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trayceebee's review against another edition
4.0
Really, pretty good story about four girlfriends as they go from college years to late 30's. Fun stuff.
caitlinmcmichael's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
dmsullivan's review against another edition
3.0
This was a pretty decent book. Lots of drama which kept me wanting to read "just one more chapter." :)
booksnwhiskey's review against another edition
3.0
ot was slow. there were a few good moments and a few boring. I can definitely say it is not a re-read in the future.
easolinas's review against another edition
2.0
Ah, chick lit. Whether it's for twenty-somethings or "mature" women, you can expect lots of women, lots of personal tragedy, and lots of typical "woman" problems. And Sally Koslow's "With Friends Like These: A Novel" follows the basic patterns of a chick-lit novel -- but at least it's written in a superior style, with slightly more fleshed-out characters.
The main characters are four young women who met when seeking an apartment -- and while it's an odd way to start a friendship, they end up becoming buddies. But years pass for them, even though they continue living within the same city, and their lives become more and more divergent -- three are married, one is happily single, one is unhappily childless, etc.
And as they all approach forty, the women grapple with some major problems, as unhappy breadwinner Talia goes to extreme lengths to get her son into a primo school, screwing over one of her friends. And when unhappily childless Quincy voices her desire for a certain apartment, one of her buddies will betray her.
I do admit that I like a novel that is more about the bonds of friendship being strained than "Yay! Women's friendship! It's so much awesomer than other kinds of friendship!" But at the same time, it spends much too much time focusing just on the negatives of female friendship, without mentioning how female friends can also be incredibly supportive.
And in turn, the main characters aren't terribly likable -- Talia is obsessed but doesn't seem inclined to fix her situation herself, though she experiences a lot of crippling guilt. Jules is simply selfish. I preferred the more developed Chloe and Quincy, who develop more as a result of what their buddies did.
I will admit that Sally Koslow is a talented writer, who has a talent for writing strong, descriptive writing. However, the problems these women faced were all very cliched -- miscarriages, good private schools, mild marital strife, singlehood in the late thirties, and so on. I kept waiting for something truly big to happen to these women, something that would shake up the narrative... and was left dangling.
I did so want to like "With Friends Like These," but Sally Koslow felt like she could have written something much more intense. Sadly, I'll have to wait for the next book.
The main characters are four young women who met when seeking an apartment -- and while it's an odd way to start a friendship, they end up becoming buddies. But years pass for them, even though they continue living within the same city, and their lives become more and more divergent -- three are married, one is happily single, one is unhappily childless, etc.
And as they all approach forty, the women grapple with some major problems, as unhappy breadwinner Talia goes to extreme lengths to get her son into a primo school, screwing over one of her friends. And when unhappily childless Quincy voices her desire for a certain apartment, one of her buddies will betray her.
I do admit that I like a novel that is more about the bonds of friendship being strained than "Yay! Women's friendship! It's so much awesomer than other kinds of friendship!" But at the same time, it spends much too much time focusing just on the negatives of female friendship, without mentioning how female friends can also be incredibly supportive.
And in turn, the main characters aren't terribly likable -- Talia is obsessed but doesn't seem inclined to fix her situation herself, though she experiences a lot of crippling guilt. Jules is simply selfish. I preferred the more developed Chloe and Quincy, who develop more as a result of what their buddies did.
I will admit that Sally Koslow is a talented writer, who has a talent for writing strong, descriptive writing. However, the problems these women faced were all very cliched -- miscarriages, good private schools, mild marital strife, singlehood in the late thirties, and so on. I kept waiting for something truly big to happen to these women, something that would shake up the narrative... and was left dangling.
I did so want to like "With Friends Like These," but Sally Koslow felt like she could have written something much more intense. Sadly, I'll have to wait for the next book.
bookishbrandi's review
4.0
One part of me wanted this to end happily ever after, but I like that the author didn't take that approach. I think she perfectly displayed human nature. Some times friendships can survive hurt and misdeeds and sometimes they can't. Interesting!
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