The Art of Social War

August 4, 2008
In her debut novel, Wing uses Sun-Tzu’s classic The Art of War
and her own difficult transition from New York to L.A. to craft a brainy, satiric chick lit novel that forgoes a typical looking-for-love plot in favor of a happy-couple-against-the-world story. Tried and true New Yorker Stacey Knight is marrying the man of her dreams, businessman Jamie, who recently acquired a sinking Hollywood studio, necessitating their move to L.A. During the wedding reception, however, the antagonistic “Trio of Terror” studio heads Simon, Barb and Phil volley the first shot in a smooth but sinister dinner toast. As her enemies go all out, Stacy plays the victim for an irritating length of time before getting wise. The twists and turns, once they become clear, are entertaining, but Wing’s characters aren’t terribly likable, especially compared to some of the well-drawn minor characters. Though her concept, weaving in passages from Sun Tzu, is clever, the read slows to a crawl under the weight of difficult-to-follow conversations, a strange narrative style and frequent use of two-dollar words.

November 1, 2008
Wings debut novel follows a pair of newlyweds from New York to Los Angeles. Stacey Knight, a thriving PR representative, is stunned when her handsome fianc', Jamey Makepeace, drops a bit of shocking news on her: after the wedding, theyre going to move to Los Angeles so he can take over as the head of Pacificus Studios. Stacey, a die-hard New Yorker, is horrified at the thought of moving to the land of traffic and Botox, and she is floored when Jameys new coworkers crash their wedding and make a spectacle of themselves. Simon Mallis, the former head of the studio, isnt happy about Jamey taking over, and as soon as the newlyweds arrive in Los Angeles, they find themselves shunned by the Hollywood elite, leaving Stacey determined to fight back. Though some of the characters are too over-the-top to be amusing or believed, some of the more realistic details, like the dingy studio offices and long-suffering assistants, are spot-on. This charming fish-out-of-water story should find fans among chick-lit readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)