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hamie58's review against another edition
3.0
Over all the book was good, the beginning and the end I couldn't put the book down but the middle started to get boring.
cooperca's review against another edition
5.0
The Boy Next Door was an absolute wonderful surprise. Loved it from the first email to the last. The characters came through loud and clear, each with their own distinctive voice. Perfect afternoon read that left me feeling satisfied (not as satisfying as cheesecake...but close).
Hearing everybody's take on Mel's love life was brilliant. I've read other epistolary novels, but this one has moved to my top 5.
Just a delight!
Hearing everybody's take on Mel's love life was brilliant. I've read other epistolary novels, but this one has moved to my top 5.
Just a delight!
winemakerssister's review against another edition
4.0
A light, funny, epistolary novel written entirely in emails. Fast-paced, with loveable MCs and some laugh out loud moments. I didn't realize it until I read it, but it was just what I needed.
mairelon's review against another edition
2.0
Oh this book has not aged well.
And then there's the whole "Transvestite Killer" story line. Yikes. Yikes Yikes Yikes Yikes.
With a few alterations for today's readers, this could be a really fun read but it was hard to get away from how very early 2000's it was, particularly regarding ethics oft the era.
Spoiler
And I don't even know where to start. Maybe with the fact that a Crime Reporter gleefully and repeatedly commits rape by fraud which is, unfortunate. You think he of all people would be able to identify a crime when he's committing it.And then there's the whole "Transvestite Killer" story line. Yikes. Yikes Yikes Yikes Yikes.
With a few alterations for today's readers, this could be a really fun read but it was hard to get away from how very early 2000's it was, particularly regarding ethics oft the era.
finitha's review against another edition
4.0
One of my friends who is studying to become a nurse, once sent me a letter. Oh, not a mail, but a handwritten original letter. Needless to say, I am surprised. Glad to know that the post office still exists, thanks to the convent mode hostels which still scrutinises our letters and allows us to make a call to home only on Sundays.
With this almost extinction of letters, gone are the days of epistolary novels. Or so I thought, until I have come by this one. Samuel Richardson has written the first novel in English, 'Pamela', in a series of letters and it seems the tradition is not forgotten. Well, except for 'Colour Purple' of Alice Walker and 'Dracula' (though it is in the form of a diary), I don't have much favourites in this mode.
This one is the modern form; story is all in e-mails and rest is left to the imagination of the reader. Its all about a romance which blooms in a crime scene; too bad, its all predictable. At least Cabot has made an attempt with an ordinary story. What should we expect next? A novel made out of SMS! (As for that matter Sophie Kinsella's 'I've Got Your Number' is a partial attempt in this field)
With this almost extinction of letters, gone are the days of epistolary novels. Or so I thought, until I have come by this one. Samuel Richardson has written the first novel in English, 'Pamela', in a series of letters and it seems the tradition is not forgotten. Well, except for 'Colour Purple' of Alice Walker and 'Dracula' (though it is in the form of a diary), I don't have much favourites in this mode.
This one is the modern form; story is all in e-mails and rest is left to the imagination of the reader. Its all about a romance which blooms in a crime scene; too bad, its all predictable. At least Cabot has made an attempt with an ordinary story. What should we expect next? A novel made out of SMS! (As for that matter Sophie Kinsella's 'I've Got Your Number' is a partial attempt in this field)
brendalovesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
After a re-read, this book has gone from 5 stars to 4 stars. I don't remember getting annoyed while reading it the first time, but this second time I did. It's written all in e-mails, which I love, but too many of the characters wrote exactly the same with the same quirks and everything. Still a cute story that's a keeper for me when I need something fun and quick.
lgb98's review against another edition
funny
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lilyantan's review against another edition
4.0
What Just Happened?! Yesterday night, I had just started this book and was harping on about how it's written completely in email format. So how is it that I find myself in some sort of 5 hour reading marathon from 3 pm till 8 pm occasionally taking breaks to sleep, swim and take a shower! This is book fever I tell you.
Okay! This is going to be a difficult review, because aside from the fact that I gave this book 4 stars and that I've just wasted a full day I still find some parts mildly annoying.
Now, I'm a VERY open-minded reader. I'm easy to please and not that much of a harsh critic really. I know what I'm getting into when I buy a book called "The Boy Next Door" by a mainly Y.A. writer. I'm not expecting depth and a sturdy plot! I'm just after a few laughs and a light read, which this book has delivered. Honestly, by the end I wasn't even bothered by the email format, in fact! I ended up liking that most about the book! It was interesting, and I liked seeing things written in different tones depending on the character.
What pissed me off mostly, honestly, is the mention of Dubai and the White Slaves issue. Fine, I know it's superficial, but come ON! It ticks me off when American writers mention the Middle East, Dubai in specific, since I live here, and then make a snarky comment like "Take her to Dubai and make her into a White Slave" -_-. Fine, I KNOW it's funny, and I myself make such comments about many countries to my friends and we laugh about it, heck I make such comments about Dubai too! But, I'm allowed to! Because I'm not writing this down in a book that's going to be sold internationally! So there, I'm glad I got that off my chest!
Other things that bothered me, but not so much, is how totally unrealistic the whole situation was, ok I KNOW Chick Flick is not supposed to be realistic, but come on, how can you pretend to be an acclaimed photographer, didn't she Google his name the minute she saw him? And don't tell me you don't google a hot guys name when you meet him, and then stalk him on FB, Twitter, Myspace, or whatever. And DON'T tell me the people in the story did not have internet, it was email based for god's sake. Also, how do you just barge into some ladies house and live there, no questions asked. Not any house, a CRIME scene! Where are the cops? SOME elements of reality would have been appreciated, I ignored SO many other things.
Finally, what's with the "but good" that Cabot kept inserting at the end of the sentences,Examples:
" Because from what I'm hearing, you are in the doghouse, but good."
" John Trent is about to get what's coming to him, but good."
"I still managed to botch everything, but good."
Why? Oooh Editooorrr, where are yooou?!
Ah and one more thing... The book John is writing.... sounds like a mills and boons book written by a horny and lonely woman. I found that part completely unnecessary and degrading to the character.
OK! I've bashed the book enough now I can redeem it
As if the fact that I've ate it up like a box of krispy kremes donuts, which I have been CRAVING ALL DAY LONG but no one wants to go buy any for me, isn't enough to tell you I really enjoyed this book let me highlight why I've given it 4 stars:
- Bottom line, Meg Cabot can make you laugh. Yes, she can. Images of myself laughing like a hyena is proof of that.
- I loved the emails format. At the beginning I was worried. I thought, this is going to get tiresome. But it didn't, the email format made it so easy and fast to read actually. There were no passages of description! I HATE description. Which is why I can't get into literary books. This format suited me VERY well. It was in a form of personalized emails, and it was done very cleverly stringing along the story in a very smooth way. Kudos to that Cabot.
- The characters reminded me of people in my life. Stacey reminded me of my own sister in law, and Nadine reminded of my best friend with her conviction that all men are pigs that only like supermodels. I always feel fondness towards a book that reminds me of personal things.
Well then, I'm off to finish my dinner and go downstairs for some dunkin donuts as it's closer. Meh, better than nothing!
Okay! This is going to be a difficult review, because aside from the fact that I gave this book 4 stars and that I've just wasted a full day I still find some parts mildly annoying.
Now, I'm a VERY open-minded reader. I'm easy to please and not that much of a harsh critic really. I know what I'm getting into when I buy a book called "The Boy Next Door" by a mainly Y.A. writer. I'm not expecting depth and a sturdy plot! I'm just after a few laughs and a light read, which this book has delivered. Honestly, by the end I wasn't even bothered by the email format, in fact! I ended up liking that most about the book! It was interesting, and I liked seeing things written in different tones depending on the character.
What pissed me off mostly, honestly, is the mention of Dubai and the White Slaves issue. Fine, I know it's superficial, but come ON! It ticks me off when American writers mention the Middle East, Dubai in specific, since I live here, and then make a snarky comment like "Take her to Dubai and make her into a White Slave" -_-. Fine, I KNOW it's funny, and I myself make such comments about many countries to my friends and we laugh about it, heck I make such comments about Dubai too! But, I'm allowed to! Because I'm not writing this down in a book that's going to be sold internationally! So there, I'm glad I got that off my chest!
Other things that bothered me, but not so much, is how totally unrealistic the whole situation was, ok I KNOW Chick Flick is not supposed to be realistic, but come on, how can you pretend to be an acclaimed photographer, didn't she Google his name the minute she saw him? And don't tell me you don't google a hot guys name when you meet him, and then stalk him on FB, Twitter, Myspace, or whatever. And DON'T tell me the people in the story did not have internet, it was email based for god's sake. Also, how do you just barge into some ladies house and live there, no questions asked. Not any house, a CRIME scene! Where are the cops? SOME elements of reality would have been appreciated, I ignored SO many other things.
Finally, what's with the "but good" that Cabot kept inserting at the end of the sentences,Examples:
" Because from what I'm hearing, you are in the doghouse, but good."
" John Trent is about to get what's coming to him, but good."
"I still managed to botch everything, but good."
Why? Oooh Editooorrr, where are yooou?!
Ah and one more thing... The book John is writing.... sounds like a mills and boons book written by a horny and lonely woman. I found that part completely unnecessary and degrading to the character.
OK! I've bashed the book enough now I can redeem it
As if the fact that I've ate it up like a box of krispy kremes donuts, which I have been CRAVING ALL DAY LONG but no one wants to go buy any for me, isn't enough to tell you I really enjoyed this book let me highlight why I've given it 4 stars:
- Bottom line, Meg Cabot can make you laugh. Yes, she can. Images of myself laughing like a hyena is proof of that.
- I loved the emails format. At the beginning I was worried. I thought, this is going to get tiresome. But it didn't, the email format made it so easy and fast to read actually. There were no passages of description! I HATE description. Which is why I can't get into literary books. This format suited me VERY well. It was in a form of personalized emails, and it was done very cleverly stringing along the story in a very smooth way. Kudos to that Cabot.
- The characters reminded me of people in my life. Stacey reminded me of my own sister in law, and Nadine reminded of my best friend with her conviction that all men are pigs that only like supermodels. I always feel fondness towards a book that reminds me of personal things.
Well then, I'm off to finish my dinner and go downstairs for some dunkin donuts as it's closer. Meh, better than nothing!