Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns

Weisberger, L. (2013). Revenge wears Prada:  the devil returns.  New York: Simon.

I was extremely excited to read this book.  I immediately placed this book on hold at the library after I finished The Devil Wears Prada.  When the library called, I was every happy and rushed over to get it. I completed the book in less than twenty-four hours (something I can do, but haven't done in quite sometime); yet not for the reason that most probably expect.

Weisberger re-enters Andy Sachs life to complete her story ten years after she leaves her job at the fictional Runaway magazine in a very unprofessional manner.  Yet in the sequel, Andy is very different from what I expected.  She is marrying a man whom she loves, but never seems to fit her lifestyle, Max.  She is the editor of a wedding magazine, The Plunge, with her rival, Emily, from The Devil Wears Prada.  

While the first novel is written in first person, Revenge is written in third.  I don't quite understand why a writer would change her voice so much.  The first several chapters jump back and forth between the novel's present and flashbacks of Andy's life for the past ten years.  I enjoyed seeing how Andy and Emily built the magazine and how Andy and Max's relationship developed, but I felt like they were too out of sequence.  I'm not sure there would have been another way to write these chapters though.  So for this, I will blame creativity and the the author herself.

Since the novel is subtitled The Devil Returns, I assumed the novel would center around Andy's relationship with her former boss, Miranda.  This was not the case.  Miranda doesn't make an actual appearance until several chapters in.  The novel follows a rather predictable plot until near the end.  However, the plot twist doesn't really make sense based on the characterization Weisberger used throughout the novel.

I do have to give Weisberger some credit though.  Andy's character does mature through the time between novels, and the language is much better.  But maybe some best-selling novels don't need sequels.  A ten year leap may be too much of a jump for a character to make.  As a stand alone novel, however, Revenge Wears Prada does a very good job.  Weisberger is a talented story teller.  I just think Andy's story may have been finished ten years ago.

Related Readings:
The Devil Wears Prada