Combine one part Hollywood Car Wash, one part Devil Wears Prada, and 2 parts Hollywood blackmail mixed with the Oscars and you have yourself the First Assistant. This book wasn't as good of a read as The Second Assistant, and that for me was disappointing because I really enjoyed the first book. For me it felt as though things just happened too easily for this naive character of Lizzie. Once again here is a character who sticks her head in the sand (instead of filing she burned papers so she could play Sudoku? She was shoving bills in drawers and went on a spending spree? Shopaholic series anyone?) and by sticking her head in the sand things just happen for her if she sheds a few tears? Here was the chance to make a character take control of her life and show the world she would not buckle, but instead she runs off to Thailand to be a teenager's assistant.And thank goodness for that plot point because the one redeeming quality of this book was the character of Emerald. Too bad Lizzie didn't stay in Thailand because the book would have been salvaged with her more in the front line. My one wish - have a spinoff book of Emerald's life! Then I can redeem this book by thinking of it as the book that introduced me to Emerald.
Having not read the first book, The Second Assistant: A Tale from the Bottom of the Hollywood Ladder, I was unfamiliar with a lot of the back story, although Naylor and Hare do a fairly good job of filling this in as unobtrusively as possible. I do think, however, that knowing the happenings of the first book - specifically the background and process for the film Lizzie produces - would make the ending of this one slightly less unbelievable.This aside (and it's really more my fault for not having read it - or rather my library's fault for not bloody stocking it), this is a fun read. Lizzie is a quite likeable character and her antics are amusing enough to keep you engaged. Plus it's really, really fun picking all the real-life Hollywood gossip embedded in it. It was a light, fun way to pass a summer weekend - and it's better than a lot of the other fluff I've read recently (on the scale of dust bunny to ethically farmed angora, this is probably polyester teddy bear fur).
The First Assistant is the sequel to The Second Assistant. Although TSA was a cute summer read, it was not strong enough to support a continuation and thus this book suffered. When it comes to mindless fun reads, there is a certain level of predictability that is to be expected, and quite frankly, welcomed. It's one of the joys of reading them. You don't have to be fully committed and you never have to reread paragraphs because you happened to be only half paying attention to it in the first place. This book, however, takes it to a whole new level. Don't get me wrong .. this book isn't bad but it does tend to be a bit tedious. I was just simply bored with it. If you are looking for an easy read a la The Starter Wife then stick with The Second Assistant .. but stop there. There's simply no point reading this one.
—Jessie
Oh to be the lead character in this book: Vacuous, with a degree of personal luck verging on the ridiculous, adored by implausibly attractive and wealthy men, in a fantastic job - all of this despite being dull, slow-witted, and possessing no redeeming physical or emotional attributes. Life would be a breeze, huh? I inflicted this book on myself: after my last reading experience, I said I wanted to read trash. Well, be careful what you wish for. I read the first book a few years ago and remember it being okay. This one isn't. Proof of why some books just don't need, or justify, a sequel.
—M
I enjoyed this book just as much as the first one, The Second Assistant: A Tale from the Bottom of the Hollywood Ladder. They are both "fluff" books, so they are great when you need a light book. Apparently a lot of people compare these books to The Devil Wears Prada, but I personally enjoyed these books much more than I did The Devil Wears Prada. If you enjoy fluffy, light chick lit and stories of Hollywood, then give these books a shot. Just keep in mind that the titles are backward - the Second Assistant is the first book, and the First Assistant is the second book.
—Rachel
