From amazon.com:

Alexa Hoffman, the 21-year-old University of Pennsylvania senior at the center of Ariel Horn's debut novel, has got exactly seven months, three weeks and two days before her initiation into the real world. Determined to secure a job in New York City, she embarks on a life-altering journey from one bizarre interview to the next. As a last resort and to avoid moving back in with her parents, she signs up to become an English teacher on the Third World island of Majuro while continuing her search for a job that will prevent her from actually having to go there. Over the course of this witty and wise coming-of-age novel, Alexa interviews for every imaginable position—earthworm breeder, deodorant sniffer, phone sex operator—evoking all the expectations and anxiety of the modern-day career search. Each chapter ends with a list of "Lessons Learned" comprising such hard-learned aphorisms as "Never assume your mother believes in something you plan on doing simply because she doesn't say otherwise" and "Do not—under any circumstances—interview for Internet jobs listed as 'other' ever again." Blithe and fresh-voiced, this book covers almost every tribulation of entering adulthood, forging a career and falling in love, against the odds.

So not everything in the discount bin is worth reading. This is one of them. It started on well enough and by page 200, I started to hate Alex. God, what a mindless dork. The only emotion I had for her was hatred. In the end, I speed read the last 100 and some odd pages just to see how it would end.

The only reason I didn't label this as a 1 was because it did have some comedic moments. Particularly funny is her call to the Phone Sex Operator line to apply for a job. I couldn't help but laugh at that one. This could have made for a really great novella but at 300 pages, it's just too long and repetitive.

RELEASE NOTES:

I am releasing this at this month's Burnaby Meetup! :)

Caught at the Burnaby BookCrossing Meetup.
Thanks, Marina

OK, I certainly agree it's too very long! but parts of this book are very funny...the kitty commercial, for e.g. & yes, the phone sex call.

What's the point of sticking with Jared, I wonder (from the heights of experience, mind you) and as for Majuro, why not!

Go for it, Alexa...never mind the kitchen...

RELEASE NOTES:

Releasing at the Lower Mainland BookCrossing Meetup

When:
Tuesday, June 13, 2006, 7:00 PM
This is United Bookcrossing Meetup Day

Where:
Our Town Cafe
245 E. Broadway
Vancouver, BC V5T 1W4