Kim
Rating:
Review
Most days, Rebekah Kettle is a single 33 year-old writer living in New York. She's working temporarily for her doctor father since his office manager/lover quit, and when an elderly patient of his is abandoned by her aide in their waiting room, Rebekah begrudgingly tends to Mrs. Williams, seeing her home, feeding her meals and tucking her into bed. Much to her surprise, Rebekah discovers that Mrs. Williams has a kitchen window that looks into the apartment of one Arthur Weeman, film director and object of her love and devotion since she was a child. Her fascination compels her to start a correspondence with Mr. Weeman under a pen name, which is quirky and suggestive at times, but also is very revealing in the way
almost 13 year-olds can be. Rebekah meets a love interest along the way (not Mr. Weeman), finds out some history about her father, buys props from old films to furnish her apartment, and begins writing her follow-up novel to her debut, and that's only some of the story. I liked Rebekah's letter-writer, Thalia, since she got some of the best lines in the story. This book is witty and entertaining, though I was a bit disappointed with the ending.
Best Line:
on getting ready for a date, "Most girls put on sexy lingerie and maybe took a couple of amphetamines, but I took brain-tumor medication and soaked my dogs."
Jennifer
Rating:
Review
This story was "flat" for me. It started off as seemingly a simple but entertaining story, but soon turned tiresome. The story is about Rebekah Kettle, a thirty-three year old writer, who has always obsessively loved legendary Arthur Weeman's movies. She unexpectedly befriends and becomes part-time caretaker of Mrs. Williams, whose apartment turns out to have a great view of Weeman's townhouse. Because of the view into Weeman's townhouse, Rebekah finds out a disturbing secret of his. Right before that, she decides to get his attention by writing letters to him posing as a thirteen year old girl, knowing she would be ignored as a middle-aged fan. After finding out the secret, she continues to write him letters, teasing and confusing Weeman. In the end, she decides to sell Weeman out to her paparazzo boyfriend, Isaac. This gesture seemed shallow to me, reminiscent of the entire story. I haven't read any of Belle's other novels, but feel this one fell painfully short.
Best Line:
"I was old like her and she was young like me."
