Okay, first off I'd like to say that it's rare for me to give up on a book. Even if I'm finding it hard; even if the book really isn't getting me hooked, I try to at least finish it in the hope that it could lead to a pleasant surprise. However, this time? I just. Couldn't. Do it. Regardless of how hard I tried, Penny Smith's offering Coming Up Next just didn't reel me in. At all.
Judging by the blurb, this debut by well-known GMTV presenter Penny seemed like a fabulous read. The book is, apparently, a tale of 'bright lights and cat fights'. It focuses on Katie Fisher, main presenter of morning TV show Hello Britain!, who is publicly sacked in favour of the young, perky, up-and-coming Keera.
Obviously, being traded in for someone younger and better looking isn't really the best thing to happen to a news anchor, especially when the story is splashed all over the news. So Katie heads off to her parent's house, alcohol in tow, when she figures out what to do next...
Even at her parents', she's not hidden from the press for long. Snapped by the paparazzi with her stash of booze in oder to drown out the humiliation, Katie is embarrassed yet again and is forced to realise what it's like to be on the other side of the cameras.
Meanwhile, despite her good looks on-screen, the ditzy Keera is proving hard work. And co-presenter Mike, as friendly as he seems, might just be after something a bit more ambitious that friendship. After all, this is the world of TV...
But sadly, this was as far as I got before I closed the book and decided not to waste any more of my time.
This could have been a very funny and witty book, but sadly, it lacked even the ability to make me chuckle even once. Penny Smith seemed intent on loading the book with pointless and annoying puns, rubbish jokes, flat characters, and narrative that simply didn't do the good premise justice at all. After reading the synopsis, I felt like I'd be in for a bitchy, unputdownable read, but I could only just manage half of the story before desperately wanting to move onto the next in the to-be-read pile. The most disappointing part was that this COULD have been a potentially fantastic debut, especially seeing as it was written by a real TV presenter who obviously has enough experience to make this interesting. But it was written in such a bland way that it felt like a good plot and idea had been wasted. Which is a damn shame.
Believe me, I really don't like dishing out negative reviews. But sometimes it just has to be done. As appealing as this book looked, all it left me was disappointment. So if you do decide to give Penny's debut a chance, I'd advise you to borrow it.
And then tell me what happens at the end, please? Thanks.
Rating: 1/5
