What do you think?
Rate this book
I'm Not Julia Roberts
Does every second wife look like Julia Roberts? Lu Klein certainly doesn't, and her life is anything but glamorous. When she married a man with children, Lu had no idea that she was also marrying his shrewish ex-wife, Beatrix. And Beatrix had no idea that making a new home with her second husband would mean welcoming her wicked teenage stepdaughter, Liv. And Liv's mother Roxie had no idea that so many new and exciting boyfriends could make her long for the stable life she and her ex had too eagerly left behind.
In this tightly interconnected collection of ten short stories, author Laura Ruby chronicles the progress of Lu, Beatrix, Roxie and their various steps and exes as they take the perilous plunge into the maelstrom of the so-called "blended family." Both ruefully funny and wickedly insightful, I AM NOT JULIA ROBERTS offers finely-observed, honest and affecting takes on kids, step-kids, divorce, remarriage...and the movie Stepmom.
In this tightly interconnected collection of ten short stories, author Laura Ruby chronicles the progress of Lu, Beatrix, Roxie and their various steps and exes as they take the perilous plunge into the maelstrom of the so-called "blended family." Both ruefully funny and wickedly insightful, I AM NOT JULIA ROBERTS offers finely-observed, honest and affecting takes on kids, step-kids, divorce, remarriage...and the movie Stepmom.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
4 people are currently reading
213 people want to read
About the author
Laura Ruby
29 books803 followersRaised in the wilds of suburban New Jersey, Laura Ruby now lives in Chicago with her family. Her short fiction for adults has appeared in various literary magazines, including Other Voices, The Florida Review, Sycamore Review and Nimrod. A collection of these stories, I'M NOT JULIA ROBERTS, was published by Warner Books in January 2007. Called "hilarious and heart-wrenching" by People and "a knowing look at the costs and rewards of remaking a family," by the Hartford-Courant, the book was also featured in Redbook, Working Mother , and USA Today among others.
Ruby is also the author of the Edgar-nominated children's mystery LILY'S GHOSTS (8/03), the children's fantasy THE WALL AND THE WING (3/06) and a sequel, THE CHAOS KING (5/07) all from Harpercollins. She writes for older teens as well, and her debut young adult novel, GOOD GIRLS (9/06), also from Harpercollins, was a Book Sense Pick for fall 2006 and an ALA Quick Pick for 2007. A new young adult novel, PLAY ME, is slated for publication in fall of 2008. Her books have sold in England, Australia, Italy, France, Germany, Denmark, Serbia and Montenegro. THE WALL AND THE WING is currently in development with Laika Studios for release as an animated feature.
Ms. Ruby has been a featured speaker at BookExpo, the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) annual convention, the Miami Book Festival, the Florida Association of Media Educators (FAME) convention, the Midwest Literary Festival, the International Reading Association's annual convention, and Illinois Reading Council annual conference, among other venues, and she has presented programs and workshops for both adults and children at numerous schools and libraries.
Currently, she is working on several thousand projects, drinking way too much coffee, and searching for new tunes for her iPod.
Ruby is also the author of the Edgar-nominated children's mystery LILY'S GHOSTS (8/03), the children's fantasy THE WALL AND THE WING (3/06) and a sequel, THE CHAOS KING (5/07) all from Harpercollins. She writes for older teens as well, and her debut young adult novel, GOOD GIRLS (9/06), also from Harpercollins, was a Book Sense Pick for fall 2006 and an ALA Quick Pick for 2007. A new young adult novel, PLAY ME, is slated for publication in fall of 2008. Her books have sold in England, Australia, Italy, France, Germany, Denmark, Serbia and Montenegro. THE WALL AND THE WING is currently in development with Laika Studios for release as an animated feature.
Ms. Ruby has been a featured speaker at BookExpo, the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) annual convention, the Miami Book Festival, the Florida Association of Media Educators (FAME) convention, the Midwest Literary Festival, the International Reading Association's annual convention, and Illinois Reading Council annual conference, among other venues, and she has presented programs and workshops for both adults and children at numerous schools and libraries.
Currently, she is working on several thousand projects, drinking way too much coffee, and searching for new tunes for her iPod.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
July 5, 2011
Somehow, despite the title, this book circumvented my expectations. It was odd--and interesting--to read a narrative in which there are no wicked stepmothers and the perceptibly wicked stepchildren are either tortured artists or struggling with OCD. The collection of stories almost feels like a novel, because of the tight, interweaving thread, but because they are short stories, there isn't room for a resolution of any of the conflict. That might well be the point, that there is no resolution, that you just keep living and trying for the best, but there are definitely some plots that feel unfinished. It speaks well of the writing that I want more.
June 1, 2010
This book had potential; it had a good start. But it failed in so many ways.
For one, it had too many characters. It was almost like the author was wanting the reader to connect with her characters, so she threw a load of them out there, like the adage, there's someone for everyone. I couldn't keep the players straight, and too many of them were entirely unnecessary.
I also found that there was too much negativity. As a mother who has dealt with a stepmother in my children's lives, and as a stepmother who has had to work with a biological mother for years, I found that this book was almost unrealistic in so many ways. You don't always get along with you step children, or even like them, and certainly there can be friction between the other adults involved, but every. single. ex. in this book disliked their ex's new wife/husband, with the exception of Moira. It was like the author has some vague idea of the complicated dynamic between exes and new spouses without ever having experienced it or even researched it.
I also found the parenting in this book ridiculous, without a single thread based in reality. Is this author even a parent? Ever even been around children?
The teenagers were one dimensional, and extremely predictable. I have run the gauntlet of two teens (so far) with three more to go, and one in the throes of teenage-hood right now, and while I agree that there can be a certain amount of surliness and rebellion, ALL these teenagers were just so unbelievable. Like someones idea of a teenager, without having spent much time around them. Just... unreal.
Overall, I really disliked this book. I tried to like it, but no. I wish I hadn't bothered.
For one, it had too many characters. It was almost like the author was wanting the reader to connect with her characters, so she threw a load of them out there, like the adage, there's someone for everyone. I couldn't keep the players straight, and too many of them were entirely unnecessary.
I also found that there was too much negativity. As a mother who has dealt with a stepmother in my children's lives, and as a stepmother who has had to work with a biological mother for years, I found that this book was almost unrealistic in so many ways. You don't always get along with you step children, or even like them, and certainly there can be friction between the other adults involved, but every. single. ex. in this book disliked their ex's new wife/husband, with the exception of Moira. It was like the author has some vague idea of the complicated dynamic between exes and new spouses without ever having experienced it or even researched it.
I also found the parenting in this book ridiculous, without a single thread based in reality. Is this author even a parent? Ever even been around children?
The teenagers were one dimensional, and extremely predictable. I have run the gauntlet of two teens (so far) with three more to go, and one in the throes of teenage-hood right now, and while I agree that there can be a certain amount of surliness and rebellion, ALL these teenagers were just so unbelievable. Like someones idea of a teenager, without having spent much time around them. Just... unreal.
Overall, I really disliked this book. I tried to like it, but no. I wish I hadn't bothered.
May 24, 2014
It was a quick decent read. I didn't love it, but didn't hate it either. As the book went on, there were too many connections and it was a bit hard to keep the minor characters straight-on how they connected to the story. It could have been better executed, but I would read something else written by this author.
December 29, 2007
It took me awhile to decide if I liked this book or not but I think I did. It made me realize I'm not the only one out there with a crazy family of step-something's and ex-something's, and that I'm not the only one who is not particularly fond of some of them.
February 28, 2021
Probably a 2.5 stars
Lightly amusing. Very honest and authentic writing.
Even though there is a family tree at the front of the book, the characters (and how they are all related) is just too confusing. This was not enjoyable for me to read.
Lightly amusing. Very honest and authentic writing.
Even though there is a family tree at the front of the book, the characters (and how they are all related) is just too confusing. This was not enjoyable for me to read.
November 18, 2020
This book is a punishment. Don't bother reading.
September 30, 2022
I was reading about the author and her works for young adults when I came across this title.
It was available through WISCAT. This book was written in 2007. There is a two page spread of a family tree at the beginning and I thought to myself that I would not need in. I dove right in. Wrong!! There are so many characters to track that I kept referring to chart to remember who was who. What is it like to be a stepmother? That is the primary question of the book. And the character who is asking it is named Lu, Loopy, or Lupe depending on who is addressing her. The book explores the nature of raising children particularly those of divorce. I have to say that I felt terrible for the children in this book...the adults were not adulting! Favorite quotes:
p. 229 Sex reduced, sex plundered, sex mauled, and it massacred---just look at what people would do to do it, what it did to people who did it.
p. 250 (top) What sort of catastrophe would it take to teach us, finally, how and what to cherish?
p. 250 (bottom) And because she wished that she could love him even more for it, wished that her love weren't so mean and small and given to hiccups, like the reception on a broken radio.
p.156 (Where we learn the title reference.) Lu thought it was because Julia Roberts had played the beleaguered stepmother, and didn't every stepmother secretly aspire to be Julia Roberts, well scrubbed and well-meaning, the girl next door with the big smile and bigger heart?
It was available through WISCAT. This book was written in 2007. There is a two page spread of a family tree at the beginning and I thought to myself that I would not need in. I dove right in. Wrong!! There are so many characters to track that I kept referring to chart to remember who was who. What is it like to be a stepmother? That is the primary question of the book. And the character who is asking it is named Lu, Loopy, or Lupe depending on who is addressing her. The book explores the nature of raising children particularly those of divorce. I have to say that I felt terrible for the children in this book...the adults were not adulting! Favorite quotes:
p. 229 Sex reduced, sex plundered, sex mauled, and it massacred---just look at what people would do to do it, what it did to people who did it.
p. 250 (top) What sort of catastrophe would it take to teach us, finally, how and what to cherish?
p. 250 (bottom) And because she wished that she could love him even more for it, wished that her love weren't so mean and small and given to hiccups, like the reception on a broken radio.
p.156 (Where we learn the title reference.) Lu thought it was because Julia Roberts had played the beleaguered stepmother, and didn't every stepmother secretly aspire to be Julia Roberts, well scrubbed and well-meaning, the girl next door with the big smile and bigger heart?
October 17, 2019
Wow this book was awful. It had such promise, started out interesting but went downhill fast. There were too many characters to keep track of and absolutely no plot. I'm still not sure what the point was. And the last paragraph was just baffling but I'm too thankful it's over to ponder it too much.
January 7, 2023
The author tried to write separate character stories and then weave them together, but it was all just too confusing. I had to look back to the "family tree" multiple times, but I was still left confused. 😔
December 30, 2010
I picked this book up at a book exchange, and I admit that it was mostly due to the intriguing title. I will preface this review with the comment that I don't normally read 'chick lit', so this may color my opinion of this novel.
"I'm not Julia Roberts" was awash with too many points of view and too many characters. There were so many characters, in fact, that the author found it necessary to provide a 'Family Tree' and 'List of Characters' at the beginning of the novel and it was certainly needed to keep track of everyone. This probably should have been a clue to the writer that something may have been amiss with the story. Even with this 'cheat sheet', it was still a chore to remember which character was married, divorced, related, a child, or a friend of whomever else. When I was about a third of the way into the book I thought I had it all sorted out and felt that if I started reading again from the beginning, things would make more sense. However, the story wasn't interesting enough to make that kind of effort. And I found as I continued to read that I still had to refer to the 'Family Tree'. Too many times the flow of reading was interrupted just to try and figure out who was related whom.
Each chapter focused on a different family or character, with a different POV. However, the author sometimes mixed POV within the chapter and even within individual paragraphs. One minute I was reading something written in first person and then it would abruptly change to third person and then back again. This only added to the confusion. There seemed to be a main character (Lu) and family (again, Lu's) that the author meant to make the focus of the novel, but this was only truly evident by making the first and last chapter from Lu's POV. In between, we got vignettes (vignette being the key word here as so often these chapters were isolated 'slices of life' that didn't relate to the other chapters) about the other families' and characters' lives. If there had been some cohesiveness to all of this, it would have been fine, but there didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason, nor timeline for it all. In school one is taught that every story should have a beginning, middle, and end and that each story should develop, build to a crisis, and then resolve to a conclusion - a sort of 'bell curve' if you visualize it graphically. This story had none of that. There were a lot of conflicts, but no build, no peak, no real denouement, at least for all of the characters presented. For me, the novel was like a first draft with a lot of free-writing that could have been edited and pulled together into a cohesive novel with some extensive revision, but was just left 'as is' and printed for quick release.
One particular chapter that I found very lacking was called 'Dear Psycho' about a third of the way through the book. It was made up entirely of letters and emails sent between a few different characters that seemed random and out of place with the rest of the book. To top it off, they were in reverse order! One read the response to a particular letter or email before reading what prompted it. Very confusing. I still don't see the purpose in inserting a chapter of this style into an otherwise 'regularly written' novel. It can be done - another book, 'E', that I've read, and thoroughly enjoyed - was written as a novel entirely made up of inter-office emails. That author made it work. But he wrote the whole book in that style. He didn't throw it in in the middle of something else. In 'I'm not Julia Roberts' it was just a random anomaly that did not work - especially when presented in a backwards order.
Perhaps this writer was attempting to find her voice by breaking all the rules. It can be done - great writers do it all of the time - but it fell flat here. I haven't read any of Laura Ruby's other works to compare, but after this experience, I don't have any desire to. It was all that I could do to finish this novel. I kept thinking I'd find the reason for the style of writing and that I'd find the story eventually. Sadly, I never did.
"I'm not Julia Roberts" was awash with too many points of view and too many characters. There were so many characters, in fact, that the author found it necessary to provide a 'Family Tree' and 'List of Characters' at the beginning of the novel and it was certainly needed to keep track of everyone. This probably should have been a clue to the writer that something may have been amiss with the story. Even with this 'cheat sheet', it was still a chore to remember which character was married, divorced, related, a child, or a friend of whomever else. When I was about a third of the way into the book I thought I had it all sorted out and felt that if I started reading again from the beginning, things would make more sense. However, the story wasn't interesting enough to make that kind of effort. And I found as I continued to read that I still had to refer to the 'Family Tree'. Too many times the flow of reading was interrupted just to try and figure out who was related whom.
Each chapter focused on a different family or character, with a different POV. However, the author sometimes mixed POV within the chapter and even within individual paragraphs. One minute I was reading something written in first person and then it would abruptly change to third person and then back again. This only added to the confusion. There seemed to be a main character (Lu) and family (again, Lu's) that the author meant to make the focus of the novel, but this was only truly evident by making the first and last chapter from Lu's POV. In between, we got vignettes (vignette being the key word here as so often these chapters were isolated 'slices of life' that didn't relate to the other chapters) about the other families' and characters' lives. If there had been some cohesiveness to all of this, it would have been fine, but there didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason, nor timeline for it all. In school one is taught that every story should have a beginning, middle, and end and that each story should develop, build to a crisis, and then resolve to a conclusion - a sort of 'bell curve' if you visualize it graphically. This story had none of that. There were a lot of conflicts, but no build, no peak, no real denouement, at least for all of the characters presented. For me, the novel was like a first draft with a lot of free-writing that could have been edited and pulled together into a cohesive novel with some extensive revision, but was just left 'as is' and printed for quick release.
One particular chapter that I found very lacking was called 'Dear Psycho' about a third of the way through the book. It was made up entirely of letters and emails sent between a few different characters that seemed random and out of place with the rest of the book. To top it off, they were in reverse order! One read the response to a particular letter or email before reading what prompted it. Very confusing. I still don't see the purpose in inserting a chapter of this style into an otherwise 'regularly written' novel. It can be done - another book, 'E', that I've read, and thoroughly enjoyed - was written as a novel entirely made up of inter-office emails. That author made it work. But he wrote the whole book in that style. He didn't throw it in in the middle of something else. In 'I'm not Julia Roberts' it was just a random anomaly that did not work - especially when presented in a backwards order.
Perhaps this writer was attempting to find her voice by breaking all the rules. It can be done - great writers do it all of the time - but it fell flat here. I haven't read any of Laura Ruby's other works to compare, but after this experience, I don't have any desire to. It was all that I could do to finish this novel. I kept thinking I'd find the reason for the style of writing and that I'd find the story eventually. Sadly, I never did.
July 9, 2007
I thought it was slightly amusing, but overall I didn't like it. The character development was terrible, making it too hard to keep all the characters straight (despite the "family tree" at the front). She should've just stuck to the main 3 women and developed their stories more deeply. As a step-mom, I could only relate to a few of the sentiments. Who really acts that like with their ex?? I could relate the most to Lu and some of her feelings towards her step-sons, but that was the extent of it. Also, I didn't like the section in the middle with the letters/emails/postings, etc. It was too jarring; maybe should've been dispersed throughout. Not really worth the read in my opinion, especially if you aren't a step-mom.
June 19, 2007
I'll probably donate it to the library.
Very convoluted connection of MANY characters, their exes, their new spouses and their kids and extended families. I like the humor, but it's mostly about divorce and reconstructed families, not necessarily applicable to my life or reflective of people I know. An easy read. Good if you are getting on an airplane, and don't have a great reading selection at your disposal.
Very convoluted connection of MANY characters, their exes, their new spouses and their kids and extended families. I like the humor, but it's mostly about divorce and reconstructed families, not necessarily applicable to my life or reflective of people I know. An easy read. Good if you are getting on an airplane, and don't have a great reading selection at your disposal.
January 23, 2008
I love Laura Ruby and this is the first adult novel by her that I've read, and am so far enjoying it greatly. It's crafted to read like intertwined short stories but with the same cast of characters running through eachother's lives - all divorced and coping with blended families, exes, steps, challenging children. Funny and biting at the same time. The title of course is a play on the film Stepmom...
September 26, 2009
I liked Laura Ruby's Lily Ghosts, which is a book for children, and Good Girls, which is for young adult. This book stars a middle-aged mother (or at least someone old enough to have school-aged children), and perhaps it's because I haven't been-there-done-that yet that I wasn't able to appreciate this novel. I'll definitely give it a try again in another ten years or so, though, only because Laura Ruby is one of the best fiction writers I've encountered.
January 4, 2015
Very funny... complicated relationships ...there's a "cast" list and a family/divorce tree to keep the characters straight. You don't need to...these linked stories stand on their own fallible feet, but knowing a character's previous story...her exes and presents...her kids, parents, siblings...made the book more enjoyable for me. Perfect vacation reading...funny and snide and generous at heart.
November 30, 2009
This is a funny book about stepmothers, divorce, and second marriages. While I did enjoy it, I thought it was a bit difficult to follow all of the characters and relationships and how they were all interconnected, not exactly a page-turner. I could not read it in one sitting. Having stated that, I did thoroughly enjoy Laura Ruby's cynical outtake on the movie Stepmom, so true!
May 2, 2011
This book is like a photograph album: a series of views on a group of people who are connected (or disconnected) by marriage. It's a reflection on the role of parents and step-parents in blended families.
It's a subject I find fascinating and Laura Ruby's insights into the lives of her characters are deep and sympathetic. Her writing is engaging, humorous and intelligent. Enjoyed it.
It's a subject I find fascinating and Laura Ruby's insights into the lives of her characters are deep and sympathetic. Her writing is engaging, humorous and intelligent. Enjoyed it.
September 18, 2012
Im sorry, what was the point to the book? there are like 20 characters (that you have to flash to the front of the book and read the actual TREE to fig out who the hell is who and married to, and...) I loved Lu, her character was very likable and could have been a great book if it was more about her and that family.
booksillprobablyneverfinish
August 17, 2007I just cannot get into this book...and its not for lack of effort. I don't really know the why's of its lack of appeal. When I found it in the bookstore I thought it sounded like a great read, but it just hasn't lived up to the expectations for me. I may give it a try at a later date, who knows.
October 20, 2011
with all the ex husbands/wives and kids/stepkids to keep u with, i lost track and lost intrest in this book a little less than half way through. there were some funny moments, but not enough to make me want to finish this book. sorry!
August 2, 2007
It's not bad, but there's too many characters.
January 27, 2008
This is story about dysfunctional stepfamilies and their relationships within their marriages, remarriages, children and stepchildren. It was a little tough to follow and not a happy book.
July 16, 2008
Great book! An interesting look into mixed marriages and dealing with ex's and step children.
October 14, 2008
Meh. Too many characters - I couldn't keep everyone straight. And the whole "Stepmom" thing was like, a page long. The book jacket is slightly misleading on that point.
November 25, 2008
This was humorous at times, but because the narratives shift in each chapter/short story, I was left feeling dissatisfied by the entire book, asking myself - what’s the point?
February 9, 2009
somewhat funny, a bit confusing as to who's who. not my favorite book
February 16, 2009
It sounded good and there were a couple of comical scenes, but it just didn't deliver. Too many "ex's"!
October 14, 2012
I kept having to go back through previous chapters to see where these characters tied together. It was a confusing storyline.
January 13, 2013
I thought it sounded like a good book, but instead it was filled with arguments from divorced couples. I quit reading 1/2 way through because I couldn't take how depressing the story was.
July 14, 2014
Ruby is brilliant. I've loved her books for younger readers, as have the Offspring, but these stories are witty and cutting and close to the bone. If you haven't read her books yet, get started!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews