Jemima J: A Novel About Ugly Ducklings and Swans

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Jemima J: A Novel About Ugly Ducklings and Swans

3.48 of 5 stars 3.48 · rating details · 69,060 ratings · 1,864 reviews

Jemima Jones is overweight. About one hundred pounds overweight. Treated like a maid by her thin and social-climbing roommates, and lorded over by the beautiful Geraldine (less talented but better paid) at the Kilburn Herald, Jemima finds that her only consolation is food. Add to this her passion for her charming, sexy, and unobtainable colleague Ben, and Jemima knows her...more

Paperback, 373 pages

Published June 5th 2001 by Broadway (first published January 1st 1998)

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Apr 16, 2012 Kelly rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who think an eating disorder is a great way to lose weight.

I've never been so thoroughly disgusted with a book. In Jemima J, Jane Green glorifies anorexia and then tries to claim that the main character is merely "obsessed" with exercising, even though she is clearly not eating. The result? Jemima loses a massive amount of weight (about 80 lbs.) in a short period of time, and all of a sudden, men can't keep their eyes off of her.

The plot is lame, even for Chick Lit. Fat girl falls in love with unattainable guy, chats with American hunk online, decides t...more

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Dec 26, 2007 Mallory rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: bad-times

This book actually made me mad when I read it, to the point that I stuck a post-it note warning in the book before I returned it to the library.

Five reasons why this book is dreadful:

a) The heroine, Jemima, is constantly described as being morbidly obese and too fat to function in society. Jane Green, the author, mentions several times that Jemima can't fit into chairs. Now, Jemima is 5'7 and 217 pounds. That may not be the size of a supermodel, but the way Jemima is described throughout the bo...more

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Mar 16, 2008 Julie rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who need kindling

Ugh. This book doesn't empower "ugly ducklings," it panders to them. The fat-phobia is so thick in this book I can't believe I got through it. The main character's obvious eating disorder is glorified, encouraged, and applauded. If I were a lesser woman here is the message I would've gleaned from this shitfest: "The only way to be happy, advance your career, find a hot man, and make your skanky roommates jealous is: eat lettuce and work out fanatically. Also, lying on the internet is ok!"

Souther...more

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Jan 10, 2011 Jenn rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

I wonder how the slender Jane Green, author of Jemima J, would feel if I wrote a novel about an anorexic woman who, whenever she ventures outside, is forced to clutch at nearby railings and walls in order to keep from succumbing to a 5-mph wind that threatens to blow her away.

I don't think Jane Green did any research on fat women when she wrote this book. Her protagonist, Jemima Jones, at 217 pounds (I want you to take a look at my profile picture at this point, because I weigh about that much),...more I wonder how the slender Jane Green, author of Jemima J, would feel if I wrote a novel about an anorexic woman who, whenever she ventures outside, is forced to clutch at nearby railings and walls in order to keep from succumbing to a 5-mph wind that threatens to blow her away.

I don't think Jane Green did any research on fat women when she wrote this book. Her protagonist, Jemima Jones, at 217 pounds (I want you to take a look at my profile picture at this point, because I weigh about that much), is described as having chins (plural) that almost disappear whenever she extends her neck as far as possible and thighs so massive that they spread onto neighboring seats whenever Jemima rides the bus. Jemima is unable to climb a single flight of stairs without having to stop and catch her breath. Green isn't describing someone who weighs 217; she's describing someone who weighs closer to 400.

Jane Green's knowledge of fat people seems to encompass only the stereotyped fat woman and stereotyped reactions to fat women: Jemima is a pushover who can't get ahead in her career because her fat blinds her boss to her true brilliance; she's painfully envious of her slim friends (who, Green makes it clear, think of Jemima merely as an acquaintance, because who would want a fat friend?); she's self-loathing; and she wants nothing more in the world than to be thin. Everyone ignores Jemima because, in the candyland that is Jane Green's fiction, no one cares about fat people or recognizes their contributions to society. But why shouldn't Jane Green tell it that way? After all, no one loves large women in real life (I mean, besides my husband), and no large women ever advance in their careers (you know, besides my friend who, in her 20s and with only a B.A., is the director of a library).

So what's the solution to Jane Green's imagined problem of being fat and therefore impossible to love or promote? Lose weight, of course. Lose weight and everything will be honkey dorey is the lesson of this novel.

You know, for once, I wish someone would write a book about how losing weight doesn't fix everything. The theme wouldn't be: once I lose weight, my skeletal, cocaine-addict roommates will be jealous of me, for a change. Instead, the theme would be: gosh, now that I've lost weight my cocaine-addict roommates are trying to make me feel bad about the way I talk, and hell if it looks like I'm still unhappy. The moral? Vapid, shallow buttholes will tear you down at every opportunity, whether it's for your weight or something else, and the solution isn't to become something you think they'll approve of, but to give them the finger and live your life with the knowledge that you're awesome the way you are now.

But maybe I'm judging Jane Green too quickly. Maybe Jane Green is planning to make self-love and self-acceptance the theme of the sequel to Jemima J, in which Jemima inevitably gains back all of her hastily lost weight and has to learn how to love the hundreds of rolls that adorn her whale-like 220-pound body and accept the small earthquakes that errupt whenever she waddles down the street.
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Mikki Joiner I'll do it for you. Once upon a time there was a very overweight (obese, in fact) teenager who became sick. The illness led to a drastic weightless ov...more
Mar 13, 2013 08:30pm

Jenn I hope the irony in my first paragraph is clear. I didn't intend to make fun of anorexic people, if that's what you're driving at.

I'm sorry you have t...more
Apr 17, 2013 09:04pm

Mikki Joiner I was actually saying you are 100% correct, wasn't that clear? I was agreeing with you fully. I find this novel to be completely appalling in that it...more
May 12, 2013 04:09pm

Apr 26, 2008 Holly rated it 2 of 5 stars

Dear Bridget Jones,

You really should meet up for a cappuccino and a chocolate croissant with Jemima Jones. I think the two of you have the potential to be great friends, as you have so much more in common than just your last names (distant, long-lost relatives, perhaps?).

After all, you’re both single women, journalists, Londoners, traumatized by eccentric mothers, habitual dieters, smartasses, Silk Cut smokers, and prone to sleeping with handsome bastards while waiting for Mr. Right to come alon...more

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Nov 10, 2007 Tamara Evans rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

In the beginning of the book, I thought that Jemima J was going to be another one of those overweight girl bashing books in which the girl is forced to conform to what society defines as beautiful in order to find acceptance. Needless to say, this book definitely didn't disappoint, but the one thing which disturbed me the most was the manner in which it was done.

Being overweight myself, I saw lots of myself in the character of Jemima J, from people who are only your friends as long as you're "u...more In the beginning of the book, I thought that Jemima J was going to be another one of those overweight girl bashing books in which the girl is forced to conform to what society defines as beautiful in order to find acceptance. Needless to say, this book definitely didn't disappoint, but the one thing which disturbed me the most was the manner in which it was done.

Being overweight myself, I saw lots of myself in the character of Jemima J, from people who are only your friends as long as you're "ugly" to having a crush on someone who will be forever unobtainable to you because of how you look. I was somewhat irritated by the way in which Jemima reaches her goals and I personally think that she did'nt need to go to such drastic measure to lose weight in order to become comfortable with herself. True, by losing weight, it did allow her to experience things she would'nt have by being overweight,however I feel very offended that Jane Green would assume that in order to find love and happiness, one has to find a combination of starvation and excessive exercising.

The other problem I had with this book has to deal with the sudden changes in narration. One minute, we're hearing the story for Jemimia's point of the view, the next minute, we're seeing things the second person, then we see things from the eyes of an complete outsider. My whole thing is this: if you're going to write a book, pick one type of narration;either did it first person, second person, or third person.Don't think that by mixing narration styles, this will make you appear clever, it actually makes it appear as if you are trying way too hard to be unconventional.

All in all, I liked the book because of how well Jemima J was presented as a character. I saw her as the type of person that everyone has known or know of. I liked the way in which her transformation from an "ugly ducking to a swan" was illustrated. Although I wasn't completely comfortable with the ending message love and happiness await you if you lose weight, I enjoyed the book very much and I would definitely read it again.
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Aug 02, 2007 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: those looking for an easy, entertaining read

Shelves: chicklit

Maybe because I deal with literature every day in my job, I tend to pick books that are entertaining and easy to read while trying to wind down... and Jane Green's books fit that description for me. A lot of the other reviews I've read trash the "message" of this book about fat people, losing weight, etc.... but somehow I doubt that she wrote this as an attack on fat people of the world... or to promote eating disorders. I found Jemima to be pretty "real" -- most people don't initially go right...more

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May 01, 2007 Abby rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People training to have an eating disorder.

Shelves: blech

It's been a long time since I've read this book. But I remember the pertinent details. Jemima, an "ugly duckling" (basically a woman who is plus-size, doesn't have highlights, and dresses comfortably instead of fashionably), is in love with her co-worker. Because she's an ugly duckling, of course, he doesn't notice her.

So Jemima starts online chatting with a hot guy from California who, for the obvious ironic twist, owns a gym and is hyper into fitness. After chatting for awhile, he wants a pic...more

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Mar 22, 2009 Palsay rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jemima J. adalah seorang gadis Inggris yang gemuk yang merasa diabaikan oleh lingkungannya. Ia adalah gadis yang pintar, namun sepertinya kepintaran (plus mata hijaunya yang indah) tertutup oleh bobotnya yang 109 kg.

Ia menyukai salah seorang lelaki paling tampan, paling pintar di kantornya yang menyedihkan-The Killburn Herald-namun harus kecewa mengakui bahwa lelaki itu tidak menyimpan perasaan apapun selain murni persahabatan.

Lalu, Jemima mengenal dunia internet yang mengasyikkan. Ia berhasil...more Jemima J. adalah seorang gadis Inggris yang gemuk yang merasa diabaikan oleh lingkungannya. Ia adalah gadis yang pintar, namun sepertinya kepintaran (plus mata hijaunya yang indah) tertutup oleh bobotnya yang 109 kg.

Ia menyukai salah seorang lelaki paling tampan, paling pintar di kantornya yang menyedihkan-The Killburn Herald-namun harus kecewa mengakui bahwa lelaki itu tidak menyimpan perasaan apapun selain murni persahabatan.

Lalu, Jemima mengenal dunia internet yang mengasyikkan. Ia berhasil menipu seorang teman chattingnya dengan khayalan tentang dirinya yang cantik, ramping dan bugar, lewat sebuah rekayasa komputer. yak. Jemimapun sukses mendapatkan perhatian teman chattingnya itu yang langsung saja tergila-gila padanya. Namun Jemima terhenyak manakala si teman chatting ini berniat untuk datang ke Inggris guna menjumpai Jemima. Maka, dimulailah perjuangan mati-matian Jemima dalam mendapatkan berat badan idamannya=60 kg.

yap. from 16, to 10.

agak mustahil, tapi mungkin saja, mengingat prinip Jemima adalah bahwa seseorang itu gemuk karena banyak makan, maka Jemima hampir2 tidak makan. Tapi ia berolahraga sangat keras juga supaya tubuhnya tidak kendur akibat diet ekstrem yang dilakukannya.

Voila! Jemimapun akhirnya menjelma menjadi gadis super cantik, I mean, SUPER, dengan bokong SUPER kencang. Dan lihatlah sekarang semua pandangan terarah kepadanya. Dunia ada di tangannya. Gadis cantik berbodi aduhai yang pintar, baik hati dan tidak sombong.

lalu Jemima pun berangkat ke Amerika (LA) menjumpai teman chattingnya yang AMAT SANGAT TAMPAN DENGAN BODY SUPER KEREN DAN SUPER DUPER KAYA yang AMAT SANGAT TERGILA-GILA pada Jemima YANG AMAT SANGAT CANTIK DAN MODIS ABIS. Lalu mereka melalui hari-hari mereka dengan bahagia disertai, tentunya, permainan cinta mereka YANG AMAT SANGAT HEBAT DAN SANGAT MEMUASKAN.
Namun ternyata, semua itu tidak seperti yang diinginkan oleh Jemima.
Dan benar saja, pacar idamannya ternyata tidak seperti apa yang diharapkannya dan Jemima harus menderita karena terjebak di LA karena tidak punya uang untuk kembali ke Inggris dikarenakan tiket return-nya tidak bisa diubah.

Untunglah, selalu ada pangeran penyelamat dalam hidup seorang wanita cantik. Jemimapun diselamatkan dan ia hidup bahagia selamanya dengan pangeran TAMPAN YANG BAIK HATI, KAYA DAN TERKENAL SERTA BERASAL DARI KELUARGA KAYA RAYA PULA. Tamat.

Moral of the story: Yakinlah bahwa kecantikan fisik bukan segala-galanya, tapi kecantikan fisik bisa mendapatkan segala-galanya... >;)

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Apr 15, 2010 Elley Murray rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, reviewed

Loved this book to start. I have to say that I can always get behind a plus-sized leading lady, so of course I was in love with Jemima Jones... until I found out the Jemima is 5'7" and weighed 217 lbs at her largest. Jemima is described as being almost grotesquely fat, so when the acutal number of pounds she weights comes up, it stopped me in my tracks. "Wait, what??" I'm 5'4" and weigh 212, so what kind of fat monster does that make me? I don't feel like people stare at me on the street or only...more Loved this book to start. I have to say that I can always get behind a plus-sized leading lady, so of course I was in love with Jemima Jones... until I found out the Jemima is 5'7" and weighed 217 lbs at her largest. Jemima is described as being almost grotesquely fat, so when the acutal number of pounds she weights comes up, it stopped me in my tracks. "Wait, what??" I'm 5'4" and weigh 212, so what kind of fat monster does that make me? I don't feel like people stare at me on the street or only have relationships with me out of pity, and I don't really feel like I'm this HUGE BEAST (as a size 16/18), so that rather put me off. Here I was imagining Jemima as being actually FAT. I have a friend who's 5'7" and she weighs 263 lbs and, in all honesty, she's probably the most gorgeous woman I know. If Jemima was a real person who ate the way she does, she should seriously weigh far more than 217. So pffffft!

Basically, the message of this book made me mad... If you're fat, be ashamed of it, lie about it to people who can't see you anyway, and then diet and exercise like mad until you're thin. People are fat because they eat too much, so if you eat like a normal human being and exercise like crazy, you can be tiny in a matter of months! Then everyone will love you, and you can get the man of your dreams! Aside from THAT... I really loved this book. And okay, maybe I'm hoping that I can be like Jemima and literally work my ass off and be gorgeous too. So shoot me.

The dialogue was very natural and flowed realistically; okay, better than realistically since - let's face it - most people just aren't that witty in real life. The plot was fast-paced enough to keep the whole thing moving, though at times I found myself flipping forward a few pages to see what would happen next...

I love how Jemima keeps ALMOST having these fated meetings/happenings, but the timing is just the teeniest bit off, and she misses bliss by mere moments. By the end, I was literally sitting on the edge of my seat going "OHMIGOD, JEMIMA, TURN THE H*** AROUND!!!"

It still gets 5 stars, even though if Jemima was a real person who ate the way she does, she should seriously weigh far more than 217. All in all, this is a lovely book, and I will definitely be adding it to my hoard for keeps.(less)

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Oct 27, 2011 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: lowbrow-but-i-like-it-anyway

I'm opposed to books being labeled as "beach reads" - why should your brain go down a few levels in intelligence just because you're on the beach? I don't want to waste my time on something that sucks so badly I can only handle it when I'm only half-paying attention due to screaming little kids, threats of sun-poisoning and hot lifeguards. Thus, this is not a "beach read" (although I don't see why you couldn't read it on a beach, provided you have the above distractions removed). Rather, I'm jus...more

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Dec 08, 2007 Jen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, fiction

The first 50 or so pages were dreadful. I only continued reading because it's not easy to find English language books in Japan.

I guess what I hated is how the author keeps switching back and forth between first and third person. Maybe if I hadn't majored in English in college I wouldn't have been driven nuts by this, but it really got on my nerves. And I hated some of the theatrical comments. Some of the things she wrote would have fit well for a TV show narrated by a third party, but to write...more

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Mar 31, 2009 DahliaNagaDanBukanDahliaPinky rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009, teen-chicklit-being-singgle-and-hap

April Fool's day!!!!

Ketika Gemuk Jemima ga bahagia karena orang selalu menilai dari fisiknya.
Ketika Kurus Jemima juga ga bahagia karena merasa ada yang kurang darinya.
Untung waktu gemuk dia 'sahabatan' ma Ben yang akhirnya jatuh cinta padanya,tapiiiii...setelah dia kurus pastinyah *rolling eyes*
Di sini ada usaha yang menekankan bahwa si Ben jatuh cinta bukan ma fisiknya seh, ho ho ho...usaha yang bagus! baiklah.

Jadi pengen nyanyi!
....
Lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where...more

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Apr 22, 2008 Yulia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: here-chicky-chicky

Green doesn't offer original plots, memorable characters, or anything resembling a surprise, and I no longer notice when she comes out with a new release, but for what it's worth, I'd never dated when I read her work back in high school and it did provide its voyeuristic, vicarious pleasures at the time. Does that mean her books are good? No, but let's call them comfort reads. Read sparingly and watch out for trans-fats.

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Jan 25, 2012 Linds rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Are you kidding? No one.

Shelves: 2000s, chick-lit, romance, this-book-sucks, weight, contemp-romance

This is one of the worst books I've ever read, if not the worst book I've ever read. As someone who has read over 600 books, this is not something I say lightly.

I was at the beach with no book for the weekend and my sister had this, there's no way I would have finished it otherwise.

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Dec 03, 2008 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2003, chicklit, jane-green

I don't have a whole to say about this book. I enjoyed it enough that I read the whole book and I did want to find out what happened at the end - but I thought the message of the book overall was pretty dreadful. I can't decide if the author has never been seriously overweight and just assumes things in her writing - or has been overweight and has such a bad case of body dysmorphia that her self loathing distorts her writing to the point where you stand back and go HUH?
I think this book was a d...more

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Jan 21, 2009 DevonAlyse rated it 5 of 5 stars

Hmmm....

I started this book and then put it down over two years ago. Last December, seeing my bookshelves sagging and this being one of the few that I had not read/finished reading, I picked it back up.

I, like most of the reviewers here, am not a fan of the switching from first to third person. That is annoying to no end. And that is the major thing that frustrated me about this book.

I'm a larger girl, and while yes, I see the points made about this book having problems with fat-phobia and eati...more

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Jan 02, 2008 Becca Becca rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: hated, modern-lit

After reading this book I came up with a pretty mathematical formula.

Chick lit = crap

I employ this equation whenever I'm browsing for books and it saves me time and money.

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Emelia Hawk I like Jane Green, generally, if I am looking for something unchallenging and pleasant. I have a lot of stress in my life and need "vacations from rea...more
Oct 28, 2009 06:52am

Leslie Emelia Hawk -- you provided the review I wish I gave! That issue which I did address (not as eloquently though) drove me crazy! The author says the ch...more
Apr 29, 2012 12:55am

Aug 01, 2011 Stephanie (Stepping out of the Page) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, chick-lit, cover-appeal, read-in-2011, realistic-fiction, adult-fiction

I really enjoyed this one. It was cliché and quite predictable, but that isn't a complaint - it was still an enjoyable, easy read. I understand that some people find the whole 'lose weight, look good' idea ridiculous, but it's how Jemima felt and was important to her and the story. I think that a lot of women could identify with Jemima. I found most of the characters to be fun and each had unique personalities and I enjoyed the way that this was written. Though it wasn't laugh-out-loud funny, it...more

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Dec 29, 2008 Мεģαnn rated it 3 of 5 stars

The first half of the book is really good. This half deals with the stigma and prejudice that Jemima faces as a result of her being overweight. For example, her friend has a position that Jemima is more qualified for simply because she's... well, glamorous.

BUT...

The second half was abso-bloody-lutely crap. I mean, seriously, it's like one of those makeover reality shows: You can't get anywhere when you're fat and ugly but if we turn you into a size 6 Hollywood clone, people will fall over themse...more

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Jun 03, 2008 meghan rated it 4 of 5 stars

What's difficult about any book like this - wherein an unhappy person changes and becomes happy - is that we as the reader are tempted to assume that the "message" is meant for us. In this case, if you are fat, you should become skinny if you want to be happy. You should turn yourself into an exercise fiend, get cute clothes, learn to do makeup (because fat chicks don't know how, obviously), and you'll land yourself the man of your dreams.
The thing is, though, that's not what I think this story...more

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May 29, 2008 Christina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

I found myself having a lot in common with Jemima Jones. We are both overweight, long to be thin and have a major crush on a gorgeous man (luckily he's my husband). I thought this book was very well written, amazingly since the author seemed quite thin in her picture. Perhaps she used to be like Jemima as well? Anyways, this was a fun read for me. I rated it a three though, not a four for a few reasons.

First, there was way too much of the "F" word throughout. I could have done without that pers...more

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Nov 25, 2007 Kayjay rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fat girls who don't love themselves, or skinny girls who want to mock.

Shelves: chick-lit

Okay, first of all, the switching from first person to second person to third and then back again was FREAKING ANNOYING. I can see how the author did it for effect, but it felt a little too much like she wanted to write a screenplay instead of a novel, and that was her shortcut to prose.

The other reviews here are pretty much spot-on. Jemima is fat and she hooks up with a guy online because the people she knows IRL don't 'want' her, but her supposedly-good friend enables her in sending a photosho...more

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Dec 31, 2007 Tiffany rated it 1 of 5 stars

Simply awful.

The previous reviews sum it up well. But to reiterate: Jemima is an ugly duckling (i.e. overweight and unfashionable) who diets (i.e. does not eat and over-excercises) her way to being a swan (i.e. slim and highlighted) at which point men become interested in her.

The author, apparently understanding that her book makes it seem that to be happy one should be anorexic, in a throw away line at the end says that Jemima decides that she likes being a curvy size 10 and finds balance in ea...more

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Jul 01, 2007 Wes rated it 3 of 5 stars

Ok...I know this is one of those Chick Reads...and its probably weird that a guy is reviewing and rating this...but...long story short:

I was home alone, the power was completely off, it was storming horrificly, and I needed something to occupy my mind. Lo and behold, sitting on the coffee table is my sister's copy of this book. Daringly I read the cover, followed by the first chapter, and so on, so on.

It was a fairly good book. Then again, I'm a sensitive guy and it will probably lead me to bec...more

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Jul 08, 2007 Marisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

I think this book meant well, as in "be who you are and be healthy," but it's, um, interesting, that the main character had to get an eating disorder to get skinny, at which point the man she liked actually noticed her, and they lived happily ever after. Basically, she had to be skinny to be liked, and then to be happy, even if eventually she got out of the eating disorder. That doesn't seem like a great message to me! Unfortunately, I think society thinks this is the truth; that a person needs...more

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Dec 29, 2008 Elicia rated it 2 of 5 stars

This is a train wreck, which I, of course, couldn't put down.

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Apr 04, 2013 Alexandra rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Modernized Cinderella story. Fat girl day dreams her life away until sth. seemingly insignificant makes her humdrum life more interesting. All of a sudden she has two new (good) friends, sth. interesting to do/to look forward to. She starts working out, stops using food as comforting remedy. Turns into 'swan' and meets love interest that seems to good to be true - which he is (nothing sinister though). In the end she reconnects with her original crush and friend, all's well.

The narrator changes...more

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Dec 14, 2012 Saumya rated it 1 of 5 stars

I read this book long back. I was repelled by it, to say the least! What's wrong with this book? Now where to begin with.. So our protagonist is a really fat but good hearted girl and it's because of her appearance no guy likes her. Beneath the extra layers of fat is a really awesome chic. Whats the way out? Lose the fat and u ll be a heart throb! (so says the book).
The book in no way empowers plus size women. If at all it manages to do anything, it is to demean them, make them feel sorry about...more

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Nov 03, 2012 Lucy Angela rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: chiclit

I don't know why this book has a low rating. because for me it's worth reading. maybe it's because I like makeover stories.

this is my first Jane Green book I read but I searched for Jane Green books ever since!
some of her book tell us about a value we should keep and this Jemima J. is one of that.

Jemima Jones is a fat girl that loves one of her colleagues named Ben Williams. but she knows that to be Ben's girl she must be dreaming. she also has a best friend in her office named Geraldine Turner...more

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About Jane Green

Jane Green (born in 1968 in London, England) is an U.S.-based British author. She lives in Connecticut with her husband, four children under the age of 5 - including a set of twins - and dog Palmer. She attended the University of Wales, Aberystwyth from 1987-88, although she left without completing her degree and worked as a journalist throughout her twenties. At the age of 27 she was inspired to...more

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“Covers, so many covers, so many different, delectable pictures, and although, metaphorically speaking, it is the thing I hate most, when it comes to literature I always judge books by their covers. First the cover will catch my eye, then I read the back of the book, and then finally the first page.” — 7 people liked it

“I think relationships are very difficult. It's very easy to get swept away with excitement, glamour, and passion. I think the trick is to look for friendship rather than passion.” — 5 people liked it

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Jemima J: A Novel About Ugly Ducklings and Swans

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