Book Spotlight: The Assistants by Camille Perri

Title: The Assistants

Author:Camille Perri

Published:May 2016, G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Format:Hardcover, 288 pages

A wry and
astute debut about a young Manhattanite whose embezzlement scam turns
her into an unlikely advocate for the leagues of overeducated and
underpaid assistants across the city.

Tina Fontana
is the hapless but brazen thirty-year-old executive assistant to Robert
Barlow, the all-powerful and commanding CEO of Titan Corp., a
multinational media conglomerate. She’s excellent at her job and beloved
by her famous boss—but after six years of making his reservations for
restaurants she’d never get into on her own and pouring his drinks from
bottles that cost more than her rent, she’s bored, broke, and just a bit
over it all.

When a technical error with Robert’s
travel-and-expenses report presents Tina with the opportunity to pay off
the entire balance of her student loan debt with what would essentially
be pocket change for her boss, she struggles with the decision: She’s
always played by the rules. But it’s such a relatively small amount of
money for the Titan Corporation—and for her it would be a life-changer .
. .

The Assistants speaks directly to a new
generation of women who feel stuck and unable to get ahead playing by
the rules. It will appeal to all of those who have ever asked
themselves, “How is it that after all these years, we are still
assistants?

What readers are saying: 

“Perri’s debut is reminiscent of the golden era of early-aughts
chick-lit…The characters’ millennial concerns—overwhelming student-loan
debt, underemployment, loneliness in a world of hyperconnectivity—ring
true, making this a winner for readers who long for the return of light,
clever novels with young, professional women at their center.” –Booklist, starred review

“Attention
readers fed up with their jobs: call in sick tomorrow and dive into
this[crackling] debut… Perri’s writing is quippy and the pace
breezy…enjoy the sweetness of plotting revenge over cocktails (expensed,
of course). You’ll feel better after reading, promise.” –Kirkus Reviews

“If the characters of HBO’s Girls
were capable of larceny and blackmail, they could be the main
characters of Perri’s sharp first novel….Perri has a gift for the glib
one-liner, and reserved Tina and glamorous Emily make for a great
pairing, resulting in a smart and fresh novel.” –Publishers Weekly

“Anyone
who has ever been an assistant will appreciate Camille Perri’s funny,
honest, 100% relatable (and did I say funny?) debut novel about a band
of exploited, entry-level strivers who even the score with their
billionaire boss in the most ingenious way. After a long day at work,
this is the book you’ll want to pick up—and, after reading it, you’ll
never look at an expense report (or your colleagues) in the same way
again.” –Elisabeth Egan, author of A Window Opens

“With
an incredible sense of humor and an eye for detail, Perri perfectly
captures what it’s like to assist a high-powered boss. The Assistants is addictive, hilarious, and smart. It’s 9 to 5 for the student loan generation.” —J. Courtney Sullivan, New York Times bestselling author of The Engagements and Maine

“Camille Perri’s The Assistants is
a hilarious romp through the world of corporate greed and the people
who assist them. It’s also a great story of criminal redemption. It was a
blast from start to finish.” –Lisa Lutz, author of How to Start a Fire and The Spellman Files. 
  

“The Assistants is wry, thoughtful, and funny as hell. I read through
the night with a huge smile on my face as lovable Tina Fontana and her
raucous band of disenfranchised assistants wreak some Robin Hood-style
havoc on their corporate overlords. I had no idea income inequality and
grand larceny could be this much fun! I’m so glad Camille Perri did.” –Eliza Kennedy, author of I Take You

“This
delicious page-turner is a rallying cry for everyone squandering their
20s in thankless servitude to those who will never share the
wealth—unless someone cleverly forces their hand.” –Nicola Kraus, co-author of The Nanny Diaries and How To Be A Grown-Up

The Assistants  by  Camille Perri  is one of  BookSparks “Summer Reads” reading selection picks.

Follow the #SRC2016, #BestSRCEver and
#BestSummerEver hashtags on twitter to read reviews on this book as well
as reviews on the other summer books!