The List

Starred review from November 12, 2012
Hildy Johnson would recognize a kindred spirit in 28-year-old Adrienne Brown, a Beltway-bred, New York–trained reporter who sacrifices sleep, sanity, and sex to feed the wonky digital/paper beast the Capitolist—or “the List” as its rabidly ambitious scribes call it. Adrienne slaves in relative obscurity as a “Style section girl” at this Beltway must-read, blasting out celebrity interviews on her never-turned-off Blackberry. But within a month of her arrival, she also stumbles on what will become a blockbuster, front-page story involving List superstar and shrewish White House reporter Olivia Campo. To untangle the details of the hot-sheets affair between the married Olivia and a famously family-man U.S. senator—and two mysterious deaths—Adrienne enlists the help of her pushy big sister, Payton. She not only gets a career-boosting story but the respect of her perfect sibling, high-powered parents, and sharp-elbowed peers. Former Politico reporter Tanabe’s roman-à-clef is a hilarious skewering of digital journalism—and how news is tweeted and blogged at a dizzying pace by armies of underpaid and overworked 20-something journos—as well as a smartly paced and dishy debut, part political thriller, part surprisingly sweet coming-of-age tale, and part timeless ode to dogged reporters with good instincts and guts of steel. Hildy would be proud. Agent: Bridget Wagner, Zachary Shuster Harmsworth Literary Agency.

November 1, 2012
A wisecracking reporter sometimes can be downright annoying in Tanabe's debut chick-lit offering. Adrienne Brown, a 28-year-old graduate of Wellesley College, has spent the requisite time living in New York City and working her way up the journalistic ladder at a glossy publication. When she decides it's time for a change, she applies for a position at the Capitolist, the hottest print publication and website in Washington, D.C. Although she takes a pay cut as a style reporter, works 14-hour days and lives in an apartment over her parents' barn, more than an hour's commute away, Adrienne's irreverent humor gets her through each day. She quips her way through celebrity-filled parties, including the White House Correspondents' Dinner, where she verbally spears a celebrity or two and learns that the man of her dreams is married to a colleague: snotty political reporter Olivia Campo. Not only does Olivia seem to receive preferential treatment by the boss, her gorgeous hunk of a husband is devoted to her and they reside in a beautiful home in a desirable section of the city. When Adrienne discovers Olivia's having an affair with a very married senator, she's on it like a dog on a bone. The enterprising reporter snaps some extremely racy photos and then vacillates back and forth trying to decide whether to break the story or sit on it. More information comes to light when Adrienne enlists the help of her equally witty older sister, and they uncover details that are more far-reaching than Adrienne at first thought. A former political and celebrity reporter, Tanabe's plot contains everything a die-hard chick-lit fan could want: plenty of fluff, sibling rivalry, deceit and intrigue, and a spunky heroine. Although the author's attempts to inject humor into every situation may grind on some readers' nerves, many fans of this genre will find it appealing.

COPYRIGHT(2012) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2012

Former Politico reporter Tanabe writes a roman a clef, sort of, as she introduces 28-year-old Wellesley grad Adrienne Brown, who ditches her stylish Town and Country job for a chance to work at the Capitolist (aka "The List"), a booming media outlet in Washington, DC. Adrienne sees a chance to get ahead when she learns of a hot affair between her most cutthroat colleague and a high-profile senator. Possibly for wonks, definitely for those who like juicy reads.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2012
Adrienne Brown has left a fabulous job as an editor of Town & Country, in which she partied with the rich and famous in New York, and collected a designer wardrobe to work in Washington, D.C., for a political newspaper and website that promises long hours and little recognition or pay. But it's the Capitolistthe Listwhich is rising in power, influence, and the ability to launch careers into the stratosphere if its writers can hang on. Adrienne's buddies in the little-respected style section offer support as they commiserate over their ill treatment. With every long, overworked day, Adrienne wonders about her decision. She's 28, living with her parents in Virginia in an apartment above the barn, and working insane hours with no love life. Then she stumbles onto a sex scandal involving a prominent senator that could elevate her from the trenches into the limelight. But does she have the feral ambition it will take to get the story? Tanabe, a former Politico reporter, has written a fast-paced novel about politics and journalism in the digital age.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)