The Twins of Tribeca

Twins of Tribeca was absolutely solid entertainment. I read alot of different types of books--non fiction, schmaltzy fiction, serious fiction, you name it. But TOT really stood out. It's absolutely hilarious, has a heroine whose truly likable, and has some quite unforgettable characters. The book is an expose, filled with what I'm sure are both half-truths and full-truths, about Miramax during the 1997-1999 period. These were the years when the English Patient put Miramax on the map and Gwyneth Paltrow became the Weinstein brothers' darling, culminating in her Shakespeare in Love Oscar. I'm not a movie buff but it's really fun to try to figure out which movies and actors are being alluded to in the book. I thought it was just the right bit of scandalously funny. But even if you don't know anything about movies, it's still a really entertaining book. The descriptions of our poor heroine's insane work life and the three colorful execs (Allegra, Marlene, and Vivian) are priceless. Some have accused this book as being standard chick lit. Yeah, it's probably much more likely a woman would enjoy this book (except for big movie buffs) but it's definitely not standard and I whole-heartedly recommend this to anyone looking for a good entertaining read.

Fun, flirty book. I read it cover to cover in one day. The heroine Karen is great. Everybody who's ever had a hellacious job can relate. And all the insidery comments are hysterical. Great summer read.

As an avid reader, I'd been hearing about this book for quite some time (all about the inner workings of a star-studded, oscar-winning, wildly famous major motion picture studio based in New York City). So much publicity and the book hadn't even been released yet. Well, now it has. And I'm very excited to say that it TOTALLY lives up to all its hype and then some! Twins of Tribeca is really great. Laugh out loud funny, wonderfully detailed, quite intelligent and absolutely original (something that's sorely missing from the overwhelming majority of most of what I've seen lately). Movie buffs will love to know how their favorite stars (and the ones here are Brad Pitt BIG!) really act when the cameras stop rolling--their insecurities, their demands and their all-around personal drama. Also, they'll love to know what goes on behind the scenes, as in, taking perhaps a not-so good movie and having it win Oscars and make lots of money. Movie publicity is a hysterical art form unto itself, and Pine has captured it beautifully. At the center of Twins is Karen Jacobs, an idealistic young woman who jumps at the chance to have a glamorous job in the movie business. Who wouldn't? All the excitement, the celebrities, the parties, the hob-knobbing and New York City as a magical backdrop. What she didn't know was that her bosses were hilariously insane and her cut-throat coworkers were chronically miserable. (Who couldn't relate to this??!) Plus, the big name celebrities couldn't tie their own shoes without tripping over themselves! Somehow she juggles it all, and writes about it, with intelligence, great wit, and lots of charm. All around, Twins is a perfect choice. Honestly, I just couldn't put it down. I know you'll love it too.

There is nothing like a breathtakingly good book that simply will not let you put it down, regardless of what time you have to get up the next morning. Even better is when it is a debut novel. I found "Twins of Tribeca" by Rachel Pine to be such a novel. It was so good, so gossipy, so dishy, and so well-written that I simply had no choice but to finish the book in one read. Bored with her job at CNN, Karen Jacobs (our main heroine) jumps at the chance to work in the publicity department for Glorious Productions. Despite having heard terrible rumors about the working conditions there, she manages to get hired on as a junior publicist - assistant to the infamous Allegra Orecchi. Karen realizes pretty quickly that she may be in over her head. The elusive Allegra is rarely around, and when she is, she isn't the most pleasant person to deal with. Dagney, Allegra's other assistant, seems OK at first, but soon starts acting like she is jealous of Karen and is about to have a nervous breakdown. Then there is the whole backstabbing issue: it seems all the top people in the department hate each other and will stop at nothing to tear one another down. Karen realizes that she is in the middle of it all - which is not a good place to be. While in the midst of juggling her 12-hour work days, Karen has to try not to get too cozy with a Page Six editor who could send all of her hard work tumbling down around her. This book was an enormously interesting read. Filled with studio moguls, harried assistants, glitz, glamour, and backstabbing, I couldn't have asked for a better novel. It was a well-written, highly engaging story with a great main heroine and plenty of other intriguing characters. The book's setting goes from the Tribeca area in Manhattan to the red carpet and movie premieres in Hollywood- all without losing pace. There are also a lot of interesting details about the ins and outs of movie studios, publicity, and much more. There is very little about Karen's personal life thrown into the story, as it is mostly centered around her job. But the author does a great job of tying everything up neatly at the end - with no lagging parts or stalling chapters, as other books of this nature have had. Best of all, the novel stays realistic throughout it all, regardless of the sometimes implausible situations. Overall I highly, highly recommend this awesome debut to anyone who likes a great novel - chick lit or otherwise! Fans of "The Devil Wears Prada" will adore this book and also find a special treat within the pages.

For anyone curious about what it's really and truly like on the inside of the adreneline-fueled, ego-filled world "behind the scenes" at a major movie studio, this is it. With a heroine blessed with a big heart and desire to make it, the unexpected twists and turns of the Business are populated with unrelenting and outright over-the-top personalities, crazed demands, and a workplace entirely entertaining but definitely not for the faint of heart. As we make our way from the red carpet to the Chairman's Office, we learn much about how to make it on the inside, but just as much about the meaning of success.