The Everything Girl – L.E. Maleki, Holly L. Lörincz

(Reviewed by JD Jung)

“Staring at the massive set of doors in the dark grey stone façade, I knew once I entered my life would change. I’d be moving away from regular, clearly outlined banking duties to what sounded like a Hollywood manager’s job, making sure the all-powerful moneymaker showed up at meetings and his suits were pressed, his coffee cup filled. Would I be able to learn anything useful, maybe even be mentored, so I could walk away with a background in hedge funds…?”

After a painful breakup, twenty-six-year-old Paris Tehrani needed a change. She decided to leave her stable banking job and loving father in Orange County, California for a new life in New York City. Dad supported this move as he believed in the “American dream with Persian rugs underfoot.”

With the help of a sorority sister, she landed a job as an executive assistant for a hedge fund CEO. Though he was the boss from hell, she was making three times as much as she did in California. Paris was always so accommodating and tolerated a lot from friends and lovers. Would she be able to endure what she was to experience in her new life?

This may sound like a familiar plot, but The Everything Girl is so much more. Yes, there’s the office politics, the demanding boss and the friends who don’t understand her situation. However, there’s also the quest to be independent while following one’s dreams. Also, the cultural nuances from Persian to Italian to Judaism reflect the American story so well. There’s a lot that goes on in the story, both in plot and not-so-subtle undertones. Readers will also find many surprises along the way.

I usually don’t care for this genre but I’m so glad that I gave The Everything Girl a try. It delivered a welcomed diversion while providing substance in the story-line. Well worth the time.