'PINK SLIP PARTY' | A review Getting dumped isn't so bad if you just keep your sense of humor

The novel is lightweight fun.
By THERESA M. HEGEL
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
"Pink Slip Party," by Cara Lockwood (Downtown Press, $13)
Getting laid off is rarely a laughing matter, but University of Pennsylvania graduate Cara Lockwood works some comedy into unemployment in her second novel.
"Pink Slip Party," a clever and fun chick-lit romp, features the exploits of Jane McGregor, a twentysomething art major with a poor grasp of numbers but a tight grasp on credit cards. Her problem with numbers perhaps explains why all four of her cards are maxed out.
The story
At the beginning of the novel, Jane is laid off from her job as a graphic designer at Maximum Office, a company that makes office supplies. The irony that one of the products she designs are pink slips does not escape her.
Minutes after receiving her pink slip through office e-mail, Jane is dumped by her boyfriend of seven months, who also happens to be the vice president of the Midwest division of Maximum Office.
To get over this double rejection, Jane spends a lot of time in her pajamas watching daytime TV. She has a special fondness for "The View" but finds Star Jones' complaints about her addiction to shoes irritating and unfathomable. (Heroines in this type of novel never believe there's such a thing as too many shoes.)
Spurred on by the insistent nagging of her responsible older brother, she applies for unemployment and periodically searches for jobs. Both endeavors are rife with funny moments.
The chapters in "Pink Slip Party" are broken up by responses from companies that have received Jane's r & eacute;sum & eacute;, and these letters provide many of the book's laughs. The M & amp;M/MARS company is certain Jane is "an excellent graphic designer" but "does not have a job available for the hand-coloring of our M & amp;M chocolate candies."
Rejection letter
Barnum & amp; Bailey Circus is gratified by her interest in their company, but they explain: "While we appreciate that you have a natural sense of balance and have always dreamed of walking on a tightrope, we must inform you that we only hire trained professionals to do all of our acrobatic acts."
Meanwhile, Jane's rapidly dwindling savings -- at one point, she has $5 in her checking account -- force her to take a roommate. Missy, a computer specialist with an attitude problem and a fondness for black, is another victim of Maximum's massive layoffs. She claims to be allergic to detergents of any type, preventing her from helping with the dishes or doing her laundry.
Against her better judgment, Jane plots with Missy and other former Maximum Office workers to break in to the company and get revenge by suspending managers' pay and sending them pink slips.
Although Jane's personal and professional lives sink rather low as the book progresses, "Pink Slip Party" has its share of romance, when Jane finally realizes just how attractive and dateable her brother's best friend is.
Light and fun
Jane's sarcasm and her breezy, flippant attitude toward unemployment and financial ruin keep the book light and fun, but her self-involvement and poor decision-making skills keep her from being a totally sympathetic character.
"Pink Slip Party" won't leave you with any new insights on life or the human condition, but hey, that's part of its charm. The novel is the literary equivalent of a sitcom and is the perfect way to relax after a hard day of work (or just a hard day of job searching in your pajamas).
hegel@vindy.com