Tina is a thirtysomething who works as the executive assistant for Robert Barlow, one of the richest men of the world (number 35 on the Forbes billionaires list). Robert is the CEO of Titan Corp, a media corporation responsible for nearly all of the media we consume. Despite working for a billionaire as his personal assistant, Tina only makes around $40,000—which still leaves her with student loan debt. One day, a misunderstanding leads her to accumulate enough money to pay off her Sallie Mae account. Tina is nervous that Robert will find out and not only fire her but press charges. Things start to unravel from there…
That is the plot synopsis for The
Assistants, the debut novel of Camille Perri. It’s a funny novel with many aha moments that
will speak to those (like me) who work in administrative offices in a support
role. That said, it’s not exactly rooted
in reality: the wheels start spinning
out at a chaotic pace; the deception (and cover-up) builds with more assistants
jumping on board to pay off their student loan debt via grand larceny; and the
book’s conclusion contains so much fantasy that it makes the entirety of The Hobbit feel like a sobering
documentary in comparison.
And yet, I liked it. I wish I
could say that the characters are four dimensional people who are unlike
anything I’ve read before, but they’re not…except for the main character, who
is introduced as naïve and ultimately turns into a straightforward, no-nonsense
person (although I could have lived without the obligatory romance subplot). And it’s not like the book is a revelation for
millennials by any stretch of the imagination.
Ultimately, what won me over, was the funny and frivolous tone: it never took itself too serious, even with a
built-in social commentary. I’m having
trouble stating in certain terms why this silly book was enjoyable, but it was.
Rating: B-
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