I was unsure if I wanted to read “The Nanny Diaries” until I learned that the book was made into a movie. The movie will open in September and will star Scarlett Johansson. One of my most favorite things is to read a book and then watch the movie made of it. I just love to compare the differences and try to figure out why some plot lines or scenes work in the book, but not on the big screen, etc. I also read the book, because I was in the mood for some candy reading and had heard all the hype about this book.

Unfortunately, I felt all the hype let me down. It’s very much like “The Devil Wears Prada,” in that the main character is a young girl with a high moral core in New York City, working for a demanding, cold, high-society boss. I had a hard time sympathizing with the main character, Nanny, who had a difficult time sticking up for herself. Nanny’s character seemed under developed and all the supporting cast was grossly under developed. I did not get to know the main character well enough to sympathize with her pain or even root for her cause.
The writing itself was a breeze to get through and kept your attention most of the time. The story sort of dragged on toward the end. The ending is what I had the most trouble with. I believe as Americans, we like endings wrapped up in a pretty neat bow. This book did not have that pretty neat bow. I did not agree with how the conflict was resolved and any sub-plots were not resolved at all.

Overall, the book was mostly enjoyable. Would I recommend it? Probably yes. I wouldn’t believe all the hype, but just enjoy it for what it is - a nice candy book, in between your classic and non-fiction books.