Lisa Jewell's 2001 novel One-Hit Wonder certainly classifies as chick lit, with its female protagonist and her story of self-discovery and self-empowerment. I don't see why this should discourage me from reading it. After all, as Anjura Razdan wrote in the Utne Review in 2004, the genre's examination of the situation of the single woman in the postmodern urban world owes quite a lot to the novel of manners exemplified by Jane Austen. She's part of the canon, isn't she?Living a depressed solitary life in the house of her hypochondriac mother, Ana is jolted out of her life by the news that her older half-sister, the briefly famous pop-music star Bee Bearhorn, has been found dead in her posh London apartment. Ana never had a chance to know Bee very well in life, Bee's Madonna-like fame sitting ill with shy young Ana, and their mother's self-aggrandizing machinations after the AIDS-related death of Bee's pushing them apart permanently. Sent by her mother to gather Bee's possessions, Ana soon starts to wonder what happened to the half-sister she never knew. Why did she permanently retreat from stardom? Who was she having an affair with? Was it suicide? With her sister's friends, she sets to investigate her sister's life in the search for these questions, and in so doing perhaps decide who she herself is.Yes, Ana's trajectory from single isolated repression to partnered connected openness is a stereotypical trajectory, but Jewell manages to make the trajectory convincing. Ana's character is well-written, her timidity and shock shifting over the course of the novel to a conviction that she can do better for herself believably. The pairing of the main narrative with chapters told from Bee's point of view, taken from episodes in her life, nicely frames the similarities and differences between the two separated siblings, creating a sense of dynamic tension. Perhaps the book's fluff, but it's certainly enjoyable and well-structured fluff. Think a layer cake.
I rarely rate books on the 1 to 10 scale, but this one I did as it fell solidly in the "5" range for me. It was very predictable, but well written enough for what it was. I guessed just about every "twist" in the plot, but kept on reading just the same, which is a good sign I think. I can't imagine anyone not seeing the relationship between Ana and Flint from a mile away, so I don't feel it is any bit of a spoiler to comment on it. Though it is an overdone plot (awkward girl meets aloof "I've never loved before" guy and they fall in love), the circumstances surrounding their coupling really struck a chord with me. I met my current boyfriend when I flew cross-country to attend a mutual friend's wake. If it wasn't for the loss of the greatest man I have ever known, my love and I wouldn't be together now. Even in the most horrible circumstances, some good can come to light. I don't know that I would have appreciated this book as much as I did if I couldn't relate so closely with that part of the storyline. The last few chapters made my eyes prick with tears as I thought of the loss of my beloved, dearly missed Dirk. He was a man unlike any other, as was Bee's character. I am grateful to be given yet another moment to think on him fondly and honor his memory.
What do You think about One-Hit Wonder (2003)?
What can I say... I didn't like how the book started, the writing just wasn't my style. This was why it took so long for me to finish this. The relationship between Ana and Flint wasn't believable, it was like "OH REALLY". And maybe it's just my beliefs or what but I think suicide shouldn't be viewed this way but I realized that this is reality we're talking about. And it's so hard to understand why people do it, how can people even think of doing it and I applaude Lisa Jewell for exploring this part. Not many do. And the ending? That was what saved this book. It almost made me tear up. The latter 1/4 of the book is worth reading so hang on there guys until you reach the end.
—Tiff
Saw a more recent book by Lisa Jewell in a dept. store. Read the back cover and Found "One Hit Wonder" at my own library and found it great fun. Not a formula romance, not a formula mystery, but a story with such engaging characters I couldn't put it down. The publisher takes pains to say this is NOT a Bridget Jones type novel. Ana, sister of the title character, comes into her own after years of being a string bean--with a little help--okay a lot of help--from two slightly oddball friends of her now deceased sister.
—Patricia Costa Viglucci
