Not Meeting Mr Right by Anita Heiss

Not Meeting Mr Right Reviews

• 
  Jessica Foster

  I haven't any idea why we were set this for a women's writing course. Apparently we're meant to read this as satire (which as you'll see, is hard), begging the question: who is this written for? The average reader won't come to it actively thinking of the kinds of things our professor or Anita Heiss, also an academic, are. And by making fun of the key tenants of this kind of women's genre, aren't we belittling it--the exact thing a lot of academics in women's popular fiction are fighting against (when suggesting chick lit can be smart and feminist)?
  
  I don't think Heiss subverts the tenants of the genre enough to really achieve anything here. In fact, I think she actually works against herself. This is basically Indigenous Sex and the City, even topped with references to Streisand and Redford in The Way We Were (looking for her Mr Right aka Mr Big) and the three easily summarised girlfriends. So why is Heiss taking a model for a story that she, or my professor, might announce as post-feminist, capitalist, and so very white for her Indigenous heroine? Isn't that on the nose? More importantly, before her quest for Mr Right, Alice knows that women get too easily consumed talking about their man, their babies; she knows the single life is great--so why does she got full crazy and decide she suddenly needs to be married in the next two years to show she can do it and not lose herself? Yes yes, Heiss, she ends up becoming that. How unexpected (!). But if all she was ever looking for was some guys to take her trash out and service her--that's what she gets. That's not some clever argument. It's so cynical. It all was so shallow and insincere and an insult to the genre.
  
  I do think that "chick lit" can be well written and smart AND not condescending and this was none of those things. Alice is just a bag of contradictions: she loves Tiffany jewellery, European luxury cars, and Moet wine but she waxes cynical about the god-awful soggy 80s fish-and-chip joint being replaced by latté places when that kind of coffee culture grew in Australia from working class migrant Italians. Her faith is Catholic which is has long supported ownership and the idea of the dominant male-as-centre ideology but she never considers how that might ever work alongside Koori culture and in fact we never hear about her culture or how she works between the two. Although, she doesn't set much by those values. She's homophobic, constantly defending herself as straight--if a potential suitor of Alice's did the same she'd rip into him. Is this making fun of women? Of chick lit? Of "white women"? Urgh. Why is modern politics so segregationists? I feel like this is just a white chick lit story, but we've just changed our heroine to be Indigenous and that's supposed to do something or say something, to satirize, all on it's own.
  
  Apparently it's ironic, our prof says. Generous two stars.
• 
  Ingrid Jonach

  I have been wanting to read this book for years and when I had the chance to get a personally signed copy I grabbed it with both hands. It was worth the wait!
  
  I was looking forward to reading a book that would make me laugh, as well as think. This novel might look like a relaxing beach read, but the characters are so strong-willed and opinionated that it was like being privy to an out-of-control dinner party conversation. They are exactly the kind of gals you would want to be seated next to at a wedding. They would definitely keep you entertained during the speeches!
  
  I was torn between wanting Alice to find Mr. Right, and for her to continue her journey through Loserville so I could tag along! Good news is there are more books in the series!
• 
  Yolande

  July: NAIDOC reads
  When I think of books written by and/or about Aboriginal Australians, I associate it with literary fiction or memoir tackling the harsh truths of colonisation, racism and reconciliation in Australia. When I think of Anita Heiss I picture her more prominent work "Am I Black Enough For You?"
  
  This book is clearly neither of those things. And yet, I think it is just as important. For readers like me, who read mainly for fun and to escape, who will choose light-hearted and sweet over raw and hard-hitting, a rom-com with a Koori protagonist is just as important as a vehicle for representation and diversity as those literary heavyweights.
  
  Alice Aigner challenges the stereotype of a young Aboriginal woman-- she is a smart, confident, successful, and regrettably single, woman living in Sydney looking for her Mr. Right. Alice faces all of the typical challenges any romantic lead would in her situation-- dodgy blind dates, drunken mishaps, heart break and despair at all those "succesful" couples. Add in casual racism, out-and-out racism, a newbie Aboriginal and some healthy doses of the truth about colonialism, Alice stands true as a "deadly and desirable" romantic lead.
  
  While I love what this book means for #weneeddiversebooks, it was pretty middle of the road as a romance for me. I liked Alice and her friends, but don't love the 'dating my way to Mr. Right' storyline. I wanted to spend more time with Alice on her eventual romance than with all of the whinging about duds along the way.
• 
  Noir Novels

  3.5/5
• 
  Leena Bakr

  I'll make this short and sweet. I very much disliked everything about this novel. I mean if it wasn't for my Australian literature unit I would never have read it. A number of reasons why I disliked it and I may be a little bias:
  1. I don't generally enjoy the 'sex and the city genre' which is what this book was going for.
  2. It was absolutely disappointing in the respect to the Aboriginal culture. I'm not aboriginal but I didn't really get any new idea of what it is like from the story. I genuinely stepped away from this book not learning anything new. I know this isn't a historical book or whatever but I don't get why it is referred to as Koori chick lit, it just seemed very regular.
  3. There was nothing special about it and it was VERY predictable.
  4. The main character was shallow and rude. she annoyed me for those reasons mentioned previously.
  5. The author tried to get the character to stand out as a hard working, cultured amd political individual but it just didn't work.
  
  I really can't say anything else. I would never have read this if I didn't have a choice. I almost didn't finish it because I genuinely knew hiw it would end.
  Sorry for all the negative :(
  enjoy reading it if you can
• 
  Kora

  This is a very enjoyable, fun, light story. I laughed a lot with the main character Alice, who is smart, funny, likeable and down-to-earth. And the major bonus - her always amusing exploits are set to the sunny and familiar backdrop of Sydney.
  
  I hardly ever read so called "chick lit" because I can't stand the pretentious wank, the incredibly stupid and unlikeable heroines and even more stupid story lines. But one Sunday morning I read an interview of Anita Heiss in the newspaper, who came across as a fun, intelligent person - who didn't sound like she was going to write the normal crap. So I'm glad I took the plunge and got this book.
  
  
• 
  Kevin Klehr

  The first chic lit book from this Australian author. There's lots to laugh about from this novel. Enjoyable.
• 
  Aliza Hunnicutt

  Yay I finished it! Gosh. She was actually just so annoying. I could not have cared less about her. She was rude and obnoxious not just in dating but in her professional and personal life. Her inner monologue was painful. Those damn mantras. Get over yourself. And, as a shock to no one, the guy she found (in the damn epilogue) was the one right in front of her the whole time and even left little hints. You’d think he was close enough to witness she’s the worst but I guess Gary liked her anyways.
• 
  Heidi

  Indigenous Australian chick-lit! Totally awesome!
  
  Heterocentric (naturally), but it’s chick lit, so what was I expecting? And so the heterocentricity is in no way a criticism.
  
  Heiss’ characters are alive. Alice and her thick-headedness got on my nerves occasionally, but only occasionally. Generally it was great fun, and far more enjoyable than the sort of Marian Keyes-esque chick lit that I’ve read in the past – usually when desperate for something new to read. Alice’s circle of friends – and occasional dates – are described so very vividly that they almost leap off the page: as do her family. Although the parts of Sydney in which the book is set are *not* parts with which I am familiar (I only got east of the city twice in three years, and both times for movies), there’s a recogniseable Sydney flavour to it. For this reason, I’m particularly looking forward to reading Avoiding Mr Right, which is set in Melbourne.
  
• 
  Ariella

  At first, I was unconvinced by the flat characterisation (it's difficult to grasp a character whose emotions, attitudes and feelings can be reduced to one line mantras). Then about halfway through, I realised I was meant to read it ironically. Heiss does not mean us to admire this character, unlike the empathy that's established for Bridget Jones. In fact in the end Heiss gives Alice exactly what she wants from a man: someone who literally takes out the garbage. In doing so, Heiss points to the dangers of an ambition that reduces partners to the level of a job or other goal. However, I think what this novel is missing is a strong, engaging voice. I have to commend Heiss for challenging racial stereotypes that represent indigenous people as 'in the outback' as a politician said recently, but honetly, I think I'll stick to gothic romance next time I'm looking for some light reading.
• 
  Liz Murray

  A lot of fun and perfect for a commuter read. I found myself relating to parts of the story, the good, the bad and the ugly. While it's not a book to take too seriously, Alice does bring in her Aboriginal culture and identity at relevant moments. Uncomfortable at times, Alice is not always the most likeable person, but again I don't think that's the point. I'm onto the follow up book now, one in which the main character goes to Melbourne. I'll see what the rivalry looks like in Peta's mind. I'm Melbourne born and grown up, but the women here are all Sydney based, helped me know Sydney a bit better. This book is just what it sets out to be, a spin on chick lit, and the ambitions of a late 20s woman in Sydney and her dating foibles.
  
• 
  Charmaine Clancy

  Fun romance. I've been waiting to read this one for a while, even though romance is not my usual genre. I enjoyed the quirky humour and the familiar settings for this Australian novel. I like Anita Heiss' writing and I'll try the next in the series. At times I found the protagonist a little unlikeable, judgemental and a bit nasty. Like many comments, I enjoyed reading about an Indigenous characters for a romance, it was refreshing. I did find the them and us a little heavy, but I have confidence this will soften throughout the series. Worth a read.
• 
  Amy

  Hello, readers!
  
  Not Meeting Mr Right was such a hilarious and enjoyable book about a woman searching for love. Alice goes on many dates, man after man, trying to find her dream husband before she hits 30. This book kept me entertained the whole way through and it was so easy to get into. It's an easy read and is sure to bring you many laughs. This book is recommended to those who love romance (obviously) and comedy. Great story so I give it 4 stars. Girly-girls (and as well as everyone else!) this is the book for you!
  
  Happy reading,
  Amy Therese.
• 
  Leah

  A bit rubbish but I knew it would be. I wanted to read something by Anita Heiss but only her chick lit books are available on kindle as far as I can see. Dates lots of unsuitable men in desperate search to find husband before finding he'd been under her nose all the time. So far so yawn. But the author is an Aboriginal (wiradjuri) Eastern Suburbs Sydneysider, as is the main character, so in between the clichéd set pieces there were some perspectives and commentary that were new and interesting to me. Might have to get one of her "proper" books from the library.
• 
  Tania Conrad

  Anita Heiss is smart, funny, and likeable. In light of that, I wish I could say something positive here. Not Meeting Mr Right is not what I expected from someone of Heiss's high profile, that of academic and indigenous rights campaigner. So, I guess I expected something, well, more thoughtful.Unforunately, the characters of NMMR are unrealistic, the dialogue bland, the writing tentative, and the book a bit of a chore to read. I am looking forward to reading more of her work, academic this time.
• 
  Rosemary Reilly

  just...awful. The description of the protagonist's teaching style got to me; "I really felt they were starting to question things" or something like that. No, your students are not questioning the world; they are repeating exactly what you've just probably spent a year shoving down their throats, in bid to make them less "prejudiced" and more "open-minded". but seriously, a terrible book, and so hypocritical.
• 
  Kristine

  What a disappointment. I was looking forward to a bit of clever chick lit. The author just couldn't pull it all together to either make me laugh or engage with any of the characters. The whole book just seemed to fall into an uncomfortable 'in between' place where it was mostly just cringe-worthy.
• 
  Renée Dahlia

  Technically not a romance, since the core of the book is not on the couple, but in the style of a romcom.
  
  A hilarious look at single life in Sydney and dating in general. With a lovely HFN ending.
• 
  Kirsten

  Aboriginal chick lit. Quite enjoyable, but ultimately I found the main character a bit mean, so didn't warm to her.
• 
  Wendy

  Waste of time
  
• 
  Alicia

  
  
  Easy to read, easy to digest, easy to finish ... and remember not much of it. Lose yourself for a couple of hours stuff, but leaves you hungry for a book that makes you think.
• 
  Lisa

  yet another book that hasn't met the 100 page challange.
  This was the 3rd time I had tried to read this book but I just couldn't get into it and past 50 pages.
  
• 
  Debra Ryan

  Disappointed with this one. I know chick lit isnt meant to be deep and meaningful but this was kind of boring.
• 
  Zoeamandla

  a great idea but poorly written
• 
  Siren Watcher

  An interesting take on racism and what exactly one considers 'right' in terms of a partner, hence the title. What does one consider right. Intellectual woman writing her experiences finding a mate. The ending was very heartwarming. It's an easy read.
  
  Not generally something I would read though. Romance isn't generally my go-to genre. I was gifted this by a family friend. It's by an Australian author. I was glad I read it.
• 
  J.L. Peridot

  I really enjoyed this book. The protagonist's cheeky, confident voice had me hooked from the get-go. The themes of "love is a two-way street" and "love starts with loving yourself" gave extra depth and meaning to the surface comedy and Sex in the City-esque vibe. And I absolutely adored the Koori perspectives and cultural elements. This book was a welcome, wholesome break from 2020's relentless antics.