Jane Green - Life Swap

[Janet]

Jane Green writes fiction which is chick-lit, through and through. Life Swap tells the story of two women. Vicky is single and lives in London. She works on a glossy magazine and appears to have it all, but deep down, she wants a husband and children. Amber lives in the USA and also appears to have the perfect life. She married well and has the requisite 2 children (one boy, one girl). Her life is one round of coffee mornings and charity events, but she has to stay one step ahead to outshine her 'friends'. She comes across as a very shallow person.

 

The theme of the book is whether the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. Vicky and Amber swap lives to find out, and the results don't turn out to be what either of them expected.

 

I read this book in three days, which is exceptionally quick for me. This is because, in my opinion, there is no real substance to this book. It is rather predictable. I don't mean to offend anyone who likes Jane Green, but I found this to be very similar to others of hers - it's as though she's found a formula which will sell millions of books, so why try to write anything different!

 

Also, I found I had little empathy for the problems that one of the characters faces! I think it's probably time for me to give up on Ms Green as an author.

 

I wouldn't have read this book at the moment, because I have so many exciting possibilities on my 'to read' pile, but we're going to discuss it on another, non-book, forum that I use.

 

Paperback ISBN 0141021721, 480 pages

 

I'd probably give it 4/10!