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k_cavacini's review against another edition
4.0
A great read that takes place in Philly! 6 college friends reunite after 18 years to remember the friend that brought them all together; a 6-point star that has become an 5-point star. Each of the chapters is told from a different perspective so we get the chance to witness the reunion through everyone's eyes. A really great and engaging bread, it made me look at my college friends and relationships in a new way.
itischristinew's review against another edition
4.0
Fun read with lots of mid 90s references/pop culture thrown in. The bouncing back and forth of characters as chapters makes the book a lot of fun to read.
purrfectpages's review against another edition
2.0
Have you ever loved the idea of a book a lot more than the book itself? That's the way I'd describe my feelings for the novel, In Twenty Years.
It's premise is simple; six college friends make a pact to meet up and read what they wrote down about where they wanted/expected to be in twenty years. Only circumstances force them to meet up slightly sooner than expected, and of course the crew isn't nearly as tight as they were when they were in college together.
The main problem for me was that I didn't find myself caring or connecting about any of these characters nearly enough as I should. At least half of the six were wildly successful, but still very "woe is me" types. I know success doesn't equal happiness, I just didn't understand what they were all so morbid about. I could see if their insecurities surfaced when reuniting, but the story starts out with everyone pained in the past and in the present, to some extent. Maybe that's a reality of sorts; that the past is never as great as we want to remember. But you can write a story about trials and tribulations and still make the reader care a lot more than I did with this novel.
Perhaps the problem was the amount of main characters. I think six sounds like a solid number, but I felt we spent a lot of time hearing the voices of three of the ladies, and less time with the two men. I'm guessing that's because the author, being female herself, might be more comfortable writing a female voice. But not honing in on the backstory of all six characters really sells the story short.
However, I did like the ending. I liked how everything was tied up and slightly open ended. That doesn't necessarily mean I plan on reuniting with the characters again in another twenty years though.
It's premise is simple; six college friends make a pact to meet up and read what they wrote down about where they wanted/expected to be in twenty years. Only circumstances force them to meet up slightly sooner than expected, and of course the crew isn't nearly as tight as they were when they were in college together.
The main problem for me was that I didn't find myself caring or connecting about any of these characters nearly enough as I should. At least half of the six were wildly successful, but still very "woe is me" types. I know success doesn't equal happiness, I just didn't understand what they were all so morbid about. I could see if their insecurities surfaced when reuniting, but the story starts out with everyone pained in the past and in the present, to some extent. Maybe that's a reality of sorts; that the past is never as great as we want to remember. But you can write a story about trials and tribulations and still make the reader care a lot more than I did with this novel.
Perhaps the problem was the amount of main characters. I think six sounds like a solid number, but I felt we spent a lot of time hearing the voices of three of the ladies, and less time with the two men. I'm guessing that's because the author, being female herself, might be more comfortable writing a female voice. But not honing in on the backstory of all six characters really sells the story short.
However, I did like the ending. I liked how everything was tied up and slightly open ended. That doesn't necessarily mean I plan on reuniting with the characters again in another twenty years though.
shelfdetermined's review against another edition
2.0
*I won a copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads in exchange for an honest review.*
Review to follow.
Review to follow.
dhc7a's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
kaizw's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
cs_the_librarian's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
winona_reads3's review against another edition
2.0
I liked the story line but I didn't like the writing style for some reason
plaidpladd's review against another edition
2.0
I finished this last night, but already a lot of the details are hazy. I do remember the treatment of bisexuality is pretty yikes-worthy, so that's probably my main takeaway.