Publisher's Weekly Review
Graciela "Ace" Jones has a lot on her plate: her best friend Lilly cancelled their annual trip and won't tell her why; her boss hates her and makes her life miserable; her friend Chloe is married to a controlling, abusive man; and Ace's own love life is on the skids since her jealousy and insecurity lead to her break-up with love-of-her-life Mason. Here, Campbell turns in a winning performance, ably capturing Ace's unique voice and bringing her to life. The narrator also creates distinctive voices for other characters, including the prickly principal; the abusive husband; and mousy, nervous Chloe. A NAL paperback. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Graciela Ace Jones has trouble keeping her mouth shut. Fortunately, she has plenty to yell about. Her almost-fiance, Mason, may be cheating on her. Her friend Chloe is married to a jerk who is becoming abusive. And her best friend, Lilly, not only ditched their annual spring-break pilgrimage for a trip to Paris with her mystery lover but is also then accused of having an affair with a high-school student. The only one in Bugtussle, Mississippi, that Ace can trust is her faithful chiweenie dog, Buster Loo. But even Buster Loo turns out to be a traitor when Mason comes back to town. Although the novel's many plot points move along at a madcap pace, the resolutions rely a bit too much on red herrings. Fortunately, Ace is a likable enough heroine to carry the book, and McAfee is already planning on writing two more in the series. Diary of a Mad Fat Girl has already been on the New York Times e-book best-seller list after McAfee self-published it, but this southern-fried Janet Evanovich should find an audience in print, as well.--Maguire, Susan Copyright 2010 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Ace Jones is a 30-year-old high school art teacher who failed to outgrow adolescence. She lives in Bugtussle, MS, where she has spent most of her life. She hates her job, her boss, her boyfriend, her best friend, and her body. She can't commit to a serious relationship and has slept with just about every guy in town. She rages against hypocrites but doesn't see her own inconsistencies. Among bouts of drinking, eating pizza, going to clubs, and teaching, she manages to clean up all the dirty little secrets in Bugtussle, which makes her feel better. Then she leaves town. McAfee's first novel gives us chick lit at its worst. Her gun-toting heroine is no role model. The indiscriminate use of profanity captures the speech patterns of teens and twentysomethings but adds nothing to the story. The predictable happy ending comes without any resolution of Ace's insecurities. Perhaps the story is meant to be ironic or histrionic, but it comes across as vapid. VERDICT Well read by award-winning Cassandra Campbell, this audiobook might appeal to younger readers of chick lit. ["A surprise best seller as a self-published ebook, the novel has been revised and expanded," read the review of the NAL: Penguin Group (USA) pb, LJ 12/11.-Ed.]-Joanna M. Burkhardt, Univ. of Rhode Island Libs., Providence (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.