The Los Angeles Times
Maneater is in the fine tradition of the trash novel, but Grazer displays a self-satirical edge not found in the works of, say, Jacqueline Susann. And while the book has its moments of déjà vu — there's a genetic link with Bridget Jones's Diary, and Clarissa's musings often sound like the voice-over from an episode of "Sex and the City" — the influence of Erica Jong is equally distinct. — Jonathan Kirsch
The New York Times
The hot-pink cover of Maneater depicts a tiny bridegroom impaled on a fork. Here is a certain tip-off that this will not be the most demanding sort of reading. On the other hand, neither is it dopey feminine fluff. Gigi Levangie Grazer has sent Thackeray's Becky Sharp to Beverly Hills and turned her scheming, striving maneuvers into hilarious mischief. And Maneater is such a beach book par excellence that the sound of surf nearly accompanies the turning of its pages. — Janet Maslin
USA Today
Brilliantly weaving together a story about deception and love, Grazer, who wrote the Stepmom screenplay and has sold film options for Maneater to Mandalay Entertainment, creates a wickedly entertaining novel worthy of being on your summer reading list. — Nicholas Thomas
Publishers Weekly
No other actor could capture the voice of spoiled L.A. golddigger Clarissa Alpert as perfectly as Thurman does here. She effortlessly evokes the petulance, sense of entitlement and "Ohmigod, wait 'til I tell you..." Valley Girl shallowness of this hilarious anti-heroine. Thurman effectively differentiates all the character voices, including Clarissa's coterie of colorful girlfriends. She offers a hint of British accent for Simon, Clarissa's pretentious, faux-English ex-boyfriend; a light Spanish accent for Alejandra, Clarissa's Brazilian mom; and a smarmy, false sincerity for the Hollywood movers and shakers who populate Clarissa's world. The story itself is frothy fun with a wicked satirical edge. As soon as she hears of Aaron Mason, the hottest movie producer in town, Clarissa decides to land him and his bankroll for herself, and begins phoning florists and caterers to plan their wedding-before they even meet. Her machinations are successful-or so she thinks. It turns out her quarry has been scheming just as shrewdly, motivated by his own agenda. Perfect for a long road trip or a lazy weekend at the beach, Grazer's entertaining satire is sure to spice up any occasion. Simultaneous release with the Simon & Schuster hardcover (Forecasts, May 12). (June) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Library Journal
Clarissa Alpert is 31 (but only admits to being 28); a Beverly Hills gold digger par excellence, she is out to bag a rich hubby. When she sees new Hollywood producer Aaron Mason, she begins booking their wedding before the first date. But what transpires after the wedding is more than Clarissa and her girlfriends (the Star Chamber) could ever imagine. Although this book's promotional materials compares Clarissa to Cannie Shapiro, the delightful heroine of Jennifer Weiner's Good in Bed, not much connects the two characters except that both women are Jewish and have food and father issues. Good in Bed is a wonderful novel, and we care about Cannie from the start, but Clarissa comes across as pathetic and juvenile. Intended as a satire of the L.A. scene, Maneater labors to be bold, brassy, and bitchy but is instead crude (it's full of the "f" word) and often tedious. Screenwriter (Stepmom) Grazer's second novel (after Rescue Me) is scheduled to become a motion picture. It could work as a film, but it doesn't work as a novel, so save your money. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 3/15/03.]-Rebecca Sturm Kelm, North Kentucky Univ. Lib., Highland Heights Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
How to leapfrog through the Hollywood scene--using men as lily pads. It might be wise to beware of books by the wives of producers. But this spouse to Brian Grazer has not only written a real book but done so drawing on years of experience swimming with Hollywood sharks. For her second outing, Grazer (Rescue Me, 2000) introduces Clarissa Alpert, one of the most unapologetically horrendous little monsters to graze any novel’s pages. Clarissa has never held a job beyond that of trying to land the right husband and is a full-fledged member of "the Army of Disinterest," a specifically LA type that Grazer characterizes by "ingrained laziness, a willingness to bestow blow jobs on men in powerful positions, and a sense of entitlement that only the insipid are privy to." Clarissa is taking part in her New Year’s tradition, drinking at La Domaine and writing up her Man List, when her waiter friend drops a hint about one Aaron Mason: new in town, scion of a fabulously wealthy southern family and looking to break into the movie business. With Terminator-like precision, Clarissa locks on Aaron, using all the wiles of her daddy-funded, wonderfully licentious 28 (really 31) years, and bags her man. Sometime right after Aaron and Clarissa have had honeymoon sex, and after Clarissa has done what more she could to impregnate herself--involving some used condoms, a turkey baster, and a closed bathroom door--things deviate drastically from Clarissa’s plan. Since this is only about a third of the way through the story, you might imagine that Clarissa is now about to learn some hard lessons about life. Fortunately, that never quite happens, and even as the trusted pillars of her comfortable, haute-couturelife fall to the side, one by one, and she has to adjust (somewhat) to the real world, Grazer’s satire never loses sight of the hilariously self-centered, devilish core of her creation’s fierce personality. Mean-spirited, jaw-droppingly shallow, and hellaciously determined: Clarissa is one for the ages. Film rights to Mandalay Pictures. Agent: Jennifer Rudolph Walsh/William Morris
