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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
As a plus sized woman and I really enjoyed the first Cannie Shapiro book but this one was missing something for me. Would have liked to have seen more bits of the old Cannie...she seemed ashamed of herself some how.
This woman's fiction is book 2 in the Cannie Shapiro series, but the first one I read. And let me tell you. I am really not a fan of teenage girl characters in novels. They tend to be immature, bratty, and moody. And half of this story was told from a teenage girl character... I also thought the other character's POV (her mother's) was a bit too whiny. This one was not for me.
I was really looking forward to reading this, as I loved "Good in Bed."
I'm really glad that I didn't purchase the e-book and instead borrowed it from the library, as I didn't enjoy this book as much as I did the one that preceded it.
The back and forth chapters were a little confusing at times, especially when picking up the book after setting it down for a while -- which I did frequently because I just couldn't get into the book.
I am glad that I read it; it was nice to get an update on the lives of all the characters.
I'm really glad that I didn't purchase the e-book and instead borrowed it from the library, as I didn't enjoy this book as much as I did the one that preceded it.
The back and forth chapters were a little confusing at times, especially when picking up the book after setting it down for a while -- which I did frequently because I just couldn't get into the book.
I am glad that I read it; it was nice to get an update on the lives of all the characters.
Writing a followup to such a successful book is no easy task - and reading the sequel to one of my favorite books is perhaps harder. It's been years since reading Good in Bed and it took me awhile to fall back into sync with the characters of the book, especially as they had all changed and aged.
I did like reading this story of Candace Shapiro and her now 12 year old daughter Joy - now that I am a parent also, I think the plot was especially interesting. There were things I didn't love about it, particularly the ending which came completely out of left field for me - but I do think it will be a story that stays with me.
I did like reading this story of Candace Shapiro and her now 12 year old daughter Joy - now that I am a parent also, I think the plot was especially interesting. There were things I didn't love about it, particularly the ending which came completely out of left field for me - but I do think it will be a story that stays with me.
Like most of Weiner's novels, this one featured interesting and well-developed characters. The novel brings us back to Cannie, who was the heroine of "Good In Bed." It's twelve years later, and she's living happily with her husband Peter and her daughter Joy. She wrote a novel called "Big Girls Don't Cry" about her experiences, but switched her focus to science fiction after she realized that fame isn't all it's cracked up to be. Joy finds out about the novel and starts questioning a lot about her life--Did her parents even want her? Why doesn't she have a relationship with her grandfather? Why is her mom so weird?
The novel is told from both points of view, which is one of the things I really like about Weiner's writing. I think she does a good job getting into her character's heads and making them believable and relatable. There were times when I thought to myself, "Jeez, Cannie, Joy is right. Chill!" And there were other times when I wanted to smack Joy in the face and tell her that that uber-cool girl Amber didn't really like her and she shouldn't abandon her boyfriend. My issue with this book--which is kind of my issue with her fiction in general--is the huge twist ending. It felt forced. And, to be honest, I didn't like it. I thought it was just a little too much and that the novel was great when it was about the mother-daughter relationship. Why add additional drama?
The novel is told from both points of view, which is one of the things I really like about Weiner's writing. I think she does a good job getting into her character's heads and making them believable and relatable. There were times when I thought to myself, "Jeez, Cannie, Joy is right. Chill!" And there were other times when I wanted to smack Joy in the face and tell her that that uber-cool girl Amber didn't really like her and she shouldn't abandon her boyfriend. My issue with this book--which is kind of my issue with her fiction in general--is the huge twist ending. It felt forced. And, to be honest, I didn't like it. I thought it was just a little too much and that the novel was great when it was about the mother-daughter relationship. Why add additional drama?
Weiner is my favorite author, and she really out-did herself with this one. She explores the mother-daughter relationship, adolescent angst, adoption, tragedy....very powerful and interesting book. I cried. A lot.
I took a break from reading Jennifer's books for what feels like too long. This was an enjoyable read, of a nice length. I really enjoyed that story being told from both the mother and daughter's perspectives. It had several unexpected plot twists.