Up & Out

by Ariella Papa

Book Overview

In this follow-up to the bestselling On the Verge, New York City TV producer Rebecca Cole finds her life, once on the up and up, spiraling down when a corporate takeover leaves her creatively... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0373250428
• ISBN13: 9780373250424
• Release Date: December 2003
• Publisher: Red Dress Ink
• Length: 315 Pages
• Weight: 0.62 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.8" x 7.5"

Customer Reviews

Finally a foodaholic in New York

Rebecca Cole seems to have it all. She is single, lives in New York City, is a serious foodaholic, and has a cartoon that is a hit on her network. Esme is the alter ego of Rebecca in some ways, she is hip and fun and the teen that has it all, she is also making it ok for teens to have glasses. Rebecca gives up much of her social life except her food to make this series a hit. She ignores friends and everything else. Then tragedy strikes first she finds out her best fiends and roommate is leaving for Massachusetts to become a birdwatcher, Indiana Mutual (a band) takes over the network, and the guy she is dating seems to be dating more than one person.As Esme looses her glasses and everything else seems to spin out of control Rebecca looses her job. This means she moves in with her ex and is now job hunting. Follow her as she tries to deal with all of these issues. It becomes even funnier when she is helping her ex cook for his new girlfriend, but has no love life of her own.

Finding Life

I liked the way Papa created such a confused, realistic and identifiable charachter such as Rebecca. As a young creative, and lost person is this world I felt really good after reading this book. Maybe because I am at the time in my life where it is time to make those decisions that may change your life forever, or at least give me something to talk about. I absolutely love the fact that Rebecca is in love with food as much as I am. After reading the book I scanned it for the names of restaurants. I will be moving to NYC soon and need some good eats. And I love the fact that she decided to become a teacher, because that is what I do. Papa should write a follow up about Rebecca's adventures as a teacher. Great Job Papa!

Fun and Entertaining

"Up & Out" was even better than Papa's first novel - "On the Verge". The characters were fun, and anyone who has ever worked for an idiot (isn't that all of us?) will be able to identify with the main character, Rebecca. I literally spent a weekend not going out because I wanted to finish the book, and was upset that it wasn't even longer. I am definitely looking forward to this talented novelist's next work. Enjoy!

Great second effort from Ariella Papa!

On the Verge was a fun read, and I'd looked forward to reading Ariella Papa's second effort. Up and Out made holiday travel less gruesome. I couldn't put this gem down.Rebecca Cole's life isn't the same after she is fired from Explore! -- a television channel for kids. She also has to relinquish her cartoon creation called Esme. To make matters worse, she lives with her ex-boyfriend, is losing touch with her close friends, and her unemployment check isn't enough to cover her penchant for fancy and trendy restaurants. As said earlier, this is one of the most entertaining novels I've read all year. This is chick-lit to the max. I love Papa's characters and situations. In her world, glasses are the ultimate chic accessory. And all those food references made my mouth water. Rebecca is quite the food buff. I'm surprised that the aforementioned heroine isn't morbidly obese! Up and Out is a great light read. Again, Red Dress Ink scores big with this gem. Highly recommended...

fun character driven look at the single life

In New York City, "On the Verge" magazine names the cartoon Esme's Enlightenments a family icon. Not long afterward, the Family Channel orders cartoonist Rebecca Cole to develop a season's worth of Esme animation. Rebecca gives up much of her social life except her gourmand's delights to change from sixty second shorts to a feature length series for kids TV.As her roommate leaves for Massachusetts, Indiana Mutual takes over the Family Channel. They decide to cut back on costs by letting excess folks go. Thus they fire Rebecca at the height of her success as they believe anyone can write and draw a child's cartoon. There also remains her ex boyfriend who serves an intermediate sexual purpose, but also that blocks her from seeking something more meaningful (then sex?).UP & OUT is a fun character driven look at the single life of a yuppie artist as she struggles with the 4 Fs (female style) - fame, firing, food, and friends, not in any order. The story line is lighthearted yet insightful because Rebecca carries it off with wit and intelligence. The support cast enables the audience to understand what makes the heroine tick as Ariella Papa seems ON THE VERGE of stardom.Harriet Klausner