The Assistants By Camille Perri

[amazon_link id=”0399172548″ target=”_blank” ][/amazon_link]‘The Assistants’ is Camille Perri’s debut novel.

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’ is a cracking introduction to a new author. The story is seen through the eyes of Tina Fontana, a quiet and meek young woman who is the assistant to Robert Barlow, one of the most powerful men in the entertainment industry. One day, purely by accident Tina lodges a cheque into her account and takes away the stress of her student loan and leaving her life a lot more easier. But when Tina thinks that she has gotten away with it, her colleague Emily notices, pretty, outspoken and who loves materials things, Emily also clears her student loan and then slowly through the grapevine, fellow assistants find out about the young ladies scam and all want to be part of it.

Even though what the women are doing is completely wrong, this book made for quite empowering reading about the ladies antics, as hardworking and underpaid women who are overqualified assistants manage to get their own back on their temperamental and demanding bosses, with funny and surprising results.

The story is quirky and flows in a fun and fresh style, the dialogue and the narrative is snappy and kept my attention throughout. Tina is a great leading lady, as the leading assistant, she is a reluctant heroine of the story, as fellow assistants look up to her and aspire to have her courage, she leads calmly and wittily and battles regularly with the moral implications of her project. She befriends Emily, who is her polar opposite. Emily is sharp and shallow and adds a dark injection of humour to the tale, together the two women embark on a strong and understanding friendship, as Emily moves into Tina’s one bedroom apartment and the two women become close friends.

‘The Assistant’s’ is an enjoyable and inspirational story, that was fun to read from the very start, a classic tale of good versus evil, it reads like a modern day ‘Robin Hood’ robbing the rich to feed the poor and had me smiling throughout at the witty one liners and unique characters and with its vibrant, the book will certainly brighten up the bookshelves.

You can buy [amazon_link id=”0399172548″ target=”_blank” ]The Assistants from Amazon [/amazon_link] and is available to buy from good bookshops.