Sushi for Beginners

Sushi For Beginners has all the right ingredients for a thirtysomething novel. The thirtysomething girls are there, looking for a better job, a better man, ANYTHING other than what they've already got; there are men to die for and men you wish would drop dead, preferably in agony. And these "so-real you can pinch 'em" people live their lives in a funny, thrilling, sad world that you wish hadn't just ended when you turn the last page. But there is more, because this one is written by best-selling Irish author Marian Keyes.

Where her previous best-seller, Last Chance Saloon, featured Irish folk living in London, Sushi For Beginners is set in Keyes' hometown, Dublin. The only "foreigner" here is Lisa from London, a real madam whose longed-for promotion to Manhattan magazine is knocked off-course a few thousand miles when she is forced to accept the editorship of Colleen, a new magazine for young women, billed by the publishers as "dumbed-down" but definitely "sexy". Lisa would frankly rather eat one of her freebie Patrick Cox stilettos. Still a job is a job, and anyhow, Irish MD Jack Devine could just turn out to be a major consolation prize. Lisa's deputy at Colleen is Ashling, a Little Miss Fix-It, whose early role reversal with her mother (thanks to the latter's nervous breakdown) has induced an organisational paranoia and a handbag filled with emergency equipment to meet any eventuality. Oh, and a best friend whose motives might not always be in Ashling's best interests.

This is a story of three girls' lives, what's made them what they are and their search for happiness--sometimes found in unlikely places and sometimes lost forever. With Sushi For Beginners, Keyes is fast becoming the undisputed Queen of her genre. She is wincingly accurate and wickedly funny, and while she can tackle big issues like homelessness (no pun intended) with honest feeling devoid of over-sentimentality, her insight into the aspirations of thirtysomething women at the turn of the 21st century sets her high above the competition. --Carey Green This review refers to the hardcover edition of this title.

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OK, but... - Rated
Not as good as Watermelon and Rachel's Holiday or Last Chance Saloon as the characters aren't as likeable, that said, it you like her other books you'l enjoy it.

An uneasy read for an easy topic - Rated
'Sushi for begginers' is a story around three women and their interractions with eachother and the outside characters.
I found the book a big push to read, as in it did not captivate me enough until the final chapters. It took too long to build up and some chapters were just to skip.
The characters are not well developed, which is mostly the case for Lisa, which is a mixed-signal character all the way. The main character is ok,though i never got why some things happened and why some didn't for her, as in there are no lessons learnt, or no real human nature tricks. Things happen because they happen, and that is just not good enough for somebody who claims to be an insightfull author.
I find, for example, Candace Bushnell's Lipstik jungle (also centered around three women) a lot better and having more complex characters and interesting story lines.

OK but not great - Rated
I did enjoy reading this book, I found it entertaining and easy to read but I didn't warm to any of the characters and felt that a lot of it didn't come across realisticly. Good authors should enable readers to suspend their disbelief and I don't think Keyes truly managed this in this one. I also felt that the mental illness theme was dealt with terribly, after talking it up through the breakdown of Ashlings mum it seems that actually if you get depression you take prozac for two weeks get a new bloke and youre cured.
Having said that if youre looking for light entertainment ths book is readable and fun.

Brilliant - Rated
Another brilliant book from the Irish Queen of Chick lit. I Loved the book with its many twist and turns. Some aspects were predictable (but I was happy about this) and others were complete surprises. At the beginning of the book I loved Ashling and Clodagh and disliked Lisa, by the end of it I loved Ashling even more and liked Lisa and hated Clodagh. Loved the format of the book and the way in which you got to know the 3 characters. I thought this was a very well written book with some lovely humorous moments. This was my second Keyes book and it has made me hungry for more.

keyes for beginners (sushi optional) - Rated
For those readers new to Marian Keyes,this book is a good starting point.It is amusing, entertaining and has some `laugh out loud' moments, with a few twists in the tale, both expected and surprising. An ideal read to switch off from the stress of life and spend some time in another's world. Not to be taken seriously but rather a chill out and enjoy comfort read.