This is a prime case of a movie tainting your enjoyment of a book. I went into this with a lot of high hopes (probably too high, honestly), as I absolutely love both the movie and the musical version of this story. So of course I was anxious as anything to finally read the source material. I was left feeling flat and under styled by the entire thing.

While the author shows a real knack for smart, quick witted writing, the entire story felt open ended and hollow. A lot of characters seemed tacked on for no additional purpose other than to fill a page quota. Elle didn't have any real uphill challenges, and her feelings, particularly towards Warner's new beau were all over the map, it was hard to keep track.

If I'd read this first, maybe I'd have liked it better. But unfortunately for fans of the big screen/stage adaptations, this will leave you feeling underwhelmed.