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3.19 AVERAGE
3.19 AVERAGE
Ok, so I havent read a Danielle Steele in years. Now I remember why.This was terrible. If you were looking for a happy ending, or even a light beach read, this is not it. The worst part was I didnt care about even one of the characters.
A little repetitive but good story about 5 friends meeting in kindergarten.
I listened to this as an audiobook! Loved it so much and had a great storyline! Voice was also great and I have already picked up another Danielle Steel audiobook. For sure a heartbreaking story and for sure not for someone who can't handle death.
Review first published on my blog: http://memoriesfrombooks.blogspot.com/2012/08/friends-forever.html
I feel like I should begin with a disclaimer. I read Danielle Steel books. I went through a phase of my life when I read through pretty much everything she had written. Then, for a while, I felt that the reality of life went so far beyond these books that they seemed contrived and unreal. Yet, I continued to read them. Recently, I have not particularly liked the books. Yet, when one comes out, I read it. That being said, I am glad I read this one.
Friends Forever is the story of Andy, Billy, Gabby, Izzie, and Sean who meet on the first day of kindergarten and become an inseparable group of friends. The story follows the "Big Five" as they grow up and grapple with the issues of growing up. In particular, a central focus of the book becomes the challenges of changing family ties, and the use of alcohol and drugs in teens and young adults.
I enjoyed this book much more than I have recent Danielle Steel books. The characters in this book seemed more real as did the situations. As a parent, I feel that the message of this book is an emphatic one and a necessary one. The book still has the dramatic elements that will appeal to Danielle Steel fans, but this books offers a little bit more.
I am glad I have persevered in reading her books. Wonder what the next one will bring?
I feel like I should begin with a disclaimer. I read Danielle Steel books. I went through a phase of my life when I read through pretty much everything she had written. Then, for a while, I felt that the reality of life went so far beyond these books that they seemed contrived and unreal. Yet, I continued to read them. Recently, I have not particularly liked the books. Yet, when one comes out, I read it. That being said, I am glad I read this one.
Friends Forever is the story of Andy, Billy, Gabby, Izzie, and Sean who meet on the first day of kindergarten and become an inseparable group of friends. The story follows the "Big Five" as they grow up and grapple with the issues of growing up. In particular, a central focus of the book becomes the challenges of changing family ties, and the use of alcohol and drugs in teens and young adults.
I enjoyed this book much more than I have recent Danielle Steel books. The characters in this book seemed more real as did the situations. As a parent, I feel that the message of this book is an emphatic one and a necessary one. The book still has the dramatic elements that will appeal to Danielle Steel fans, but this books offers a little bit more.
I am glad I have persevered in reading her books. Wonder what the next one will bring?
Show don't tell, Danielle. SHOW DON'T TELL.
When I was (much, much) younger and hadn't read enough good literature to appreciate skillful writing, I devoured Danielle Steel novels like it was nobody's business.
There. I said it. I was a huge Danielle Steel fan. I cried over Mixed Blessings, I agonized over Star...I read them all.
And then I grew up. Steel's formulaic writing finally started to feel a bit stale, and I found other, more diverse writers to excite and engage me.
Until I took a trip to rural Maine and found myself in a Walmart looking for something, anything to read, and saw Friends Forever. And nostalgia kicked in.
I'm a sucker for nostalgia.
By the end of the first chapter, I remembered why I had moved on from Steel's world of melodrama and flowery romance: because it's awful. And predictable. And repetitive. And awful.
When you know what's going to happen to every major character by the end of Chapter Three, that's a problem. I've definitely grown as a reader since my Danielle Steel days, but I shouldn't be able to you how every last plot thread will unravel with 80% of the book left to read.
And seriously, has Steel always been this repetitive? She tells you something -- because God forbid she give you any real description that allows you to figure out a character on your own -- and then she tells you the same thing four sentences later, but in slightly different words. And then in case you missed it the first two times, she tells you again a paragraph or two later. It's maddening. And insulting. And ultimately laughable, since she relies on this technique to propel her way through an incredibly boring novel.
So no, I don't think I will be picking up another Danielle Steel novel in my lifetime. I prefer to read books with a little more substance and a lot less banality. I will always remember those early Steel years with fondness, though. She did know how to pull at my heartstrings when I was 23.
When I was (much, much) younger and hadn't read enough good literature to appreciate skillful writing, I devoured Danielle Steel novels like it was nobody's business.
There. I said it. I was a huge Danielle Steel fan. I cried over Mixed Blessings, I agonized over Star...I read them all.
And then I grew up. Steel's formulaic writing finally started to feel a bit stale, and I found other, more diverse writers to excite and engage me.
Until I took a trip to rural Maine and found myself in a Walmart looking for something, anything to read, and saw Friends Forever. And nostalgia kicked in.
I'm a sucker for nostalgia.
By the end of the first chapter, I remembered why I had moved on from Steel's world of melodrama and flowery romance: because it's awful. And predictable. And repetitive. And awful.
When you know what's going to happen to every major character by the end of Chapter Three, that's a problem. I've definitely grown as a reader since my Danielle Steel days, but I shouldn't be able to you how every last plot thread will unravel with 80% of the book left to read.
And seriously, has Steel always been this repetitive? She tells you something -- because God forbid she give you any real description that allows you to figure out a character on your own -- and then she tells you the same thing four sentences later, but in slightly different words. And then in case you missed it the first two times, she tells you again a paragraph or two later. It's maddening. And insulting. And ultimately laughable, since she relies on this technique to propel her way through an incredibly boring novel.
So no, I don't think I will be picking up another Danielle Steel novel in my lifetime. I prefer to read books with a little more substance and a lot less banality. I will always remember those early Steel years with fondness, though. She did know how to pull at my heartstrings when I was 23.
This is my first Danielle Steel book I have read and I have to say I'm not encouraged to read anymore.
To start with, all the characters, main and supportive, were forgettable. I found myself getting confused between the characters or forgetting their story line completely. Maybe she put in too many characters, but there wasn't room for development. You didn't get a chance to grow attached to any of them because their story kept changing so rapidly.
The dialogue between the main characters was lifeless, even though they're all supposed to be best friends. There didn't seem to be any chemistry.
The writing and storyline was also very repetitive. I found myself rolling my eyes every chapter because it was very easy to predict and was not surprising or gripping at all.
The only redeeming quality of this book is if you really think about the factors that surrounded the three characters who died. All were faced with external pressure which if handled better by those pushing them could have prevented their deaths. I understand these deaths made the storyline, but it made me think about the pressure of family and societal expectations and how that effects someone's life.
This book was an easy read. Not because it was enjoyable, but because it was poorly written. It was frustrating to think that the aurhor couldn't think of something different to occur in the story. Its not a book I would recommend to anyone, even if they have read some of her previous stories.
To start with, all the characters, main and supportive, were forgettable. I found myself getting confused between the characters or forgetting their story line completely. Maybe she put in too many characters, but there wasn't room for development. You didn't get a chance to grow attached to any of them because their story kept changing so rapidly.
The dialogue between the main characters was lifeless, even though they're all supposed to be best friends. There didn't seem to be any chemistry.
The writing and storyline was also very repetitive. I found myself rolling my eyes every chapter because it was very easy to predict and was not surprising or gripping at all.
The only redeeming quality of this book is if you really think about the factors that surrounded the three characters who died. All were faced with external pressure which if handled better by those pushing them could have prevented their deaths. I understand these deaths made the storyline, but it made me think about the pressure of family and societal expectations and how that effects someone's life.
This book was an easy read. Not because it was enjoyable, but because it was poorly written. It was frustrating to think that the aurhor couldn't think of something different to occur in the story. Its not a book I would recommend to anyone, even if they have read some of her previous stories.
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
I enjoyed the story and the characters, but I thought this was not well written. Really offputting writing style.
My first Danielle Steele book. Easy read. Different than my normal books. Nice change. Sad.
I picked this book up at the library. I haven't read a DS book in years! I used to devour her books. Anyway, I thought a story about five friends that follows them from kindergarten to adulthood would be nice. And it was, they had their ups and downs, but I did not expect the turn it suddenly took with three of the characters! I was on the verge of depression! But not every story can have a happy ending, that's life.