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92nd out of 398 books
—
767 voters
Temping Fate
Until she stumbled upon the Divine relief temp Agency, ilana Newhouse was having a hard time finding a summer job. Apparently, a t-shirt that reads �orC: the other green Meat� isn’t appropriate for an interview. but when she reports for her first day as a temp, ilana discovers why Divine relief isn’t shy about hiring someone a little left of ordinary. ilana is temping for...more
Paperback, 288 pages
Published
May 10th 2007
by Speak
(first published 2006)
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"Temping Fate" by Esther Friesner is, conventionally, what a chick lit novel usually looks like. The story has a misfit female protagonist, cute guys, and relationship-related mayhem. Happily, the story also fits into my more encompassing, feminist-informed, definition of chick lit in that the heroine of the novel is funny, smart and independent.
Ilana Newhouse is desperate for a summer job. Any summer job. So, she doesn't worry too much when the temp agency that hires her proves to be a little...more
Ilana Newhouse is desperate for a summer job. Any summer job. So, she doesn't worry too much when the temp agency that hires her proves to be a little...more
Fun, quirky, quick read that plays off Greek Mythology (with a smattering of Norse) nicely. Ilana may not be as bad as she seems, but that makes her all the more real and dealing with over achieving parents, a "perfect" older sister, and the family's upheaval over said sister's upcoming marriage, Ilana is desperate for a summer job--ANYTHING to get her out of the house and out of the "something" her parents have said they'd "come up with" if she couldn't find one. Problem is, she is out of optio...more
Friesner, E. (2006). Temping Fate. New York: Speak.
279 pages.
Appetizer: Ilana Newhouse is desperate for a summer job. But when she first arrive at the D.R. Temp agency, it sets off a few alarms, like, why isn't anyone else working in the building? But it turns out the Divine Relief Temp Agency isn't a typical work place and it may be the perfect place for a teenage with such "attitude."
On her first day of work, Ilana discovers that she and the other temps actually work for the gods of myth (most...more
279 pages.
Appetizer: Ilana Newhouse is desperate for a summer job. But when she first arrive at the D.R. Temp agency, it sets off a few alarms, like, why isn't anyone else working in the building? But it turns out the Divine Relief Temp Agency isn't a typical work place and it may be the perfect place for a teenage with such "attitude."
On her first day of work, Ilana discovers that she and the other temps actually work for the gods of myth (most...more
Ilana Newhouse needs a summer job, and she’s not having much luck. For some reason, potential employers are put off by the little skull she drew on her face in ink, or the t-shirt reading ORC: The Other Green Meat, or her unfortunately sardonic sense of humor, or maybe just her hazy acquaintance with punctuality. Things aren’t looking good until she finds a business card in her sister’s room, and calls the Divine Relief Temp Agency.
It’s very disorienting when she finds herself temping for the T...more
It’s very disorienting when she finds herself temping for the T...more
Ages 11+ (nothing overtly offensive, someone ALMOST gets called a bitch) After spending several years in Africa, during which time she barely squeaked out of a smallpox epidemic alive, Ilana and her family are back in Connecticut. Her sister Dyllin (who stayed in the states for college) is going bridezilla and her parents are harping on her to get a job, so when Ilana finds the card for "D. R. Temps" in her sister's belongings, she checks it out. Turns out, she's wound up in the one and only tem...more
I really loved this book. Esther Friesner is going on my list of authors to read. First of all, "Temping Fate" is correct. (not "Tempting Fate") The story is about a modern American high school girl who gets a summer job for a temp agency. Her first temp job is working for the Fates, yes, the Fates of Greek mythology. The Fates have updated themselves. One could even mistake the oldest Fate for a typical American soccer mom, if it were not for her day job. Anyway, I found the book very funny. Th...more
I've known about and enjoyed Esther M. Friesner's books for years and years and years. I found this book last summer in Half Price Books and snatched it up. A new book by a favorite author is always a treasure.
It's a cute story with Esther M. Friesner's usual touch of humor. I didn't care as much for Ilana, the main character, as much as I usually do. I'm just not in the mood to deal well with teenagers but I enjoyed her friends, Ariadne and Helen.
I would steer my female students who are interes...more
It's a cute story with Esther M. Friesner's usual touch of humor. I didn't care as much for Ilana, the main character, as much as I usually do. I'm just not in the mood to deal well with teenagers but I enjoyed her friends, Ariadne and Helen.
I would steer my female students who are interes...more
Ilana's parents are constantly harping on the need for her to have a well rounded resume for her college applications, and her sister has turned into a raging bridzilla, so she's kinda desperate to get out of the house for the summer. Problem is, her snarky sarcasm has made her somewhat unhirable in her hometown. She tries a temp agency, gets a placement ... and then finds out the agency caters to an rather exclusive clientele - gods.
Ilana is freaked at first to realize she's doing paperwork fo...more
Ilana is freaked at first to realize she's doing paperwork fo...more
Normally I love "silly" but this book was just a little too silly and not quite enough clever. Maybe I'm just in the wrong mood. Who knows?
I would've given this four stars except for the fact that there was no conflict until the last few chapters of the book. And the conflict was rather, cheesy. Okay, frankly, it was pathetic. The book overall though was funny, entertaining and I liked the idea of temping for mythical gods. Another thing was that I was expecting to see more from the Ilana's temp co-workers. There wasn't much dialogue between them and there wasn't much decription on who they were and their personalities. I think the...more
This is one of my pre-goodreads books and out of all of them Temping Fate is a tough one for me to review now just because I remember so much about it. At the time I read this I enjoyed it for what it is, a light take on Greek myth in a modern day setting. I was interested in the plot and the way Friesner found ways to weave the epic nature of Greek mythology into a modern day setting. But what really made this book for me was how I related to the main character Ilana and everything about who sh...more
Many years ago, I read two or three Esther Friesner books. One was the movie adaptation of one of the Back to the Future films, the others were about a fantasy kingdom and a magical talking cat (or something... my memory fails me on details).
At the time, I laughed as much reading her books as I did reading Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett. Back then, my embryonic humour sensors still believed that all humor is equal. With hindsight, I believe I was wrong.
Temping Fate is not a bad book. It is mi...more
At the time, I laughed as much reading her books as I did reading Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett. Back then, my embryonic humour sensors still believed that all humor is equal. With hindsight, I believe I was wrong.
Temping Fate is not a bad book. It is mi...more
Temping Fate is the funniest novel I've read in ages. This is the book I was searching for when I read book after book of mythological/theological fiction in the wake of finishing Neil Gaiman's American Gods. I don't mean to give the impression that the two books are particularly similar in tone or theme. They're not. The two novels share only surface similarities -- both deal with ancient gods in modern times, both feature a protagonist suddenly thrust into dealings with beings previously belie...more
This is about Alana who is looking for a job and goes to d.r. Temps. There she gets a job temping for tabby fabricant textiles. The people she works for are the fates, the people who decide when you die. This book is amaZing and it is a good book for people ages 10 and up. For People younger than 10 the plot might be a bit hard to follow. Other than that this book Is really great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jun 02, 2010
Leslie
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
juv-fiction,
ya-fiction
I picked this book up this morning at the Library while waiting for the Tween to finish her program there. I must admit, I am in love with Esther Friesner's sense of humour and sarcasm. The protagonist of this book, convinced that she's never going to be as perfect/good as her sister takes a summer job at a temp agency where her sister once worked and the action and laughs build from there.
The concept of this book is really cute. The dialogue is a bit Gilmore Girls-y at time, though. It works on screen, but in print it's kind of tedious.
Updated 7/24/09 -- I'm not sure I should say the dialogue is Gilmore Girls-y. That's a bit too clever an analogy for this book. I should say that the author tries a bit too hard at times to sound hip. Still, it was a cute book for teens and tweens.
Updated 7/24/09 -- I'm not sure I should say the dialogue is Gilmore Girls-y. That's a bit too clever an analogy for this book. I should say that the author tries a bit too hard at times to sound hip. Still, it was a cute book for teens and tweens.
A cute idea - the Fates of Greek mythology need a holiday, and find a mortal to "temp" for them - but unfortunately it's an idea that was largely explored in Rick Riordan's "Percy Jackson" books, and, even more, in the "Incarnations Of Immortality" books by Piers Anthony. I read about 1/3 of the way into Temping Fate, and by that point there still wasn't really a compelling storyline coming together, so I set it down. The writing and characters are fun, but there's not enough plot to keep you ho...more
A cute little story about a teenage temp worker who finds out that she's temping for the Fates from Greek mythology - and that the mythological beings from other cultures are running around, too. Kind of fun, even if some of the plot twists are kind of predictable, especially to anyone with any knowledge of world mythology (especially Greek).
It was cute, funny and lighthearted. Some might not like an apparent lack of plot, but I enjoyed a book with the neat little plotline all English teachers use as a model. It is total chick-lit, which I love, plus the misfit cliche (which, oddly, I was fine with). It's a good book for a lazy afternoon, or when one is curled up in a comfy chair.
A fun modern teen book about "Temping" for the Fates. There were a few mild swear words. It was a fun story with humor similar to those written by Jeanette Rallison and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It seems like there were a few morals in it about loving those around you and or being yourself thrown in too.
This book was adorable. The Fates themselves seemed like your cool aunt until you royally piss them off. Ilana was a fun character that had quirky and funny inner monologue. She even has meetings with the other temps like Corey who temps for heros. This was a definite fun read that goes by quickly.
There are so many Greek mythology stories in young adult literature these days. This one stands out for its quirky protagonist and humorous style. It was a quick read and thoroughly lighthearted, just what I needed at the time. Ilana's adventures begin when she is hired by a temp agency that provides summer help for Greek gods and goddesses. The story takes a few twists and turns, some predictable and others pleasantly surprising. There is definitely room for a sequel, but since I cannot find on...more
Fun, easy read that might make you want to brush up on your mythology. Very appealing characters and just the right touch of humor. Haven't looked to see if there's a sequel or one planned, but I'd like to read more about Ilana and her exploits.
I really enjoyed this light and fast read. It was warm and adorable. The idea of working for gods and goddesses, becoming them tmeporily was a good one. I truly hope that Esther Friesner could create a sequel.
Fun, light YA novel with greek mythology. Ilana starts working for the Divine Relief Temp Agency without realizing it is temping agency for gods. Her assignment is to help the Fates. She is also dealing with her older sister's imminent wedding and feeling like an outsider.
What I enjoyed:
* The interactions with the gods (and seeing them have human problems).
* The other temps.
* Arachne.
What could have been better:
* I would have liked more interaction with her sister.
* Her parents were practically...more
What I enjoyed:
* The interactions with the gods (and seeing them have human problems).
* The other temps.
* Arachne.
What could have been better:
* I would have liked more interaction with her sister.
* Her parents were practically...more
After seeing this book in a library at which I was not a card-holding member, I was dying to read it. Took me over a year to get my hot little hands on it, and I was happy I did. The idea was fantastic, a new take on modern-mythological beings, and lots of it was executed well. However the ending seemed to fly against all the initial rules the author had set up, and though the story kept trying to climax (trying REALLY HARD) the orgasm was pretty run-of-the-mill.
I'd probably allow myself another...more
I'd probably allow myself another...more
Before reading this book i had no idea about Greek Gods
after researching about the gods i understood the novel greatly
I enjoyed how the story went and seeing how the fates work
after researching about the gods i understood the novel greatly
I enjoyed how the story went and seeing how the fates work
It was fine. A bit painful. Not all teen lit is good. The ending was better than expected, that's probably the best praise I can give it.
It just wasn't ever completely believable.
It just wasn't ever completely believable.
This was a great one! I like how she "modernized". Good one for younger readers, just as good as Harry. (maybe better, or maybe I'm just not so sick of hearing about it I could puke.)
I really like this book, I like how we kind of get to know the Gods and their personal lives, Circe is hilariously feminist and so protective of her furniture!
It's such a nice lighthearted read that I find myself returning to quite often.
It's such a nice lighthearted read that I find myself returning to quite often.
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Esther M. Friesner was educated at Vassar College, where she completed B.A's in both Spanish and Drama. She went to on to Yale University; within five years she was awarded an M.A. and Ph.D. in Spanish. She taught Spanish at Yale for a number of years before going on to become a full-time author of fantasy and science fiction. She has published twenty-seven novels so far; her most recent titles in...more
More about Esther M. Friesner...
If I hadn't already read it, your review would make me want to read it. Thanks,
Julia
24 de Ene 10:24