I'm with Stupid: Buddies taking safari in South Africa

I'm with Stupid by Elaine Szewczyk

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I read this book while on vacation in Hawaii, and my first impressions were positive ones: the protagonist goes off to South Africa on safari with her two best buddies. While there she meets a drop-dead gorgeous ranger and has a one-night stand with him. He ends up following her back to New York, and she discovers that he's unrealistically confident, not particularly savvy in the ways of the world, and distinctly lacking the ability to pick up social signals.

I liked some things about this novel: in particular the Polish-American background of the main character (same as the author) and the funny relationships with her family members and her friends. At times the scenarios she created were quite funny.

But overall, I found myself racing to finish the book and happy when it was over...mostly because there were so many extra characters that didn't seem central to the main story (like the odd Manuel) and the fact that the main character wasn't terribly deep or grounded herself.

I dislike the term "chick lit," but this book put a good spin on this genre--the conclusion is more open-ended and it's not "happily ever after."

View all my reviews