THROWBACK THURSDAY: The Temp by Serena Mackesy

It's time for another Throwback Thursday at Uncovered, and this time, I've chosen yet another favourite from years ago; one that still resides on my bookshelf. The Temp by Serena Mackesy was published in 1999 (although I read it in around 2006!) and is a hilarious tale of twenty-something life.

We all know how it works: first you go to School, then you go to University, and then you enter Real Life. And that's the important bit. Real Life is about achievement, recognition, choices. It's about a boss who trusts you, a wardrobe that suits you, friends who support you and a relationship that fulfils you. It`s a mobile phone, an expense account, a company car and a place to park it. Happily Ever After.

Unforunately, Real Life isn't working that way for The Temp. She's managed the university bit, but the job, the dough and the happily-ever-after seem harder than anybody ever told her. Living in Stockwell while she moves through a series of jobs ranging from the horrifying mindless to the bemusingly witless to the simply extraordinary, she realises that something isn't right.

Who cares about a boss who trusts you? She'd settle for a boss who knows her name. This can't be Real Life, can it?

The Temp was originally a column, and later published as a novel. I thoroughly enjoyed it, so much so that it remains one of my favourites to this day, and I still dip in and out of it now and again.

Despite the era of the book, it's still pretty relatable for anyone who has worked in an office, and for any twenty-somethings caught in the space between university and Real Life.

What are YOUR all-time favourite chick-lit novels? Let us know!

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