.
"Hell, no. I used to be fat. A real lard ass. Kind of like you are now, actually. A size twelve. I drowned my sorrows in candy bars, never worked out, like you. Do you know I never go asked out - never, not once, until I turned thirty?"
...
"There's something I've been wanting to tell you for a long time. Size twelve - is not fat."
A very large part of this book had to do with weight and size. Now, I'm no expert in size by any means, but pulling from my own experiences going up and down on the scale for most of my life I know a bit. Which I'm guessing is more than Cabot had when she was writing this because Heather Wells is a caricature of a plus-sized protagonist.
First of all, from a technical perspective size twelve is pretty much the bare minimum you can be and qualify as plus sized. Most plus sized stores start at like 14, at 12 you can still shop in most regular stores - you just feel like shit in boutiques.
However, without Cabot reminding you of the protagonists clothing size every other page and in the title, Heather is portrayed as the cartoon "fat friend" seen in many movies and shows from that time period.
Heather talks about food constantly, she complains about her weight constantly, though also has a very false sounding acceptance of it, it is constantly mentioned how physically inactive she is, as well as how she is constantly reminded by the people around her of her weight, she describes every thin person around her as an equally weight obsessed trivial person (aka, a ‘skinny bitch’). None of these things are necessarily unlikely to occur for plus-sized people, I myself could relate to a good number of them, but there shear quantity and frequency of all this together along with the tone made it feel more like a joke than anything else.
At one point in the novel, rather than getting to be pretty in a dress, we're told how Heather borrowed her friends late-term maternity dress - we are reminded more than four times about how tight it was on Heather and how she was practically spilling out of it "and not in a good way."
Now, I'm sure that for an ex-teen popstar that weight is something to obsess over. Hell, weight is always hard for everyone. And yes, we should be demonstrating examples of people not being stereotypical skinny or struggling with their weight or accepting and/or liking their weight.
I just don't think this was the healthiest way to do it.
Because at the end of the novel, when Heather was no closer on the path to character development, she didn't reach the point of 'I'm okay with my body and I like how it looks, I'm okay with being plus sized' - instead she was still very closed to where she'd started at the beginning of the book 'I'm not fat, I'm average.' Heather completely throws off the label of being plus-sized, rejecting it as an option reserved for bigger people - without ever confronting the concept at all.
For all I know, maybe Cabot does address this kind of terrible notion in the next book. But regardless of if she does or not, that previous statement is the message readers are walking away with.
****
"I'm thinking it might be nice to work for a man for a change. Don't get me wrong, female bosses are great and all. But I could do with a break from all that estrogen in the office."
Much of this books humor reminds me of the Gilmore Girls; on the surface it's kind of fun and seems like it could be snappy, but look past the first millimeter and it's just judge-y and mean and self-centrist.
The reader is constantly reminded how Heather is a "nice girl," the only evidence of this is seen through Heather being reckless and overly forgiving. Throughout the narrative, Heather is extremely judgmental of everything: her place of employment, her previous place of employment, both industries, college students, everyone's weight, herself. I mean, who isn't judgmental to some degree (I myself can be very judge-y, I mean look a the length of this review), but Heather is never forced to confront that about herself or is even called out on it.
The concept of gender in the novel itself is ridiculous. The above quote is one very good example of this, the kind of 'oh, quirky funny jokes' that undermine the speakers own sex. The plot point about Heather knowing the girls deaths couldn't have been accidental, because "girls don't elevator surf."
This statement is completely different from 'these girls don't seem to have the personality of people who elevator surf' or even 'huh, not a lot of girls elevator surf.' But rather, that being female is by nature incompatible with elevator surfing.
It's just weak and lazy mystery writing. (That’s right, the genre of this book is actually a mystery. It showed up occasionally between all the nonsense.)
Last but not least, I just wanted to touch on how the "diversity" was extremely limited and frankly uncomfortable in its execution. The majority of the characters were also caricaturish and the romance was underwhelming and felt recycled. And the writing felt almost identical to Cabots books for younger audience with a couple more swear words.
I do not recommend and will not continue.
September 13, 2008
I had high hopes for this book. Maybe that's the problem. If I'd gone in expecting it to suck, I'd have been mildly pleased that it wasn't a complete waste of paper. Instead I went in expecting the kick-butt characters, fast pace and intriguing story that have characterized several of Cabot's other series. Sadly the first Heather Wells mystery falls far short on all three.
Heather is a 28-year-old washed-up teen pop-star who use to fill malls with screaming pre-teens and now is assitant director at a college dorm. Girls start ending up dead in Heather's dorm and she just knows it's murder and won't rest until she finds the killer.
There are so many bad things about this book. Let's revert to bullet form so they go faster, shall we?
*Heather comes across as closer to 18 than 28; her speech, mannerisms, inner-thoughts and overall character scream teenager, not adult.
*There are some continuity issues here. She was a popular star at 15. She keeps going on about how all she ever was is a teen-pop star. She's called a one-hit wonder at one point in the book. And yet, according to her age she'd have had a 13-year music career and just gave it up a couple months prior to the novel's start. Erm. Okay. And in that time she released several records. Things just don't jive at all.
*Total pre-occupation with food. OMG. Does anyone obsess over food that much? There's something about food and snacks on almost every page! The worst is when Heather is in a situation where she knows she's about to die any second and suddenly she's thinking how good a can of pringles sounds. WTF?
*The whole size-12-is-not-fat thing, yeah that's a running sentence throughout the book. It comes up almost a much as the food thing. It would have been better as a single line and a running, subtle theme.
*The villian does the whole cliched villian soliloquy thing. And, worse, starts telling blonde jokes. Seriously. Villian is about to bash in a head and is telling a blonde joke. It's very, very left field, trust me.
*The pace is slow and jerky at times.
*Heather's inner monologue makes her seem like a complete airhead. Oh and her total and complete obsession with her male roomate? Don't need to be bashed over the head with that twenty billion times, thanks. I was going to scream if I had to read about Heather wanting to rip Cooper's clothes off with her teeth again.
*Heather's career and life goals are totally based on wanting Cooper to fall in love with her. She has no aspirations, beyond her music, that are totally her own. Worse that is a theme in this book repeated by other characters. Geeze, welcome to the 21st century - women can have a life outside of guys! It's just disgusting how sycophantic Heather and one of the other main character's are. Ugh!
This rant could go on, but I'll stop here. I will NOT be reading the second book.
Heather is a 28-year-old washed-up teen pop-star who use to fill malls with screaming pre-teens and now is assitant director at a college dorm. Girls start ending up dead in Heather's dorm and she just knows it's murder and won't rest until she finds the killer.
There are so many bad things about this book. Let's revert to bullet form so they go faster, shall we?
*Heather comes across as closer to 18 than 28; her speech, mannerisms, inner-thoughts and overall character scream teenager, not adult.
*There are some continuity issues here. She was a popular star at 15. She keeps going on about how all she ever was is a teen-pop star. She's called a one-hit wonder at one point in the book. And yet, according to her age she'd have had a 13-year music career and just gave it up a couple months prior to the novel's start. Erm. Okay. And in that time she released several records. Things just don't jive at all.
*Total pre-occupation with food. OMG. Does anyone obsess over food that much? There's something about food and snacks on almost every page! The worst is when Heather is in a situation where she knows she's about to die any second and suddenly she's thinking how good a can of pringles sounds. WTF?
*The whole size-12-is-not-fat thing, yeah that's a running sentence throughout the book. It comes up almost a much as the food thing. It would have been better as a single line and a running, subtle theme.
*The villian does the whole cliched villian soliloquy thing. And, worse, starts telling blonde jokes. Seriously. Villian is about to bash in a head and is telling a blonde joke. It's very, very left field, trust me.
*The pace is slow and jerky at times.
*Heather's inner monologue makes her seem like a complete airhead. Oh and her total and complete obsession with her male roomate? Don't need to be bashed over the head with that twenty billion times, thanks. I was going to scream if I had to read about Heather wanting to rip Cooper's clothes off with her teeth again.
*Heather's career and life goals are totally based on wanting Cooper to fall in love with her. She has no aspirations, beyond her music, that are totally her own. Worse that is a theme in this book repeated by other characters. Geeze, welcome to the 21st century - women can have a life outside of guys! It's just disgusting how sycophantic Heather and one of the other main character's are. Ugh!
This rant could go on, but I'll stop here. I will NOT be reading the second book.
October 26, 2021
"Darf's ein bisschen mehr sein?" ist der erste Teil einer Reihe von Meg Cabot. Danach folgen "Schwer verliebt" und "Mord au chocolat". Heather Wells ist ein ehemaliger Teenie Star, der zur Untermiete bei dem Bruder ihres Ex-Freundes, einem Privatdetektiv wohnt. Ihr Leben läuft nicht unbedingt so, wie sie es sich ursprünglich vorgestellt hat. Statt Sängerin ist sie nun Hausmeisterin in einem Studentenwohnheim. Einige Menschen haben Heather sehr verletzt. Trotzdem ist sie mit ihrem Leben eigentlich zufrieden und pflegt teilweise sogar noch Kontakt zu diesen Leuten. Sie ist etwas molliger, mag ihre Figur aber. Größe 12 (bei uns 40-42) ist ihrer Meinung nach nicht fett. Heather ist ziemlich selbstbewusst, manchmal aber auch etwas zu gutmütig.
Von Anfang an ist Heather eine sehr sympathische Figur. Ich mochte sie sofort. Heather ermittelt auf eigene Faust, weil sie nicht glauben will, dass es sich bei dem tödlichen Vorfall im Studentenwohnheim um einen Unfall handelt. Zum Inhalt selbst schreibe ich nichts mehr. Die Geschichte ist eine Art Krimi mit gelungenen Hauptcharakteren, einer guten Portion Witz und Romantik. Mir hat das Buch ganz gut gefallen. Es ist flüssig geschrieben, stellenweise aber leider auch etwas langweilig. Gäbe es diese kleinen "Durststellen" und die zahlreichen Wiederholungen in diesem Buch nicht, würde ich sogar die volle Punktezahl vergeben.
Die Kapiteleinteilung gefällt mir. Die Kapitel beginnen immer mit einer Zeile aus einem Song von Heather. Das finde ich sehr schön. Außerdem sind die Kapitel relativ kurz. Daher kann man das Buch auch gut nebenher lesen, wenn man mal kurze Wartezeiten überbrücken muss. Im Großen und Ganzen war die Geschichte recht unterhaltsam. Sie hat mich ab und zu zum Schmunzeln gebracht. Die anderen Bände aus dieser Reihe werde ich bestimmt auch noch lesen. Ich bin gespannt, wie es mit Heather Wells und den anderen Protagonisten weiter geht.
Von Anfang an ist Heather eine sehr sympathische Figur. Ich mochte sie sofort. Heather ermittelt auf eigene Faust, weil sie nicht glauben will, dass es sich bei dem tödlichen Vorfall im Studentenwohnheim um einen Unfall handelt. Zum Inhalt selbst schreibe ich nichts mehr. Die Geschichte ist eine Art Krimi mit gelungenen Hauptcharakteren, einer guten Portion Witz und Romantik. Mir hat das Buch ganz gut gefallen. Es ist flüssig geschrieben, stellenweise aber leider auch etwas langweilig. Gäbe es diese kleinen "Durststellen" und die zahlreichen Wiederholungen in diesem Buch nicht, würde ich sogar die volle Punktezahl vergeben.
Die Kapiteleinteilung gefällt mir. Die Kapitel beginnen immer mit einer Zeile aus einem Song von Heather. Das finde ich sehr schön. Außerdem sind die Kapitel relativ kurz. Daher kann man das Buch auch gut nebenher lesen, wenn man mal kurze Wartezeiten überbrücken muss. Im Großen und Ganzen war die Geschichte recht unterhaltsam. Sie hat mich ab und zu zum Schmunzeln gebracht. Die anderen Bände aus dieser Reihe werde ich bestimmt auch noch lesen. Ich bin gespannt, wie es mit Heather Wells und den anderen Protagonisten weiter geht.
October 26, 2008
This book deserved 2.5 stars really. I liked it ok, but not much more than that. The character was cute but a lot of the writing was very simple. I got really tired of the author using the same expressions all the time ( "haven't I seen you before?" and "I know because I read it in a People magazine") I got so tired of them that I almost stopped reading. The storyline is cute and there is a little romance thrown in so it was a great read after a heavier memoir.
Total fluff but a fun read nonetheless.
Total fluff but a fun read nonetheless.
October 9, 2016
Sigh, I wish I could say better things about this book, but I feel I nearly wasted the few hours it took me to read it.
In a few words - the romance was extremely thin, not really any communication, fun/sexy dialogues or relationship with Mr Right.
And what about that silly murder inquiry? Implausible from the start.
I suppose the redeeming feature was to be the 'fun' and funny? situations and Heather's over the top and cute interior monologues. Well not for me. Actually Heather managed to get on my nerves quite a few times. I will not be reading number 2 in the series.
In a few words - the romance was extremely thin, not really any communication, fun/sexy dialogues or relationship with Mr Right.
And what about that silly murder inquiry? Implausible from the start.
I suppose the redeeming feature was to be the 'fun' and funny? situations and Heather's over the top and cute interior monologues. Well not for me. Actually Heather managed to get on my nerves quite a few times. I will not be reading number 2 in the series.
January 2, 2018
This is a fun light read. The pacing of this novel is fast. You move quickly from one incident to the other trying to figure out the mystery with Heather.
Our heroine Heather Wells is a former teen pop star now trying to put herself through college by working in a residence hall. Shortly after the semester begins, young girls start plunging to their death in the elevator shaft. Heather can't help herself and starts investigating and then finds herself the target of a murderer. The mystery was fun and well plotted. Flowing throughout is Heather's inner monologue in which she ponders everything from vanity sizing, exercise, the miraculous effects of chocolate and even the love of a good pet. This hilarious thought process is what kept me so intrigued, not the mystery. It almost seemed as an afterthought - which isn't necessarily a bad thing, in this case at least. One of my issues with the book, that prevent this being a 5 star read, was how certain phrases or scenarios get beaten to death. For example, it's a "residence hall" not a dorm. We get it. Don't repeat it every other freaking page. Heather's history as a pop star also lends itself to some annoying repeats - everyone seems to recognize her vaguely. It gets old after a while.
All in all a fun read!
Our heroine Heather Wells is a former teen pop star now trying to put herself through college by working in a residence hall. Shortly after the semester begins, young girls start plunging to their death in the elevator shaft. Heather can't help herself and starts investigating and then finds herself the target of a murderer. The mystery was fun and well plotted. Flowing throughout is Heather's inner monologue in which she ponders everything from vanity sizing, exercise, the miraculous effects of chocolate and even the love of a good pet. This hilarious thought process is what kept me so intrigued, not the mystery. It almost seemed as an afterthought - which isn't necessarily a bad thing, in this case at least. One of my issues with the book, that prevent this being a 5 star read, was how certain phrases or scenarios get beaten to death. For example, it's a "residence hall" not a dorm. We get it. Don't repeat it every other freaking page. Heather's history as a pop star also lends itself to some annoying repeats - everyone seems to recognize her vaguely. It gets old after a while.
All in all a fun read!
November 7, 2017
“I'm going to fall in love with someone else just as soon as I can. I swear. But in the meantime, is it so wrong that I enjoy his company?”
I abso-freaking-lutely loved this book!
Every goddamn page made me laugh and want more. I loved the main character, Heather Wells. She was like a funnier and sassier version of Nancy Drew. I loved every character, even the villain and her ex-fiancé. The villain, who I sort of suspected but not until the last minute, was so good! The ex kind of annoyed me a little because he just kept showing up all the time! Like he has a new fiancé - go be with her and leave Heather alone.
I'm completely shipping Heather and Cooper forever and ever.
He just has to admit he loves her just as much as she loves him. I need more of them in the book.
So, thank you Meg Cabot for making me fall in love with another book of yours. I can't wait to find out what happens next for Heather.
I abso-freaking-lutely loved this book!
Every goddamn page made me laugh and want more. I loved the main character, Heather Wells. She was like a funnier and sassier version of Nancy Drew. I loved every character, even the villain and her ex-fiancé. The villain, who I sort of suspected but not until the last minute, was so good! The ex kind of annoyed me a little because he just kept showing up all the time! Like he has a new fiancé - go be with her and leave Heather alone.
I'm completely shipping Heather and Cooper forever and ever.
He just has to admit he loves her just as much as she loves him. I need more of them in the book.
So, thank you Meg Cabot for making me fall in love with another book of yours. I can't wait to find out what happens next for Heather.
August 9, 2022
I loved it!! A funny and enjoyable chick lit book with a bit of mystery, with a very likeable main character.
Heather, former teen-popstar, is currently working in a residence hall, when strange deaths start to happen. She suspects the deaths are not accidental (as the police have said) so she starts investigating, with the reluctant help of his housemate.
My favourite quote of the book:
"This isn't true", Patty says. "You'll find someone. You just can't be afraid to take a risk."
What is she talking about? I do nothing but take risks. I'm trying to keep a psychopath from killing again. Isn't that enough? I have to have a ring on my finger, too?
Some people are never satisfied.
I can't wait to read the second book on these series.
Heather, former teen-popstar, is currently working in a residence hall, when strange deaths start to happen. She suspects the deaths are not accidental (as the police have said) so she starts investigating, with the reluctant help of his housemate.
My favourite quote of the book:
"This isn't true", Patty says. "You'll find someone. You just can't be afraid to take a risk."
What is she talking about? I do nothing but take risks. I'm trying to keep a psychopath from killing again. Isn't that enough? I have to have a ring on my finger, too?
Some people are never satisfied.
I can't wait to read the second book on these series.
March 6, 2013
Man alive, Meg Cabot let me down with this one.
Heather Wells is a Tiffany / Debbie / Mandy / Robin Sparkles remix, a pop star who get superfamous by doing mall tours for the teenybopper crowd. She was dating the JT of some boy band, and her life was super awesome. But then she decided she wanted to write her own music, and the label dropped her. She walked in on the boyfriend type getting a beej from some skank. Her mom stole all her money and skipped the country. Oh, and she gained a bit of weight and is now a size 12.
So! Heather Wells is a size 12 person without much money and no superstar boyfriend. I KNOW, CAN YOU EVEN IMAGINE WHAT THAT MIGHT BE LIKE? SO SO HARD FOR HER. Heather is a plucky little duck though, so she grabs her bootstraps and pulls herself up into a job working in a dorm on a nearby imaginary campus. Oh, but she can’t call it a dorm, as she reminds us every fucking page for the first three chapters of the book, it is a RESIDENCE HALL.
What is your damage, Heather?
Girls at the dorm start dying at the bottom of elevator shafts. It is assumed that they are elevator surfing, which is apparently a thing, but Heather who knows all knows that girls don’t do that. Boys do. Seriously. So Heather starts investigating what she’s sure is a crime. Luckily, she lives with her boyband ex-boyfriend’s older brother who is a detective. He is much smarter than Heather and tells her to stop. She doesn’t listen, even though she has a huge crush on him. So she is now an ex-mall-tour-pop-star-cum-moonlighting-detective-without-any-actual-detection-skills.
Ugh. It was painful to read. Heather is supposed to be 30ish, but she speaks younger than Cabot’s 15-year-old protagonists in other books. She swears that size 12 is NOT fat, it is the average size of women in the US. Heather, doll, I have news for you: the average has been reported as 14 for a really long time. You’re below average.
I appreciate the idea of protagonists of books not being superskinny Perfect Size 4s like the new Wakefield twins (what was wrong with size 6? when did that stop being perfect?) but Heather Wells isn’t it. Yes, she’s pretty and boys still pay attention to her and even have sex with her (GASP) which is absolutely a good message. But she constantly talks about how walking burns the same amount of calories as running (false) and how it’s okay because walking somewhere for a cookie is the same as running that distance without a cookie. Not all women with double-digit sizes are obsessed with food and avoiding exercise. Lots do all sorts of things, like run marathons and whatever.
Oh, the mystery. Heather solves it, but not until it’s too late and an idiot bad guy spells it all out for her (sooo yeah, she doesn’t really solve it at all) and she gets beat up pretty badly in the process. Let the moral be, ex-teen pop stars, that detective work is probably not your best fallback.
Heather Wells is a Tiffany / Debbie / Mandy / Robin Sparkles remix, a pop star who get superfamous by doing mall tours for the teenybopper crowd. She was dating the JT of some boy band, and her life was super awesome. But then she decided she wanted to write her own music, and the label dropped her. She walked in on the boyfriend type getting a beej from some skank. Her mom stole all her money and skipped the country. Oh, and she gained a bit of weight and is now a size 12.
So! Heather Wells is a size 12 person without much money and no superstar boyfriend. I KNOW, CAN YOU EVEN IMAGINE WHAT THAT MIGHT BE LIKE? SO SO HARD FOR HER. Heather is a plucky little duck though, so she grabs her bootstraps and pulls herself up into a job working in a dorm on a nearby imaginary campus. Oh, but she can’t call it a dorm, as she reminds us every fucking page for the first three chapters of the book, it is a RESIDENCE HALL.
What is your damage, Heather?
Girls at the dorm start dying at the bottom of elevator shafts. It is assumed that they are elevator surfing, which is apparently a thing, but Heather who knows all knows that girls don’t do that. Boys do. Seriously. So Heather starts investigating what she’s sure is a crime. Luckily, she lives with her boyband ex-boyfriend’s older brother who is a detective. He is much smarter than Heather and tells her to stop. She doesn’t listen, even though she has a huge crush on him. So she is now an ex-mall-tour-pop-star-cum-moonlighting-detective-without-any-actual-detection-skills.
Ugh. It was painful to read. Heather is supposed to be 30ish, but she speaks younger than Cabot’s 15-year-old protagonists in other books. She swears that size 12 is NOT fat, it is the average size of women in the US. Heather, doll, I have news for you: the average has been reported as 14 for a really long time. You’re below average.
I appreciate the idea of protagonists of books not being superskinny Perfect Size 4s like the new Wakefield twins (what was wrong with size 6? when did that stop being perfect?) but Heather Wells isn’t it. Yes, she’s pretty and boys still pay attention to her and even have sex with her (GASP) which is absolutely a good message. But she constantly talks about how walking burns the same amount of calories as running (false) and how it’s okay because walking somewhere for a cookie is the same as running that distance without a cookie. Not all women with double-digit sizes are obsessed with food and avoiding exercise. Lots do all sorts of things, like run marathons and whatever.
Oh, the mystery. Heather solves it, but not until it’s too late and an idiot bad guy spells it all out for her (sooo yeah, she doesn’t really solve it at all) and she gets beat up pretty badly in the process. Let the moral be, ex-teen pop stars, that detective work is probably not your best fallback.
August 29, 2017
Meg Cabot's voice is always enjoyable, but I wasn't that into the execution of the book's central conceit. Heather Wells is a pop star out of the business who is now a size 12, which she reminds the reader at every possible opportunity. She's constantly mentioning the other characters' sizes, and her own, and it starts to feel pretty shoehorned in. And while I liked the idea of a girl detective at a residence hall, I was decidedly not into the central romance of the book, . It feels obvious they're going to end up together, I know just how they get there, and I'm not interested enough to read four more books.
I also had a hard time determining how much time had passed between Heather's first recording contract and her subsequent breakup with Jordan Cartwright (was that just me??). Did they actually break up only a few months previously? Had it been years? It sounds like Heather was popular a long time ago (and she needs time to you know ... get to a size 12), but Jordan keeps showing up in her life at such an alarming cadence that it seems like their breakup was only months ago. Did they date for over a decade?? Inquiring minds need to know.
I also had a hard time determining how much time had passed between Heather's first recording contract and her subsequent breakup with Jordan Cartwright (was that just me??). Did they actually break up only a few months previously? Had it been years? It sounds like Heather was popular a long time ago (and she needs time to you know ... get to a size 12), but Jordan keeps showing up in her life at such an alarming cadence that it seems like their breakup was only months ago. Did they date for over a decade?? Inquiring minds need to know.
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