Jennifer Weiner
Fiction
Much as I like Jennifer Weiner, a lot of times I finish her books with a bad taste in my mouth. This was one of those times.
The Next Big Thing is all about Ruthie, a twenty-eight year old who moved to Los Angeles with her grandmother a few years ago and now is all set for the sitcom she created (titled The Next Best Thing) to go into production. But putting together a TV show is one thing, and keeping it on the air is another. As Ruthie struggles to deal with interfering producers and ego-centric stars, she realizes Hollywood is changing her—and not for the better.
I have no problem with Ms. Weiner’s characters. She always creates good, complex characters. But the only thing I was interested in was the love story between Ruthie and one of her production partners who is in a wheelchair. That kept me reading. Nothing else. Which is weird, considering for the longest time when I was in high school and college my dream was to write for TV. But the behind-the-scenes stuff in The Next Best Thing was kind of boring. I found myself skimming a lot. Ms. Weiner also tends to go on and on about really lame details. She used up three whole pages to describe Ruthie walking through a house. As long as it has a ceiling and floors, I really don’t care what the staircases look like and what pictures are on the wall.
I guess I would recommend this book if you like Jennifer Weiner or if you’re interested in reading a good romance. Everyone else should avoid this book at all costs.
