Everyone Worth Knowing

By: Lauren Weisberger

Narrated by: Stina Nielsen

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Devil Wears Prada comes an irresistible novel about what happens when a girl on the fringe enters the realm of New York’s chic, party-hopping elite.

On paper, Bette Robinson’s life is good. At twenty-six, she’s got a great deal on an apartment in Manhattan, and she’s on target to become an associate at the prestigious investment bank where she works with her best friend. Her eighty-hour workweeks might keep her from socializing or dating outside her office walls—but she’s paying her dues on the well-trod path to wealth and happiness. So when Bette quits her job like the impulsive girl she’s never been, she not only shocks her friends and family—she has no idea what to do next.

For months, Bette gets out and about by walking her four-pound dog around her decidedly unglamorous Murray Hill neighborhood. Then she meets Kelly, head of Manhattan’s hottest PR and events planning firm, and suddenly Bette has a brand-new job where the primary requirement is to see and be seen.

The work at Kelly & Company takes Bette inside the VIP rooms of the city’s most exclusive nightclubs, to parties crowded with celebrities and socialites. Bette learns not to blink at the famous faces, the black Amex cards, the magnums of Cristal, or the ruthless paparazzi. Soon she’s dating an infamous playboy who’s great for her career but bad for her sanity—and scaring off the one decent guy she meets. Still, as her coworkers repeatedly point out, how can you complain about a job that pays you to party? Bette has to agree—until she begins appearing in a vicious new gossip column. That's when Bette’s life on paper takes on a whole new meaning—and she learns the line between her personal and professional lives is...invisible.

Not the best

While I enjoyed the performance, it wasn't my favourite as I found Bette spineless and wishy-washy. I got that she was caught in between, but about half way through, her whole "I'm sorry, I have no choice, it's my job" routine was getting old. I felt compelled to yell "own your choices girl!" at my iPhone. To be fair, this feeling is undoubtedly exacerbated by the fact that this is my fourth consecutive Weisberger read, and this is a definite common trait with her heroines. Even so, I found Bette just a little bit worse than the others, so many aspects of her life were a farce.
That aside, the performance was great and the story isn't bad, my main issue is just that I couldn't identify with the main character.

Agonizing Performance

Of the hundreds of books I've listened to, this is in my Top 3 worst performance - or maybe it's the editing. The pauses between thoughts, the gasps for breath, the lack of real inflection made me wonder why people say it's a good performance. The book could have been shortened by 25% (it's overly long) if the editing had reduced these crazy gaps and gasps.

The story was average, by far the weakest of Lauren Weisberger's books. None is really stellar but they offer mindless relief from the more serious news of the day. The story would have gained strength if it were more listen-able. (Actually I'd have switched to print but didn't want to spend more money on a weak book.)

Fun

A fun book perfect for when you don't want to think hard. Narrator is fantastic.

Entertaining

Plot points were predictable and lacked depth, but overall the story is cute. A good book for a beach or poolside vacation.

Lauren Weisberger...Where are you!?

Everyone Worth Knowing was just another in her long line of A+ novels! The hot social scenes and big lights ,mixed in with the Ms. & Mr. anyone characters interacting in that world. How fun! And Lauren fills that with so many surprising twists and turns....a new, great, Winner!,
We need more from Lauren now! She’s the best!