Wanted: Young, photogenic writer with one year of experience as an assistant to Hollywood power players to pen easy-reading, summer novel about same.

If the publisher had run this advertisement to find an author for Robin Lynn Williams' debut novel, The Assistants, they would have gotten all that and an innovator to boot. Rather than content herself with the established axiom of Assistant Lit--one lowly assistant, one mean boss--she presents five attractive young nobodies, each taking turns with the first-person point-of-view. (The book even includes pictures of models portraying the protagonists so go ahead and check your imagination at the front cover!) Do you like the narrative voice to be wise and irreverent? If so, you'll enjoy reading about Griffin, the agent's assistant, who struggles to prove that he--not his employer--is the one who knows how to unearth rare talents. Or maybe you'll prefer the saccharine aftertaste of Rachel, a Texas belle who slaves for a has-been sitcom actress. Or the sex-obsessed Jeb, who craves the love of a good woman--his boss's wife. The team is rounded out by Michaela, the wanna-be actress, who logs plenty of time on the casting couch, and Kecia, an actor's assistant, who is kept busy battling both her weight and the IRS.

The Assistants is diverting enough to keep readers entertained, just check your expectations at the door. Writers of Assistant Lit have mastered the art of telling it like it is when it comes to thankless office work, but not when it comes to endings. In real life, the bosses usually win. --Leah Weathersby


From Publishers Weekly
Five Hollywood assistants struggle to stay afloat in a shark-tank of arrogant movie stars and cutthroat agents in Williams's capable debut. Michaela is an assistant to fading sitcom actress and pill-popper Victoria Rush, whose husband, Lorne, is 20 years younger and pathologically unfaithful. Griffin is straight but plays it gay to keep his gig with metrosexual Johnny Treadway, a narcissistic agent whose clientele includes hot, wild, 19-year-old Travis Trask. Jed, assistant to power agent Randall Blume, is unceremoniously handed his walking papers, but recovers by stalking the boss's wife, Ashley. Rachel, a recent Texas transplant, takes screenwriting classes and becomes Victoria and Lorne's newest hire. Kecia scarfs Krispy Kremes, deflects the IRS and baby-sits the unmanageable Travis. All the dirt gets dished at the gang's weekly powwows, and just about everyone ends up getting fired—though Michaela fits in a lesbian affair, Jeb finds love and Rachel's debut screenplay, The Sugarland Shuffle, impresses Griffin (and new business partner Travis), who sees it as the springboard for a new company. Williams was a Hollywood assistant herself, so she knows from Hollywood humiliations. Her resilient characters sometimes spin in place too long, but once she steps up the pace, the story becomes deliciously vicious entertainment. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


Book Description

In this wicked, laugh-out-loud debut novel, five miserable souls struggle to make their mark on Hollywood, the city of the soulless. Rachel Burt, starry-eyed and clueless, has left behind tiny Sugarland, Texas, and her position as Starbucks employee of the month, to pursue her dreams of becoming a screenwriter. The madness begins when she eagerly accepts a position as assistant to Victoria Rush, an aging television diva with "a little pill-popping problem that two tours of duty at Betty Ford couldn't remedy."

Rachel learns the ropes from Michaela Marsh, a never-say-die, plastic-surgery perfect "midget Tai-Bo Barbie." Michaela has spent years (and years and years: she is -- gasp -- over thirty!) trying to break into Hollywood, which has given her a healthy respect for the casting couch; but even sleeping with her slimy agent hasn't landed her a meaty role, and the last pilot she almost got, some ten years ago, went to that little nobody, Lisa Kudrow.

Jeb, who operates on pure rage, has been fired from more assistant jobs than he cares to count, and he currently teeters on the edge of insanity under Randall Blume, one of the sleaziest agents in Hollywood.

Kecia Christy, a no-nonsense Pisces pining for love and addicted to Krispy Kremes, works for Travis Trask, the hottest teen heartthrob since "that other white boy, Leo." More interested in smoking prizewinning pot with his bonehead buddies than in his next movie, Travis is always looking for the next good party -- until his ex-con brother shows up at the front door.

Griffin's intelligence and ambition fail to shield him from endless humiliation at the hands of Johnny Treadway, a crass A-list manager with pec and cheek implants and a perpetual tan, courtesy of the Tropical Rays tanning bed he keeps in his office. Johnny takes all the credit while Griffin does all the real work, and Griffin has begun to suspect that selling his soul might not be worth that overdue promotion after all.

Once a week, Rachel, Michaela, Jeb, Griffin, and Kecia meet at a dark, unhip watering hole to commiserate. Soon enough, however, the system spits them out, and they must learn to survive through sheer determination, hard-won industry savvy, and luck.

At turns hilarious, poignant, and sinfully gossipy, The Assistants will keep you glued to your seat until the final page is turned.


About the Author
Robin Lynn Williams managed to survive twelve months as a personal assistant to several Hollywood luminaries. When not in therapy or suffering reoccurring nightmares, she enjoys not having a pager, cell phone, or Blackberry attached to her. She is an English/Creative Writing graduate from UCLA and her work has appeared in Biography and the New York Times Syndicate. She lives in New York City.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

In this wicked, laugh-out-loud debut novel, five miserable souls struggle to make their mark on Hollywood, the city of the soulless. Rachel Burt, starry-eyed and clueless, has left behind tiny Sugarland, Texas, and her position as Starbucks employee of the month, to pursue her dreams of becoming a screenwriter. The madness begins when she eagerly accepts a position as assistant to Victoria Rush, an aging television diva with "a little pill-popping problem that two tours of duty at Betty Ford couldn't remedy."

Rachel learns the ropes from Michaela Marsh, a never-say-die, plastic-surgery perfect "midget Tai-Bo Barbie." Michaela has spent years (and years and years: she is — gasp — over thirty!) trying to break into Hollywood, which has given her a healthy respect for the casting couch; but even sleeping with her slimy agent hasn't landed her a meaty role, and the last pilot she almost got, some ten years ago, went to that little nobody, Lisa Kudrow.

Jeb, who operates on pure rage, has been fired from more assistant jobs than he cares to count, and he currently teeters on the edge of insanity under Randall Blume, one of the sleaziest agents in Hollywood.

Kecia Christy, a no-nonsense Pisces pining for love and addicted to Krispy Kremes, works for Travis Trask, the hottest teen heartthrob since "that other white boy, Leo." More interested in smoking prizewinning pot with his bonehead buddies than in his next movie, Travis is always looking for the next good party — until his ex-con brother shows up at the front door.

Griffin's intelligence and ambition fail to shield him from endless humiliation at the hands of Johnny Treadway, a crass A-listmanager with pec and cheek implants and a perpetual tan, courtesy of the Tropical Rays tanning bed he keeps in his office. Johnny takes all the credit while Griffin does all the real work, and Griffin has begun to suspect that selling his soul might not be worth that overdue promotion after all.

Once a week, Rachel, Michaela, Jeb, Griffin, and Kecia meet at a dark, unhip watering hole to commiserate. Soon enough, however, the system spits them out, and they must learn to survive through sheer determination, hard-won industry savvy, and luck.

At turns hilarious, poignant, and sinfully gossipy, The Assistants will keep you glued to your seat until the final page is turned.

About the Author:

Robin Lynn Williams managed to survive twelve months as a personal assistant to several Hollywood luminaries. When not in therapy or suffering reoccurring nightmares, she enjoys not having a pager, cell phone, or Blackberry attached to her. She is an English/Creative Writing graduate from UCLA and her work has appeared in Biography and the New York Times Syndicate. She lives in New York City.

FROM THE CRITICS

Susan Adams - The Washington Post

Brett Easton Ellis blurbed this book with the observation that it's "depressing in a good way." But it's not so much depressing as knowing. Williams even manages to craft an uplifting ending for her gimlet-eyed Hollywood saga.

Publishers Weekly

Five Hollywood assistants struggle to stay afloat in a shark-tank of arrogant movie stars and cutthroat agents in Williams's capable debut. Michaela is an assistant to fading sitcom actress and pill-popper Victoria Rush, whose husband, Lorne, is 20 years younger and pathologically unfaithful. Griffin is straight but plays it gay to keep his gig with metrosexual Johnny Treadway, a narcissistic agent whose clientele includes hot, wild, 19-year-old Travis Trask. Jed, assistant to power agent Randall Blume, is unceremoniously handed his walking papers, but recovers by stalking the boss's wife, Ashley. Rachel, a recent Texas transplant, takes screenwriting classes and becomes Victoria and Lorne's newest hire. Kecia scarfs Krispy Kremes, deflects the IRS and baby-sits the unmanageable Travis. All the dirt gets dished at the gang's weekly powwows, and just about everyone ends up getting fired-though Michaela fits in a lesbian affair, Jeb finds love and Rachel's debut screenplay, The Sugarland Shuffle, impresses Griffin (and new business partner Travis), who sees it as the springboard for a new company. Williams was a Hollywood assistant herself, so she knows from Hollywood humiliations. Her resilient characters sometimes spin in place too long, but once she steps up the pace, the story becomes deliciously vicious entertainment. Agent, Jessica Papin at Dystel & Goderich. (July) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

In this lively debut novel, five assistants to Hollywood big shots endure crazy escapades, deprecating abuse, and the constant fear that they will be fired at any moment. Gathering together once a week, they commiserate in AA meeting style ("Hi, my name is Rachel and I'm an assistant"). Michaela, a "midget Tai-Bo Barbie" (thanks to tons of plastic surgery) is in her thirties yet still determined to get her big break. Between auditions, she works for Victoria Rush, a hell-raising has-been TV star with a prescription drug addiction. Na ve and clueless Rachel, Victoria's other assistant, is a genuinely good person lost among the soulless of Hollywood. Asexual Griffin is the most ambitious and intelligent of the group, yet he still scurries to spritz his boss with water and open his Capri Suns for him. Jeb has fantasies of massacring his entire office, while Kecia turns to Krispy Kremes for consolation when her hot celebrity boss trashes the house with his crazy, drug-ridden parties. Williams, a UCLA graduate who endured 12 months of Hollywood servitude herself, has written a highly energetic, charming account of the frustration and abuse experienced by the unseen of Hollywood. Fortunately for them and for the reader, she also upholds the notion that good things will happen to truly good people. Highly recommended. Dale Raben, "Library Journal" Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews