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bookbriefs's review
3.0
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**
BIGLAW is a hilarious book that will appeal to lawyers and non-lawyers alike. It reminded me a bit of Kate's Escape from the Billable Hour by Petula Parker, and I liked this book for the same reason's that I loved Kate's "Sanity Break"- it is freakin' hilarious. and BIGLAW plays off of enough truth to make it even funnier. I am not from the BIGLAW world (I am much happier at my smaller boutique firm), but I did spend a summer at BIGLAW so I certainly know a lot of the inns and outs, and some of my peers have filled in the rest of associate life for me. And Mackenzie works in a New York firm in the Corporate Law department, which can be extra demanding.
BIGLAW is told from female associate, Makenzie's point of view. Mackenzie is a super bright, super hard working attorney that is doing just about everything to impress the partners at her firm. She has to if she wants to move up in the ranks, after all. When she was describing all of the "perks" that the office has to make life comfortable I couldn't help but snicker. They all but stick a sign on your office door saying YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE. I think some of the details are exaggerated for the effect of the story, but many of the details ring true to some degree.
BIGLAW will have you cringing, laughing and sympathizing right along side with Mackenzie. I think as an attorney I got an extra kick out of this story, but Lindsay Cameron has a real gift for comedic writing. Readers, no matter their profession, will find BIGLAW enjoyable. I went through the gamut of emotions as I put myself in Mackenzie's shoes. I rejoiced when she got very rare "good job", I seethed whenever she has to deal with a few choice people, and I wanted her tell off a partner or two on more occasions than I care to count. While I do think that Attorney's will derive a little more humor and a little more sick satisfaction out of BIGLAW, this is a book that I would recommend to everyone looking to feel a little bit better about their job. Or looking for a good laugh in a book with smart and witty dialogue.
P.S. I thought it was hilarious that Mackenzie didn't think her boyfriend would understand the stress and pressures of her job as well as her, because even though he is an attorney at the same firm as her, he works in the Trust department which is not as high pressure as the corporate department. I guess that means I made a good choice as a Trust and Estate Planning attorney. ;)
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
BIGLAW is a hilarious book that will appeal to lawyers and non-lawyers alike. It reminded me a bit of Kate's Escape from the Billable Hour by Petula Parker, and I liked this book for the same reason's that I loved Kate's "Sanity Break"- it is freakin' hilarious. and BIGLAW plays off of enough truth to make it even funnier. I am not from the BIGLAW world (I am much happier at my smaller boutique firm), but I did spend a summer at BIGLAW so I certainly know a lot of the inns and outs, and some of my peers have filled in the rest of associate life for me. And Mackenzie works in a New York firm in the Corporate Law department, which can be extra demanding.
BIGLAW is told from female associate, Makenzie's point of view. Mackenzie is a super bright, super hard working attorney that is doing just about everything to impress the partners at her firm. She has to if she wants to move up in the ranks, after all. When she was describing all of the "perks" that the office has to make life comfortable I couldn't help but snicker. They all but stick a sign on your office door saying YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE. I think some of the details are exaggerated for the effect of the story, but many of the details ring true to some degree.
BIGLAW will have you cringing, laughing and sympathizing right along side with Mackenzie. I think as an attorney I got an extra kick out of this story, but Lindsay Cameron has a real gift for comedic writing. Readers, no matter their profession, will find BIGLAW enjoyable. I went through the gamut of emotions as I put myself in Mackenzie's shoes. I rejoiced when she got very rare "good job", I seethed whenever she has to deal with a few choice people, and I wanted her tell off a partner or two on more occasions than I care to count. While I do think that Attorney's will derive a little more humor and a little more sick satisfaction out of BIGLAW, this is a book that I would recommend to everyone looking to feel a little bit better about their job. Or looking for a good laugh in a book with smart and witty dialogue.
P.S. I thought it was hilarious that Mackenzie didn't think her boyfriend would understand the stress and pressures of her job as well as her, because even though he is an attorney at the same firm as her, he works in the Trust department which is not as high pressure as the corporate department. I guess that means I made a good choice as a Trust and Estate Planning attorney. ;)
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
christinecc's review
3.0
Very quick and fun read. The plot is a little predictable (it might NOT have been as predictable had it not been for the opening flash-forward) but still entertaining. I kind of wish there hadn't been a last-minute love interest at the end, though. Ah well, I would still recommend this to anyone who wants a quick glimpse at "big law" culture.
kbf4's review
3.0
This book kept me up until 1:00 a.m. stressed out and bingeing on gummy bears in solidarity with Mackenzie. Interesting look inside Biglaw, but the outcome was too predictable from early on.
rjy's review
5.0
Very entertaining!
Enjoyed this quick read, even though it was predictable. Mackenzie, the central character, a brilliant recent law school grad, was evidently not smart enough to see the obvious. In any event, it's a fun read and accurate in describing the pressures of working at a large law firm.
Enjoyed this quick read, even though it was predictable. Mackenzie, the central character, a brilliant recent law school grad, was evidently not smart enough to see the obvious. In any event, it's a fun read and accurate in describing the pressures of working at a large law firm.
conrad555's review
4.0
I read this the weekend before my last day at my Biglaw firm and it was such a good reminder of why I decided it was not worth it anymore. The ending was pretty much given away at the beginning, but I still enjoyed reading the story. I wish there had been a little more dimension to the portrayal of biglaw (its not all bad and I don't think every partner is a terrible screamer), but it made its point and definitely reminded me of how I cancelled plans/forgot gifts/etc. Overall, I thought it was entertaining and a nice/easy read!
debbiesilkserif's review
4.0
BIGLAW is a surprisingly new version of ChickLit for me. The novel is written by a lawyer with attention to basic legal terminology and legal procedures while simultaneously developing a story most women will connect with.
Although I had some issues with the main character the bulk of the novel regarding Mackenzie’s experience working in BIGLAW was actually exciting.
I know a lot people have said in reviews that the way she was treated was horrific, but it was exciting to feel the rush of competition pouring off the pages. Honestly, this is why I had always wanted to be a corporate lawyer: the competition, the rush, the around the clock schedule. It sounds fantastic! Plus, the fact that they have it set up so you can get everything you need and not have to stop working? I’d like to sign up to that, please! It’s annoying having to leave your desk to grab food when you’re on a deadline that doesn’t really allow for meal breaks – in my experience sometimes you just don’t eat at all to save time.
The novel starts out with Mackenzie being pulled into her boss’ office with a strong sense of foreboding and fear. Mackenzie keeps rethinking her day, trying to figure out where she could have made mistakes or done the wrong thing. The whole chapter ends with her wondering if the partners had learned of her tiny misbehaviour and if she was going to be fired for it. It was a really great line to hook in readers before they are thrust back months before this ill fated meeting takes place.
I loved the legal aspects of this novel and would have given it five stars if only it had stronger lead character..
Mackenzie’s motivations for becoming a lawyer were incredibly selfish, considering it to be the epitome of success and not taking into account the actual job she would be doing. She often considered herself a victim in an environment where everyone is exposed to the same pressure and probably just as worn out and exhausted as she is. She was irresponsible; constantly pointing fingers at others for her mistakes. She honestly spent more time describing what designer labels she was wearing than focusing on the deals she was managing. I think that I just really couldn’t connect with someone with such different motivations and priorities..not to mention background. I couldn’t best my own biases on this one.
Regardless, I really enjoyed BIGLAW for it’s fantastic story telling and realistic look at corporate law in New York City. I was both excited and inspired by this book in multiple ways. I definitely recommend reading BIGLAW if you are a ChickLit fan or a fan of novels that are slightly outside their genres. I will definitely be checking out more Lindsay Cameron in the future!
Although I had some issues with the main character the bulk of the novel regarding Mackenzie’s experience working in BIGLAW was actually exciting.
I know a lot people have said in reviews that the way she was treated was horrific, but it was exciting to feel the rush of competition pouring off the pages. Honestly, this is why I had always wanted to be a corporate lawyer: the competition, the rush, the around the clock schedule. It sounds fantastic! Plus, the fact that they have it set up so you can get everything you need and not have to stop working? I’d like to sign up to that, please! It’s annoying having to leave your desk to grab food when you’re on a deadline that doesn’t really allow for meal breaks – in my experience sometimes you just don’t eat at all to save time.
The novel starts out with Mackenzie being pulled into her boss’ office with a strong sense of foreboding and fear. Mackenzie keeps rethinking her day, trying to figure out where she could have made mistakes or done the wrong thing. The whole chapter ends with her wondering if the partners had learned of her tiny misbehaviour and if she was going to be fired for it. It was a really great line to hook in readers before they are thrust back months before this ill fated meeting takes place.
I loved the legal aspects of this novel and would have given it five stars if only it had stronger lead character..
Mackenzie’s motivations for becoming a lawyer were incredibly selfish, considering it to be the epitome of success and not taking into account the actual job she would be doing. She often considered herself a victim in an environment where everyone is exposed to the same pressure and probably just as worn out and exhausted as she is. She was irresponsible; constantly pointing fingers at others for her mistakes. She honestly spent more time describing what designer labels she was wearing than focusing on the deals she was managing. I think that I just really couldn’t connect with someone with such different motivations and priorities..not to mention background. I couldn’t best my own biases on this one.
Regardless, I really enjoyed BIGLAW for it’s fantastic story telling and realistic look at corporate law in New York City. I was both excited and inspired by this book in multiple ways. I definitely recommend reading BIGLAW if you are a ChickLit fan or a fan of novels that are slightly outside their genres. I will definitely be checking out more Lindsay Cameron in the future!
jayvall's review
3.0
Although I never worked at a large law firm, I worked at a mid-size firm with a Napoleon complex, so I got treated as though I worked in Big Law but without the pay to salve my wounds. So, all the outlandish things Mackenzie experiences were not all that outlandish to me. In fact, at one point I started to get PTSD as flashbacks of getting yelled at ran through my head. So on the one hand, this was a hard book to enjoy, but on the other, in case you were wondering, it's pretty true to life.
This book falls into my personal category of "sure you can write a book about what you've lived through, but do you have another book in you", which is maybe unfair at this point since this is Lindsay Cameron's only book. But there's a lot of these roman a clefs where the protag has an insane job that no one would believe, does something to get herself fired, and then ends up sitting in the sunshine, a happier, more calm, zen version of themselves. Inevitably, the second book, if there even is a second book, is a snore. So I guess what I'm saying is, I liked this, and I'd be interested in seeing what else Cameron has in her, but I'm also going to manage my expectations.
This book falls into my personal category of "sure you can write a book about what you've lived through, but do you have another book in you", which is maybe unfair at this point since this is Lindsay Cameron's only book. But there's a lot of these roman a clefs where the protag has an insane job that no one would believe, does something to get herself fired, and then ends up sitting in the sunshine, a happier, more calm, zen version of themselves. Inevitably, the second book, if there even is a second book, is a snore. So I guess what I'm saying is, I liked this, and I'd be interested in seeing what else Cameron has in her, but I'm also going to manage my expectations.
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