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    Sammy's Hill
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    Sammy's Hill
    Unavailable
    Sammy's Hill
    Audiobook13 hours

    Sammy's Hill

    Written by Kristin Gore

    Narrated by Kathe Mazur

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Comedy writer and middle daughter of Al Gore, Kristin Gore has written a funny and moving debut novel about life on Capitol Hill as seen through the eyes of Samantha Joyce, a twenty-six year old health care analyst to Ohio Junior Senator Robert Gary. Hard working, idealistic, extremely competent as well as neurotic and prone to daydreaming, Sammy, as she's known to her friends, has little time for anything, much less a relationship. But in the midst of lobbying and late-night dinners at the office, she meets Aaron Driver, who is hot, smart, and sweet, and who, after a night of binge drinking at a bachelor party, proclaims his love for her. But how will Sammy balance her seventy-plus hour weeks with her budding romance, while keeping her best friend's slimy boyfriend from hitting on her, and making time for family, who insist her outfits match the centerpiece.
    "SAMMY'S HILL is full of sly plot twists and big laughs, and every word rings true." (Matt Groening, THE SIMPSONS)
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJul 8, 2004
    ISBN9781415919880
    Unavailable
    Sammy's Hill

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    Reviews for Sammy's Hill

    3.5/5

    208 ratings21 reviews

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    • 2/5
      I'll give this 2 stars because it does have it's humorous parts. However, for a leisurely book of enjoyment, it was entirely too political for me. In reading between the lines of obvious real-life character fill-ins, the author makes her political stance extremely apparent. I personally could not relate at all to the antagonist (Sammy). Although her nearly unrealistic clumsiness is amusing at some points, her neuroticism draws the lines for me. I just cannot relate with someone who hates themselves so much they have to pick apart a 2-lined text/email from their boyfriend and systematically listing the assumed pros and cons of said message. I'm sorry, but that's just ridiculous. If women really think this way, then this world is in bigger trouble than we thought. Not everything said (especially by a man) needs to be put under a microscope and analyzed. Geez.
    • 2/5
      I'll give this 2 stars because it does have it's humorous parts. However, for a leisurely book of enjoyment, it was entirely too political for me. In reading between the lines of obvious real-life character fill-ins, the author makes her political stance extremely apparent. I personally could not relate at all to the antagonist (Sammy). Although her nearly unrealistic clumsiness is amusing at some points, her neuroticism draws the lines for me. I just cannot relate with someone who hates themselves so much they have to pick apart a 2-lined text/email from their boyfriend and systematically listing the assumed pros and cons of said message. I'm sorry, but that's just ridiculous. If women really think this way, then this world is in bigger trouble than we thought. Not everything said (especially by a man) needs to be put under a microscope and analyzed. Geez.
    • 5/5
      It's nice to read a book where the main character has a great job, but is still totally insane.
    • 3/5
      This was good beach reading -- generally light and frivolous but also an interesting insider's look at Washington polics and campaigning. The heroine is genuinely smart and idealistic but also neurotic & funny. I'm not in a rush to read the sequel, but I also wouldn't mind. Parts of it were predictable -- I figured out pretty quickly who the protagonist would ultimately end up with romantically.
    • 3/5
      I really grew attached to this character. It was a quick read and intelligent. I wasn't quite sure what to expect from the younger Gore, but I really liked it. I'm excited to read Sammy's House...
    • 1/5
      Gore takes the cutesy, neurotic female professional (read: Ally McBeal type)overboard! Just in the first chapter, which I couldn't even get past, Sammy has envisioned herself without a right arm and wears a sling to see if she'd be able to cope; realizes too late that she wore mismatched shoes to work--one high heel and one sneaker; and offers to hold on to the weed from the old man who's supposed to be testifying at a committee hearing. Too much! Each dialogue exchange that Sammy has with another character is interupted by her inane thoughts that show how she's soooo gosh darn wacky, even if her outside persona is professional competence. I had to throw the book against the wall with great force--an action reserved for the truly horrifying books. I wasn't expecting literary genius--just nice, fluffy chick-lit in a new setting, so I had already set the bar pretty low, but this amazing fell under my low standards.
    • 5/5
      I found Sammy to be quirky and very funny. As someone who lives in DC and has tons of friends who work on the Hill, the book was not only entertaining but also true to form. The interactions were very realistic - blackberry mishaps, security guards, roommates, and a blonde's attempt to be taken seriously in DC politics. For someone less connected with the lifestyle, I could see where it would be less entertaining or seem less realistic, but for anyone who knows the district and the staffers - it proves a light but entertaining and realistic story!
    • 4/5
      I've had this book for a long time and never got around to reading it, thinking that it was more of a political drama. Though the book does discuss politics and campaigns, it is kept pretty light, and focuses more on the life and times of a young woman, professionally and personally. If you like chick-lit, but don't necessarily find the hapless/clueless girls (a la Bergdorf Blondes) to be your cup of tea, this book might be a little more to your liking.
    • 5/5
      Samantha Joyce is a health-care advisor to Senator Robert Gary. She's also a bit of a hypochondriac and fish-killer. When she meets Aaron Driver, speechwriter to Senator Bramen (in the same party as Gary, but slimier), it looks like he might be The One.There are a few problems along the road to true love--a minor scandal caused when Sammy Blackberries an explicit message to Aaron that ends up accidentally going to a couple hundred of Aaron's friends and associates--and Sammy's increasing unease with Aaron working for the backstabbing Senator Bramen.Then the presidential race begins, and Bramen's the frontrunner. Gary ends up endorsing Bramen's chief rival and becomes the vice presidential candidate.There are a lot of details about life in politics--from the give-and-take required to get a bill introduced, much less passed, to the grueling campaign trail. The frustrations of an idealistic newcomer are evident, but leavened with humor.Sammy herself is a wonderfully vivid character. She's quite Bridget-Jones-ish in her distraction and self-deprecation, but she's herself, too. She's just short of being over-the-top--a character I could believe in and root for.The romantic relationships are very realistic, but that was my only quibble: not that it took Sammy a while to find The One--I liked that--but that the development of the relationship with The One didn't get more emphasis. Not that it was necessary--just that I'd expected it.
    • 3/5
      An interesting read but not enough to warrant 4 stars. The beginning was just too busy. Too much was happening and not enough was given to get to know Samantha Joyce. This eventually petered out and the reader was given the chance to become involved in her life. Like the other reviewer I've no idea how accurate it is politically but it was fun to read; making sense of the news we see on the television. It has certain predictable elements to it - which romance novel doesn't? At times the politics takes the forefront at others it's her friendship and personal life. I'm not the balance was quite right though. This is worth a read when travelling somewhere or to take on holiday. It takes a mild amount of concentration if you want to really get to grips with the political sub-story. Think 'Ugly Betty' style character and you've got the idea about Sammy. She doesn't fit in, she's a bit of a clutz but with her heart in the right place. Take a bit of 'Erin Brockovich' and you've got the right kind of insight into this leading lady. Completely driven on her choice of career she has a supportive network of friends and family. The novel is about her life rather than the grittiness of American politics. Sometimes the Americanisms can be difficult if you don't know the culture but other than that it's a good read once you get passed the first 30 or so pages and become comfortable with the writing style. I don't if it is just a touch too long and could have been shorted at the beginning half but then I guess Sammy's relationships could not be explored in as much detail.
    • 4/5
      A good laugh - nice light hearted read.
    • 4/5
      A very funny and well written book about life in Washington. I liked the plot, because it was not just about romance, but also about Samantha's job and the rest of her life. I found her blunders a little recognisable too...compared to my own life :D
    • 5/5
      For a first book it was excellent. Funny, showed a tiny bit of what it might be like "inside" politics. You cant help but chuckle through a few passages wondering what Tipper might have said when she read it. Definitely looking foorward to her next book!
    • 2/5
      So she could grow into being a good writer. But all the "bits" -- daydreaming, hypochondria, etc. are far too numerous and distracting. But I liked the actual story.
    • 2/5
      Ally McBeal meets D.C. staffers. It was cute, but a little long for what it was.
    • 2/5
      While this was a fun read, I found it almost completely implausible. How could anyone like this girl. It was amazing to me that she managed to get out of bed in the morning, let alone be successful. My suspension of belief is not strong enough, I guess.
    • 4/5
      A young Senate staffer tries to juggle the problems in her personal life while also helping work on important legislation and campaigns. The story was a little too chick lit for my taste, but the political drama made up for it.
    • 4/5
      Sweet and funny. Sammy is an adorable character, smart and idealistic. Looking forward to "Sammy's House."
    • 5/5
      i really enjoyed this book. I think alot of people will compare it to Bridget Jones, and there is good reason for that - it taps into the same brand of silly slapstick embarassing moments mixed with career and dating drama. I enjoyed the character of Sammy and thought though somewhat over the top there was a lot about her that I identified with.I thought having her work on the hill made for a novel and interesting setting for a book of this kind. recommended!
    • 3/5
      Political intrigue meets Chick Lit. This extremely light read contains a bright, memorable main character with a very predictable plot.
    • 2/5
      This is another one of those books that fall into the category of “It’s really good when I first read it, but…ehh.” The problem here is that the set-up does make for a pretty engaging story—chick lit set on Capitol Hill—but it falls victim to so many different clichés and the narration drags.

      Our main character, Sammy, is one of the big offenders. She’s not really much of a character, and more of bundle of neuroses and quirks with a healthy dose of idealism and klutziness for good measure. I really wouldn’t mind this in a main character, but there’s nothing that defines who Sammy is. The quirks feel more like a gimmick, if only for the sheer number of them—she’s a hypochondriac, she celebrates mundane anniversaries, she keeps betta fish, she practices animal defense moves, she makes friends with telemarketers, etc. Barely any of this has any impact on the plot, and what does contribute to the plotline, the event in question is over in two pages and doesn’t really have a lasting impact on the story. And without the quirks, Sammy is a very rote chick-lit character. There’s really nothing new that Kristen Gore does here. There’s very little that I like about Sammy; most of the time I read her misfortunes and faults as “Yes, we get it, she’s clumsy, and always says the wrong thing.”

      The big problem with the book is that it’s long. My copy runs at 570 pages, for a mass market, so by the time the book starts getting interesting in the last third, I’m wondering when will this end. And it’s because Sammy digresses all of the time, and again, they don’t contribute anything to the plot. There’s only one insistence that applies something to the plot line, and that’s it. Also, the arbitrary details aren’t limited to Sammy—every character has to get a long description of their quirks, many of which don’t show up at all in text except when Sammy has to make a point. The worst offender is the revelation of the Wrong Boyfriend Aaron: It’s not enough that he’s a two-timer and cheats on Sammy. Oh no, he’s also a plagiarizing, gambling and coke addict. These last two details are NEVER alluded to in text. Sammy tries to explain the gambling, but risk taking does not necessarily equal gambling addict.

      The romance also doesn’t work with me. Aside from Aaron, Sammy ends up with two other guys within the course of the book. There’s very little chemistry with any of the three. Aaron is so blatantly the Wrong Guy for Sammy, and the one she ultimately ends up with, they have no chemistry and only hook up in the last three pages. I actually liked Sammy with her rebound guy; it seemed like he actually cared about her, but oh no, he’s almost 40. (Sammy is 26, for the comparison.) And, the whole “OMG he’s with another girl I can’t easily identify! He must be cheating/slept with her once/flirting and she’s evil!” PLEASE. DIE. It doesn’t help in this book where EVERY woman onscreen (aside from the Designated Best Friend and family members) falls into this category. Because, again, men and women can’t be professional and friends.

      The political angle of the book is the only thing that does work in this. Knowing Gore’s background makes it very evident that she knows what she’s talking about in this. I like the fast-paced, almost steam-of-consciousness that’s used whenever Sammy describes stumping across states. The presidential race that serves as a background to the book is actually very intriguing and makes you want to know what happens the next. The only problem here is that it is kind of hard to divorce the real-life from the expys Gore uses, but you could argue that’s baggage the reader brings as well. (I don’t obsessively follow politics, but some of the political figures are barely veiled representations.) I wanted to have more of the politics, and in fact, many of Sammy’s better scenes are dealing with Sentorial bills and juggling her workload.

      It’s a book that had potential, but it ultimately fails. When I first picked it up, it was because “Oh, Kristen Gore wrote for Futurama, awesome,” so I was a little familiar with her writing. The problem is that it relies on rote characterization and never does anything different with the ideas present. There’s some good things, but I think that this could have been so much better than it was.