“My Life on Craigslist" by Alexandra Ares is a fun read for those stuck in young adulthood in a place which appears unwelcoming and unmotivated to offer assistance on how to begin to move responsibly through life. 25 year old Emily Thompson is living in a small apartment in New York's East Village. Having recently lost her job in an art gallery, she has no way to support her meager needs. Having tried conventional means of obtaining a job, she turns in desperation to becoming an escort. It seems to be a well-paid and easy job, but Emily soon discovers that most of life is not as it seems. She looks for love in all the wrong places and for some time the reader wonders if the woman will ever learn to make appropriate choices. Her choices are those available via Craigslist on the internet and it seems to take the young woman a long time to understand that other choices may exist, choices which would move her to a more mature outlook in life. But, along the way, the reader is treated to fun times, questionable choices and the hard knocks that come with those choices.

Ares is a budding author who has a knack for highlighting the neurotic, maladaptive and vulnerable people in New York's vast cavern of possible characters. Emily is a lovable character in that she appears to learn from her own choices and she begins to move toward promise rather than despair and a sense of helplessness. Many young adults will relate to her needs for freedom which are competing with the need for safety and comfort.”
__Readers Favorite Review

"When the life of Emily Thompson gets thrown into total chaos, she turns to a modern-day comfort to give her some degree of normalcy. With her friends all having lost their jobs and leaving New York City, Emily's job at an art gallery also comes to an end, coinciding with her boyfriend's decision to see somebody else. Poor, alone, and unemployed, Emily spends her days on Craigslist looking for romance, roommates, and gainful employment. On such a free, anonymous, anything-goes site however, Emily winds up with more than she bargains for. In just a short amount of time, she must contend with awkward dates, morally opposite roommates, life as a high-class escort, an unwanted pregnancy, and the paparazzi, not to mention what could be lurking in the dozens of emails she ignores from the site.
Written cleverly and on par with a top Hollywood screenplay, this is a great story about city life, trying to find an identity among the online anonymous, and maintaining a positive outlook. In a lot of ways, Emily is a realistic, relatable character: She takes anti-depressants, she often defers to high standards that she has to compromise in the name of everyday life, and she's prone to moments of weakness and poor decision-making. While her constant search for romance may make it seem like she's not independently-minded, many of us have been in similar situations where we can be fine on our own but have a need to get out and connect with somebody, and this makes her character ultimately easy to like. The chaos that evolves from seemingly harmless decisions in Emily's life is very true-to-life, serving as entertainment to the skeptical and a downright cautionary tale to those who take it to heart.
__US Review of Books, RECOMMENDED.

 

"In her latest novel, Ares (Dream Junkies) offers up chick lit with a twist: Emily Thompson is a 25 year-old dreamer who quits her bank job in Buffalo, N.Y., and moves to New York City to make use of her art background. Emily soon learns that Manhattan is every bit as tough as she's always been told-- evidenced by her losing both her job and her cheating artist boyfriend, Toby.  Emily turns to Craigslist and decides to use the site to figure out her next career and personal moves-- a decision yielding disastrous results. The author nails the cold, callous place that is New York can be and highlights the always surprising things that can be found on Craigslist."

__Publishers Weekly 

 

“A seamless merging of the latest "blog books" trend (like "sleeping naked is green") and "Bridget Jones' diary." Very funny….many laugh-out-loud memorable lines….Originality: 5-stars….Very clean, clear voice and original writing.”
__Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Review

“My Life on Craigslist is a quirky novel of romance and life and a read very much worth considering.”                
__Midwest Book Review, Top Reviewers’ Pick

“A fun, entertaining read....Emily’s expeditions....on the website are certainly interesting, as they speak truth to the chaos and excitement of Manhattan.
__Kirkus Indie Review

“This is the quintessential New York story of a young woman in search of her true self....Emily is bright and funny. The friends she picks up along the way are rakishly entertaining. So much of what occurs is beauty-fully tied up. I adored it. The Apatow films don’t do it better. This book is a d-flawless diamond, small but utterly perfect.” 
__Monique Raphel High, best-selling novelist, Manhattan Chronicles

“My Life on Craigslist reminds me of SEINFELD...It’s funny, smart and filled with tons and tons of crazy drama... An adventure you won’t want to miss”
__Madison Says Book Blog

“This book is a very funny and witty look at a situation that could be very bad and dreary. Emily is a character that you can really feel for. She's also one that you will want to root for as she deals with all of these situations…Very funny and witty! The author does a great job with the dialog which really moves the story along…I loved it!”
__A Bookish Affair Book Blog                 

"Alexandra Ares has an incredible insight into the human persona and expresses her tantalizing talent with my life on Craigslist."
__Alan Abel, the world’s most famous prankster

"Very cool!  I can totally identify with Emily/swan: jobless, looking for a roommate, zero money in the bank, and above all desperately seeking some sort of sexual or intimate connection that would numb the pain of this lonely existence.  Bravo!" 
__Ismael Corpas, Craigslist user, film director, Los Angeles

Sharp and funny! This entire journey from craigslist to mundane life and back has a cinematic quality that could inspire a cool New York film. Alexandra Ares combines the visuals and witty dialog of a screenwriter with the emotional depths of a skilled novelist."
__Tudor Petrut, actor/director, Peggy in the Discover campaign.