4.5 Star
Lindsey Palmer's funny and fresh debut novel is set in the high-stakes world of magazine publishing and is imbued with the author's firsthand knowledge of the highs and lows of the modern magazine industry.
Kathryn - 4.5 Star
I truly enjoyed Pretty In Ink. As a small warning though, it took me until half way through the book to figure out who was who! There are a lot of characters all revolving around the chaos of a changing editor-in-chief for a women’s magazine. I was initially a bit put off by the multitude of voices because I couldn’t keep their names straight. However, I kept reading because I desperately wanted to know what happened with the new “regime” and Palmer’s writing style was easy to digest. By the end though each person is unique and has a crystal clear image and personal life as well as their role at Hers- the story flowed especially well.
There’s a voice in this novel for everyone to relate to- from women trying to juggle work and motherhood to those who are very happy with their career taking centre stage, to those trying to extricate themselves out of the work force and be mothers full-time. I also appreciated that Palmer provided narrative from both the old staffers and the ones newly installed- it gave a much more balanced perspective on what was actually going on behind the scenes of the plot. My favourite aspect though was the strength of each one of the women portrayed- though some were lighter characters and others were more serious- each one had a plan and a career path they were hoping to execute. It’s interesting that there are a few staff members who narrate several chapters and other’s that are only given one- to move the plot forward or to provide action perhaps, I only noticed this at the end! Obviously I didn’t feel like anyone was left out!
Though Pretty In Ink is entrenched in the publishing industry the relationships and competitive aspects in this book can be put into most office situations and there really is a voice for everyone to connect with. Palmer’s first novel was fascinating, all-engrossing and very well planned out, I’ll be looking forward to the next one!
Thank you to Kensington Books for our review copy. All opinions are our own.
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This looks like a great book that would couple well with Sally Koslow's LITTLE PINK SLIPS... I know a lot of readers will like reading about the magazine industry. So fascinating!
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