Review: "The Devil Wears Prada" by Lauren Weisburger (New Adult, Womens Fiction, Chick Lit, Fashion Fiction)

	The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger Publisher: Broadway Books Genre: New Adult, Womens Fiction, Chick Lit, Fashion Fiction Publication date: October 3, 2006 (Affiliate links)
Description from Publisher: A delightfully dishy novel about the all-time most impossible boss in the history of impossible bosses. Andrea Sachs, a small-town girl fresh out of college, lands the job “a million girls would die for.” Hired as the assistant to Miranda Priestly, the high-profile, fabulously successful editor of "Runway "magazine, Andrea finds herself in an office that shouts "Prada! Armani! Versace!" at every turn, a world populated by impossibly thin, heart-wrenchingly stylish women and beautiful men clad in fine-ribbed turtlenecks and tight leather pants that show off their lifelong dedication to the gym. With breathtaking ease, Miranda can turn each and every one of these hip sophisticates into a scared, whimpering child. THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA gives a rich and hilarious new meaning to complaints about “The Boss from Hell.” Narrated in Andrea’s smart, refreshingly disarming voice, it traces a deep, dark, devilish view of life at the top only hinted at in gossip columns and over Cosmopolitans at the trendiest cocktail parties. From sending the latest, not-yet-in-stores Harry Potter to Miranda’s children in Paris by private jet, to locating an unnamed antique store where Miranda had at some point admired a vintage dresser, to serving lattes to Miranda at precisely the piping hot temperature she prefers, Andrea is sorely tested each and every day—and often late into the night with orders barked over the phone. She puts up with it all by keeping her eyes on the prize: a recommendation from Miranda that will get Andrea a top job at any magazine of her choosing. As things escalate from the merely unacceptable to the downright outrageous, however, Andrea begins to realize that the job a million girls would die for may just kill her. And even if she survives, she has to decide whether or not the job is worth the price of her soul.
My Rating: I enjoyed the style of writing and how light and quick this was to read, however, there were many things that bothered me. I didn't honestly think it was that awful to have to do several coffee runs a day, order breakfast a few times a day, set up dinner reservations, research restaurants or whatever, and run errands. Every single thing Andy had to do was at NO COST to her whatsoever. EVERYTHING was comped and thus she was actually making GREAT money to do what she did. I kept hoping that she would grow up throughout it all... Stop being so whiny and ungrateful and start realizing that she really did have a pretty great job, especially considering her lack of experience. Her best friend annoyed me and her boyfriend was awful... In the end, Andy was blamed for her friend's alcoholism (and what, pray tell, could she have honestly done if she hadn't had a life of her own?? She even tried to bring it up a few times and Lily brushed her off) and for her goody-two shoes boyfriend losing interest. Andy says she used to call him every single day, yet he whines that he had been trying to talk to her for a year?? Writing crap for Seventeen magazine is a considerable step DOWN since Seventeen is the teenage equivalent of Runway! It was absurd that Andy worked so hard for so long and then her idiot friends convinced her to quit and fly home because THEY were irresponsible. The ending was highly disappointing. Andy didn't change at all, beginning to end. She was still as immature as ever, just like her "I don't know what to do, so I'll just travel Europe until I'm broke" at the beginning of the book! Is it honestly THAT hard to get an entry-level job? Andy wasn't very likable and the whole thing seemed exaggerated. I never rooted for her to fly back home, I was angry at her "loved ones" and even more angry when she told Miranda off. I also don't see how exactly it was a problem doing the work she did to begin with. Say she needed a night off, was there NOBODY she could have had deliver The Book? Not even a messenger service she could pay $100 to deliver it? Could she not have told Miranda that something wasn't possible?? Or that she needed more information? Those who catered to her enabled her to be as controlling as she was, so they could only blame themselves. Not to mention that all of these "impossible" things like getting a book pre-release and finding a restaurant were entirely possible because of the respect the woman had earned all over. Not bad for a fluff novel, but disappointing on many levels.