Originally posted on The Canon! {http://canireadeverything.blogspot.co...}Being the assistant hall director in New York City can't be an easy job. With all the drama that young adults bring with them to college (believe me, I know all about it), I can't imagine trying to run a dorm smoothly. Being an ex-pop star and overseeing a hall nicknamed "Death Dorm" is asking for trouble. Maybe that's why I've fallen in love with the Heather Wells Mysteries series. The storytelling itself is phenomenal - memorable and hilarious - but it's the main character that keeps me coming back for more. Heather Wells is your typical girl...well, as typical as a ex-pop star can be. All she wants is to live the quiet life with her gorgeous landlord (and ex-boyfriend's brother), write songs, and get her degree. Of course, nothing goes quite as planned for her, especially when she runs "Death Dorm." Reading Heather's narration is like sitting down and catching up with a good friend (one who has some crazy adventures). There's something warm and familiar in these books, something that makes me want to return to them again and again. Heather herself goes through some drastic character development in Big Boned, but it doesn't take a huge role in the story; only now that I've finished the fifth book (review on Saturday!), I notice how she's changed and evolved from Size 12 is Not Fat. The biggest representation of her evolution is in her love life: she is head over heels in love with Cooper Cartwright, the private investigator and black sheep of her ex-boyfriend's family, but instead dates Tad Tocco, her "vigorous vegan" math professor (I laugh every time I see that). Tad's a nice enough guy, but he doesn't fit Heather's personality. Her character development all hinges on this relationship with him and how she handles it. I loved the mystery plot of Big Boned. Following in its predecessors' footsteps, this installment has the same kind of hilarity and chaos surrounding the mysterious death, but underneath it all, there is a well-crafted mystery at work. All of the elements of a good mystery are there, from the red herring to the mistaken identity. The lack of grisly violence leaves the focus on the case itself, motives and suspects. The detective element of the plot evolved well and merged with the side plots (Heather's love life, the drama with the graduate student workers, and Heather's family drama) to make a strong, cohesive story that kept me thinking about the book long after I put it down. THE RATING:FOUR STARSWHY:- Strong, engaging storytelling- Loved the narration- Well written mysteryRECOMMENDED FOR:Fans of Janet Evanovich, Meg Cabot and Lauren Willing, and those looking for a light, fun, chick lit read.
OH MY GOSH!!I love Heather Wells (the main character). She is so relatable it's sometimes scary. Having been an avid fan of the Heather Wells character since I read the first page of 'Size 12 is not fat', I've avidly followed this series written by Meg Cabot.I'm not usually a fan of chick lit, but the balance of humor, mystery, characters etc in these books makes them so much fun to read. Heather is a pop tween hit turned college worker just trying to make a living. Shes funny, in love with Cooper (but then after you read these books, you'll find you, the reader, are in love with Cooper also), she loves her food, and doesn't apologise for loving food, especially junk food and coffee.This third installment of 'The Heather Wells Mystery' collection is as lovable as the previous two 'Size 12 is not fat' and 'Size 14 is not fat either'. (I shout a yell of agreement merely at the titles). The books are easy to read, yet Cabot still manages to weave a clever mystery into them, so the answers don't leap out of the page at you. There's enough going on that the mystery doesn't take total precedent of the story, there are small yarns going on around Heather which your always eager as to what will happen next.I'm rather giddy at having finished it and getting the ending I was hoping to read, (my heart and head went into literal meltdown) and at the same time I was sad that I'd finished reading the book. But then I can read all three over again and I've also heard that Cabot has another HW mystery in the pipeline to be written.Definitely recommend to chick lit lovers, to those readers who enjoy a bit of humor, lovable hunky roommates and scatty heroines who work in the 'Death Dorm' of New York College. And people who appreciate their food, and coffee, and don't worry about calorie content to any extreme degree.
What do You think about Big Boned (2007)?
Okay I'm officially done with this series. I continued through the third book because even though they were all just stupid, I wanted to know what happened to the characters. But I've had enough. She has this way of majorly and annoyingly stating the obvious. She would say something like: I didn't want to go back in the office and see him sitting there with a bullet in his head. The dead guy, I mean. Really? You're talking about the dead guy? I'm glad you clarified. I wasn't sure if you were referring to a different guy with a bullet in his head. These books are rife with statements like these. And the end of this book was just over the top ridiculous so I am done.SPOILER ALERTShe goes from unrequitedly loving Cooper for the first two books and almost all of the third book and then BOOM! At the end of the book Cooper is in love with her. Okay, fine. I buy it. But wait. Let's not stop there. In one paragraph, Cooper proclaims his love for Heather, says she should move in with him (officially, into his room) and decides they should get married. What the hell?! They've been in a platonic relationship this whole time and they're just going to jump from friends to a IloveyousharemybedIthinkweshouldeloperightnow relationship? Ridiculous.
—Sarah
Heather Wells seems to be your typical hero. She's taking college classes, even if it's a little late in life, works at the same college, lives with her ex's brother, is secretly dating her math professor, even though she is madly in love with that ex's brother, in her youth use to be a pop star, and every now and than she solves a murder and gets shot at!Combined with murder, intrigue, and romance this novel holds a bit of everything. Normally a woman working at a college where she attends classes wouldn't be too interesting. Add in a forbidden romance and a murdered boss, there's something cooking here. To find out more about Heather Wells visit The Book Banana.
—Kat B
Dibandingkan buku sebelumnya, buku ini jauh lebih tipis, hanya sekitar 3/4nya saja, tapi jalinan misterinya jauh lebih kusukai, lebih berbelit, banyak pancingan ke sana sini, dan setelah satu kasus terungkap, ternyata masih ada lanjutannya, lagi dan lagi, dan kemudian ternyata pembunuhnya *ttiiitt* cuman demi *tiiit* dan *tiiit* #sinyalputussambung. Wow, gak nyangka..... Endingnya juga lebih seru. Cooper jatuh gelundungan dari tangga 2 lantai, dan Heather yang masih saja usil mencari tahu hal-hal tertentu malah nyaris tertembak sungguhan. kisah utamanya tentu seputar pembunuhan yang terjadi di Gedung Tinggal (bukan Asrama lho) yang dikelola Heather, kemudian ditingkahi dengan kasus pemogokan kerja, pelecehan seksual terhadap mahasiswi, dan rapat eksekutif yang harus dihadirinya. Masalah pribadinya juga datang menghantui. Dari masalah hubungannya dengan Tad, sampai tawaran ayahnya yang menggiurkan untuk kembali bergelut di dunia hiburan, meski untungnya si kutu kupret Jordan hanya muncul sekilas. *tumben* karakter-karakter lain yang muncul di buku sebelumnya muncul lagi di sini, membuat pembaca tambah akrab dengan dunia Heather. Konflik sampingannya itu... uhm yang pasti lucu aja lihat Cooper sedikit blingsatan lihat Heather dan Tad *again, what's with that name Tad?? sounds like Bad or Rat or something :p * kan biasanya Heather aja yang ngaco pikirannya kemana-mana sedangkan si Coop-nya cool aja, sekarang ada sedikit variasi emosi. Hoo.... curiga, ini waktu pertama release bukunya jangan2 deket-deket hari palentin (pake 'P') kayak sekarang ya kayaknya, kok love is in the air banget temanya. apapun sebabnya, puas baca endingnya. akhirnya.... =DReview lengkap di http://readbetweenpages.blogspot.com/...
—cindy
