Jemina J

by Jane Green

Random House, June, 2001.
Trade Paperback, 373 pages.
ISBN: 0767905180
Subgenre: Fantasy

Jemina J by Jane Green

British reporter Jemima Jones is not happy with the way life is passing her by. Always passed over for promotion, she is stuck writing the household tips column for the Kilburn Herald, a less than distinguished newspaper. Distressingly overweight, she knows she looks terrible, and the cute news editor won't give her the time of day. When the newspaper gets wired, Jemima discovers the Internet and gets hooked on the fantasy role that she's created for herself online. She finally decides that it's time to turn from the ugly duckling that everyone ignores into a beautiful swan and heads for the gym. Subsisting almost entirely on lettuce and tomatoes, Jemima finally becomes the thin hipster she's always wanted to be. So why isn't she happy yet?

Although the comparisons to Bridget Jones' Diary are inevitable, Jemima J is a unique and funny story about one woman's search for love and self-esteem in a shallow world, which values appearance over personality. Jemima's sometimes neurotic thought processes are quite funny. Author Jane Green has a good ear for dialogue and fine sense of the ridiculous, making this a wildly entertaining read.

Jemina J is available for purchase on Amazon.com

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This review was published in the June, 2001 of The Internet Writing Journal.