Work For Hire by Margo Karasek (book review)

I received this book for review some time ago. With everything that happened with Jemma, I didn’t get to sit down and read it until just a few days ago. Originally, before I started, I was worried because that could possibly be a big feat if the story line isn’t good. Thankfully, this story had my interest from the beginning and kept it.

Tekla’s law school career couldn’t be any better. She has top grades. She’s on Law Review. She’s a frontrunner in a mock oral argument with a sweet prize: a judicial clerkship. One problem, though: Tekla has no more money to pay for school. She needs a part-time job. Fast. Luckily, her roommate has just the solution: help two uber-wealthy prep school teens, the twin son and daughter of a billionaire Wall Street short-seller and a world-renowned model turned fashion photographer, with their schoolwork, and earn $150 an hour. Plus, enjoy an additional perk on the job, in the form of a gorgeous photo assistant who happens to have his eye on Tekla. Easy money. Well, not so much. Within days, Tekla’s job begins to unravel. In a world of super-wealth and high fashion, Tekla finds herself surrounded by a peculiar cast of players: two teens whose self-destructive behavior becomes ever more erratic, a father whose ambitions for his son constantly test Tekla’s notions of what is fair and ethical and what is cheating, a mother whose emotional negligence borders on abuse, and a gorgeous man who may or may not be what he appears. As Tekla struggles to hold onto a job that takes more time and energy than she ever anticipated, her own school life begins to suffer. She makes an enemy of a professor who seems to want nothing more than to bring her down. And he’s succeeding. Soon Tekla’s life is a paradox: without her high paying part-time job, she can’t afford law school; but with it, she’ll surely flunk out of school.

(I don’t think there are any spoilers here, but just in case… I do talk about the story!)

Tekla really bothered me in this story. She doesn’t seem to “get it” until the very end. Everything she complains her students do, she does the same. She seems to be a bit immature to me. I wanted to just yell at her from time to time throughout the story; asking her “what is wrong with you?!?” I needed her to open her eyes to the reality in which she had herself. I was happy that she finally got a clue near the end. I have to admit though that I was irritated that she comes through at the end. I know it is selfish, but I wanted her to not have it all work out. I felt she didn’t deserve it. I know, that is mean. I just wanted a little dose of reality to hit her in the face.

Markus, on the other hand, is my idea of a dream man. He is kind, compassionate, and generous to a fault. I was rooting for him from the beginning. Julian, not so much. As far as the Lamont’s… well, ugh. The parents had me cringing and the children made me want to cry. I hate that they were so entitled. I felt horrible for Gemma (which, by the way, made me smile to say in my head thanks to my baby Jemma). I wanted her mom to wake up and see her for the beautiful person, inside and out, she really was. Xander seemed to be the spoiled rich kid to a T. I hated that I didn’t like them. I wanted them to have some magical epiphany that never happened… but likely wouldn’t in real life either.

I really did enjoy the book. As is often the case with me, I have issues with certain characters, but enjoy the storyline. I read this book in a very short amount of time and it kept me involved with the story throughout. I loved that Tekla was more than a “tutor” she was hired to be. I loved that she did, in fact, work to get herself through law school. I loved that she finally saw herself for all she was and is capable of. My only complaint is that I would have liked to see some conclusion to the children’s story. I know that Tekla’s employment ending in the story the way it did wouldn’t give us that information. But, with Gemma’s circumstances, I would have liked to know how she turned out. Call me a bleeding heart.

I will also admit that I had some trouble following during the law talk. With Tekla’s version it was easier for me but still found the cases to be more than I could keep track of. I don’t think it takes away from the story though. It is very obvious reading that the author is well-versed in law. She most certainly is very intelligent and this is something she knows and knows well.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a book with a different story than what they are used to. I read a lot and this is not anything like I have read. It talked about some serious issues, had a bit of romance, and kept you guessing about what was to come. Be sure to check it out for yourself and let me know what you think!

Author Bio:

Margo Karasek decided to be a writer the instant she finished reading her first novel as a kid. She loved the possibilities and freedom in observing and writing about everyday people, whose experiences–through her words–could make a lasting impact. This passion led her to NYU, where she earned a journalism and anthropology degree, with the highest honors. But since she couldn’t figure out how writers made a decent living, Margo went on to law school–where she had a blast. Unfortunately, actually practicing law was nowhere near as fun as learning about it in school, so Margo took the ultimate plunge: she quit her cushy law firm job to become a full-time novelist. And, to help make ends meet throughout the process, Margo also began tutoring for some of the wealthiest, best known families in New York as a side-gig. The latter job gave her some powerful ideas for her first novel. Margo currently lives in Queens, New York with her husband and their two children, and is busy working on her next book.