This One Is Mine
A Novel
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3.6 • 203 Ratings
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- $6.99
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
Violet Parry is living the quintessential life of luxury in the Hollywood Hills with David, her rock-and-roll manager husband, and her darling toddler, Dot. She has the perfect life -- except that she's deeply unhappy. David expects the world of Violet but gives little of himself in return.
When she meets Teddy, a roguish small-time bass player, Violet comes alive, and soon she's risking everything for the chance to find herself again. Also in the picture are David's hilariously high-strung sister, Sally, on the prowl for a successful husband, and Jeremy, the ESPN sportscaster savant who falls into her trap.
For all their recklessness, Violet and Sally will discover that David and Jeremy have a few surprises of their own. This One is Mine is a compassionate and wickedly funny satire about our need for more -- and the often disastrous choices we make in the name of happiness.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Former television producer and writer Semple (Arrested Development; Mad About You) bashes Hollywood celebrity, New Age nonsense and struggling relationships in this smart and funny debut. Violet Parry, who puts aside a TV writing career to have a baby and take care of the sumptuous L.A. home of her legendary impresario hubby, David, scratches a seven-year itch with D-list rocker Teddy Reyes. Yet Violet is hardly ready for the roller-coaster ride with a man who thinks only "about my rent and my car and getting laid and staying sober." Meanwhile, David's conniving sister, Sally, sets out to snag a rich husband, training her sights on Jeremy, a robotic sports-stats genius with a promising TV career. In one of the most hilarious sendups of New Age claptrap, David figures out if he's willing to stick around to see where Violet's wild ride will take them. Semple's takes are tack sharp as her delightful cast is driven comically and tragically ever deeper into a culture of artifice. Semple obviously knows her turf, and she does an exquisite job of stomping all over it.
Customer Reviews
Page turner
It ended too soon!
Confused!
I’m only about 100 pages in, but the author has been using the n word one time too many. There is really no purpose for it either, one time the characters even laughed about it. The character who uses it is half white and half Mexican and Maria Semple is definitely not black! It made me feel very uncomfortable and most definitely will not continue to read it.
I cannot keep reading this book! I cannot stand the characters!
It is extremely rare for me to not finish a book. I truly feel that I gain something out of every book that I read and each character provides some insight into who they are and I am interested to know them. That being said...I am halfway into this book and I hate Sally and cannot read another word about her. There is nothing redeeming about her.she is so self absorbed, vapid and manipulative. Poor Jeremy...I don’t know why this wonderful man who obviously has Asperger’s or something on the spectrum is even interested in Sally....ugggh!
She cares about no one but herself. Violet is also awful and I can’t care about Teddy or David. They are both awful as well! I have loved Maria Semple’s other books so much and I have really tried to get into this one...but this book just makes me feel angry....I just can’t read another word! Maria you are so much better than these characters,