The Ivy Chronicles

Fans of New York Times best seller The Nanny Diaries will rejoice in this wickedly hilarious novel, which acclaimed author Katharine Weber says is "much funnier and darker". Optioned for a major motion picture starring Catherine Zeta-Jones, The Ivy Chronicles skewers the twisted priorities of America's well-heeled elite.

Ivy Ames, 40-something mother of two, loses her high-flying job (to downsizing) and her husband (to their neighbor) in the same day. To pay for her daughters' private schooling, she starts a new business helping wealthy Manhattanites get their resume-toting youngsters into the best kindergartens. Soon her clients include media moguls, mob bosses, and a lesbian couple that believes their adopted African-American disabled son is "the triple crown of diversity" who schools will clamor to enroll.

Prepare to laugh uncontrollably, and possibly be a little frightened, by this witty look at our sometimes preposterous society.

©2005 Karen Quinn (P)2005 Recorded Books, LLC

Reseñas de la Crítica

"A guilty pleasure worth indulging." (Booklist)

Gotta Laugh

This story was lots of fun. You just have to love Ivy.

Probably Better as an Audiobook then in Print

If I had picked this book up in print form, I probably would never have finished reading it. The main character, Ivy, is rather unappealing and the story is filled with lots of improbable happenings. However, it worked well as an audiobook and I enjoyed listening to it while working out on the treadmill at the gym. It had humorous moments with some interesting characters. The main problem with the audio was the narrator's voice, which was rather high pitched and whiny.

The Ivy Chronicles

Definitely a "Chick Lit", and enjoyable if you want something that's funny and easy to listen to!

Good, but not great

The book was entertaining enough to listen to through to the end, but I found myself cringing from time to time because I found some of the language (overly simplistic and lude) and mistakes made by the main character, a Manhattan executive, implausible.

A Guilty Pleasure :)

The Ivy Chronicles is the guilty pleasure you're expecting it to be! The antics pulled by most of the characters are so shallow and crazy that you can’t help but laugh at them. Karen Quinn's writing style is sprightly, and her humor is witty. However, and I have to say this, Quinn's reliance on stereotypes often comes across as, at best, ignorant. For instance, Ivy befriends and helps a woman named Ollie. Ollie is a maid, originally from Jamaica. Her English is so broken, it sounds like a second rather than first language. She frequently uses the phrase “I had was to.” What language does the author think Jamaicans speak? Otherwise, I think that for the most part this is an easy, enjoyable read/listen.