Amazon Breakthrough Award Review

ABNA Expert Review 

I wasn't sure what to think about the title, but I really like what you've done here. It sort of seems like a seamless merging of the latest "blog books" trend (like "Sleeping Naked is Green") and "Bridget Jones' Diary".  
 
I think a major strength is some really laugh-out-loud memorable lines. The ad seeking a roommate who doesn't actually live at the apartment was hilarious, well-written, and very memorable. It also seemed very real - the sort of thing an exasperated person would write in a fit of pique. Scenes on the boat cracked me up too. No, I am on Zoloft," was hilarious and is exactly the sort of line that would clinch the "do I buy this or not" question when browsing in the bookstore.  
 
I also really like what you've done in terms of analyzing Internet community as a new (and safe) source of community for lost twenty- and thirty-somethings. Buy online, sell online, chat online, and so forth - you've taken something that people use as a convenience and you've really looked at it in terms of how it can be a social release and outlet.  
 
The characterization seems (for the most part) well-done and very detailed. This is exactly the sort of book I would read and enjoy, even though I'm basically 100% not like the heroine at all. Vicarious escape literature; very fun.

Overall opinion 

Overall, a really good "chick lit" novel along the lines of "Sleeping Naked is Green" or "Bridget Jones" for a digital age. I really like the concept of online social interaction, as well as understanding yourself through a series of online ads. You've brought a lot of originality to the idea, and I like it. I'd probably pick this book up in a store, but I'd also probably end up giving it 4-stars based on the current state. I think with a little more polish, you can reach 5-stars.  
 
Overall Strength: 4-stars; good idea, good characterization, great hilarious lines, good style. Needs a touch more polish.  
 
Hook: 4-stars; the concept and writing could use polish, but the hilarious lines really hooked me, and I really came to care about the narrator in a short time. I'd like to read more, and I'd be very likely to plunk down money to do so.  
 
Prose: 4-stars; good humor, but some of the excerpt was a little confusing and more time could be spent fleshing out a few odd details (dates with strangers, technological issues, etc.) 
 
Originality: 5-stars; pretty sure this is the first Craigslist chick lit novel I've ever read. Very clean, clear voice and original writing. Keep up the great work.