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It's a Dog-Eat-Dog World in Camille Perri's Debut Novel "The Assistants"

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So, it just hit me that I'm about four years late to Camille Perri's The Assistants (2016) party, but I made it and I'm glad I came!

Perri's debut novel is seriously a page turner! 

It tells the tale of Tina Fontana, a 30-year-old executive assistant, who comes across the exact amount of money needed to pay off her student loan debts but ends up on a roller coaster of consequences for her actions. Just when you think you've figured out how one storyline ends, Perri throws in another to keep you on your toes!

Do Tina a favor when reading and keep these three things in mind:

RULE #1: ALL IMPORTANT MEN HAVE ASSISTANTS.

Robert Barlow is Tina's boss, the most powerful man in New York, owner of Titan Media Corporation. He owns "all or a portion of the media" consumed and "hovers around number thirty-five" on Forbes' billionaire list. He's married and in his 70's, but is in terrific physical shape for his age. He's relied on Tina for EVERYTHING (work-related and personal) for the six years she's worked for him and has become somewhat of a fatherly figure to her -- albeit, a very, very wealthy one.

What this means, however, is that over the years, Robert and Tina have formed a relationship that's close enough for Tina to ask him for financial assistance, especially as it pertains to paying off her student loan debt. Still, even with their closeness, Tina finds herself in the sticky situation of having illegally come into the exact amount of money needed to pay off her debt: $19,147.

RULE #2: MEN RULE THE WORLD. STILL.

One element of the book that I've found interesting is the common thread between all the bosses at Titan Media: their female assistants.

Even though the men have all the money, fame and power on and off the job, their female counterparts are really the ones who run the show -- the brains of the operations, if you will; whether the men would like to admit this or not.

As soon as Emily Johnson, Travel & Entertainment's director's assistant, caught wind of Tina's nearly $20,000 transaction, it was downhill from there. No longer was Tina in on her scheme alone, now Emily wanted a piece of the pie too; a $74,323.20 piece!

As if matters couldn't get any worse, head of accounting, Margie Fischer, did what a good accountant should: noticed the duplicating of Robert's expense reports and that money was going and coming from where it shouldn't. So, of course, her solution was to give both Tina and Emily an ultimatum of helping her out too or being exposed.

This all went on for about a month without Robert or anyone else at the company noticing -- or so they thought. Everything Robert did sent Tina's heart one inch closer to her feet; every sigh, wink, appendage movement, the way he drank his coffee or swiveled his chair, had Tina thinking he could see right through her and was giving her the opportunity to confess first. But, this didn't matter because she kept her mouth shut until the very end.

RULE #3: THERE IS ENOUGH MONEY. THERE IS SO MUCH MONEY.

Speaking of Tina being completely on edge from everything Robert did, she also notices his spending habits.  

The book gives the impression that Tina didn't truly take notice of the way Robert spent his money until she became involved with paying off her student debt. Suddenly, she sees how Robert can buy an entirely new set of golf clubs simply because he doesn't want to physically go back to the hotel to get the ones he already had packed. Now, she can see that six months' rent for her is a necktie or pair of cufflinks for Robert. Now, she sees who she has been working for, for the past six years; the Robert Barlow everyone loved to hate but whom she loved to defend.

As word spread more and more among the assistants, what started as Tina finding the golden ticket to take her out of student loan debt forever, ultimately turned into a non-profit website of donations for assistants everywhere. What was once women obediently typing, filing, answering the phone and emailing for their multi-millionaire bosses, became using these multi-millions to pay hardworking assistants what they deserve. What was once a loving father-daughter-like relationship between Robert and Tina, quickly plummeted into two strangers who realized that they truly didn't know each other like they thought they did.

My Take

The Assistants raises issues of income inequality, social hierarchies, student loan debt, and how progressive and aggressive young people can be (as opposed to being labeled 'lazy'), but it also forces the reader to consider his or her own moral compass and definition of what's right and what's wrong.

As soon as I started reading the first line of the book, I was immersed into the life of Tina Fontana. Tina isn't physically described right away, or really ever, explicitly, but I got a sense of who she is immediately. Perri does an excellent job of giving each character their unique voice, characteristics and way of thinking. Hell, I'm a 28-year-old journalism grad student at NYU (online) and I've been an assistant to "Important" people, so this book spoke to me. My conscience is too heavy and too loud for me to have pulled off what Tina did, but that's the beauty of fiction!

However, stranger things have happened in real life, which is funny because it was Perri's real-life experience as an assistant at Esquire magazine, that inspired The Assistants; and that's the beauty of the book, to make us as the reader question what we would do if the exact amount of money, down to the pennies, for something we really, really needed, suddenly fell in our laps.

Another element of the book I really appreciated is the discussion guide and conversation with Perri at the end, which is perfect for a book club or as a fun exercise to do by yourself.

Without ruining the fun for all who will pick up this book, of the 10 questions asked, the one that stands out to me the most is #10: Was the ending of the novel satisfying? Did anything about the ending surprise you? While you were reading, how did you want the story to end for Tina and Emily? For Robert? This is a big one because the ending is the most shocking part of the book; the part that really brings your ethics into play.

My answer: No. *hides face* Camille, please don't hate me, LOL! (Although, I'm sure this is the type of dialogue and discussion you want happening.)

Without giving too much away, the ending was not satisfying to me because I think Robert deserved better. Even after he found out about Tina's scheme, he protected her and gave her one last chance to do the right thing, but she still turned on him. 

It's been a few weeks since I finished the book and I still can't believe how Tina was not only able to get away with what she did, but also how it all worked in her favor, and how her relationship ended with Robert.

Honestly, I wanted Tina to get her comeuppance! Even though the narration was told from Tina's point of view, it's amazing how Perri still managed to get the reader to fall in love with Robert and feel sorry for him. In general, I should have been on Tina and the assistants' side, but as much as we have in common and as much as I see myself in Tina and in the world of the book, I don't agree with how she went about doing things.

For her debut novel, Perri knocked it out the park! The Assistants is easy reading, page-turning, real world fun! Perri makes you feel like you are going to work every day with Tina, like it was you who cashed the check, like you are biting your nails in anticipation of the day Robert approaches you. You feel like you're walking the streets of Manhattan and sleeping in a now-crowded one bedroom apartment with someone who you once disliked very much at work. You immediately secure a space in Tina's mind and become more involved in a plot than you probably ever thought you would/could. Bravo, Perri!

If you loved The Assistants, pick up a copy of Perri's second novel, When Katie Met Cassidy, and continue the fun with a little more raunch, but the same amount of talent!

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