by Camille Perri
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Just released: May 3, 2016
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Genre: Humor, Satire, Women's Fiction, New York
Hardback: 288 pages
Rating: 5
First sentence(s):
You've probably heard of my former boss. And even if you haven't heard of him, he has influenced you, I promise.
Zombie sighting:
He hurled me off him like I was a ravenous zombie. "You're insane," he said. "And I think you need to go."
-chapter 24, page 223
A wry and astute debut about a young Manhattanite whose embezzlement scam turns her into an unlikely advocate for the leagues of overeducated and underpaid assistants across the city.
Tina Fontana is the hapless but brazen thirty-year-old executive assistant to Robert Barlow, the all-powerful and commanding CEO of Titan Corp., a multinational media conglomerate. She’s excellent at her job and beloved by her famous boss—but after six years of making his reservations for restaurants she’d never get into on her own and pouring his drinks from bottles that cost more than her rent, she’s bored, broke, and just a bit over it all.
When a technical error with Robert’s travel-and-expenses report presents Tina with the opportunity to pay off the entire balance of her student loan debt with what would essentially be pocket change for her boss, she struggles with the decision: She’s always played by the rules. But it’s such a relatively small amount of money for the Titan Corporation—and for her it would be a life-changer...
The Assistants speaks directly to a new generation of women who feel stuck and unable to get ahead playing by the rules. It will appeal to all of those who have ever asked themselves, “How is it that after all these years, we are still assistants?”
My two-bits:
Loved it!
This contemporary piece brings elements of the plight of women in the work world especially those just starting out.
Friendship and female bonding for the sake of a common goal play important roles in creating such likable characters. One cannot resist following along in their antics and schemes.
Also, I enjoyed some arm-chair traveling as New York was definitely a character in this story.
Tickled by references to hamburgers.
* review copy courtesy of Summer Reading Challenge (here)
