Jemima J

Author: Jane Green
Published: June 2001 (Broadway)
Category: General Fiction
Quote of Choice: "I'd say from the neck up we look like two Californian babes, but from the neck down, tarted up like this, we're as English as tea and scones, which can only be a good thing."

Jemima J is a modern day Cinderella story, telling the story of Jemima Jones, an overweight girl who constantly dreams of being thin and gorgeous. She's in love with her very good looking coworker, but feels that he's unattainable because of how she looks. Thanks to the magic of the internet, Jemima meets a nice guy in a chat room and describes herself as a slim, beautiful TV reporter. The book is a little dated though because Jemima has a dial-up connection and it took her almost a minute to connect.

While most people might think that this is a fluffy book and is all feminine giggles over Jemima's makeover, it's surprisingly unfluffy. There's nothing worse than realizing your fantasy has become a nightmare, and Jemima worked really hard to make her dream a reality, losing almost a hundred pounds.

Thankfully, there's a happy ending after all the drama. There was very little romance in the story, since Jemima doesn't wind up with her man until the last few pages of the book. I hate it when that happens, but hey, this wasn't a romance novel!