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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
It was good until the ending. I HATED that ending. Totally unnecessary and cruel.
Excellent sequel! The ending threw me off but it nearly had me in tears by the last page.
it's summer and that means I'm in the mood for easy reading new fiction and this author is one of my favorites for that. one of the neat perks is that her stories are set in Philadelphia, specifically my neighborhood this time. one of the main themes of this novel was the interaction of mother and daughter. reading things that sound painfully familiar makes me wonder if any mother and daughter get along sans drama?
Not. Fair. Jennifer. Not. Fair.
I wasn't completly drawn into this, but I didn't want to put it down, but I still kind of worked in suspended disbelief while reading it.
I wasn't completly drawn into this, but I didn't want to put it down, but I still kind of worked in suspended disbelief while reading it.
First off, let me start off by saying I'm a big Jennifer Weiner fan. Her books are the perfect in-between books. You know, those books that are light and fluffy reads and that are perfect to read in-between serious books? That's what describes Jennifer Weiner's books.
Now, "Certain Girls" is a sequel to Weiner's hit novel "Good in Bed". In my opinion, there are three types of sequels. The first type are those certain sequels that are great. They are even better than the original novel and it tends to make them look better. The second type are those that don't really make much of a difference to the original novel. These are loose sequels. They have some of the original novel's backstory, but not so much where it's absolutely necessary to read the first novel. They can be read as stand-alone novels. Lastly, there are those sequels that are better in theory. The ones that make the original novel worse. "Certain Girls", unfortunately, falls under the third category.
I loved "Good In Bed". I thought it was a gem. "Certain Girls"...not so much. First off, Cannie Shapiro (the heroine of the first novel) did a complete 180. It seemed like she went from three steps forward (in the first novel) and two steps back (in the second). She became this smothering, obsessive, character. What happened to the witty, sharp-tounged heroine from the first novel? And Joy, her daughter, was obnoxious and bratty. I know she's only twelve, but she was overly bratty. It went to the point where I wanted to skip the chapters she narrated (I didn't, but boy, did I ever want to!). And don't even get me started on the ending. I'm not going to say it, so that I don't spoil the book. But the ending was majorly depressing and completely unnecessary.
So, if you loved "Good In Bed", do not read "Certain Girls". It will change you perceptions of the first novel and not in a good way. "Good In Bed" should not have been messed with in this way. Which is why I rate this two stars.
Now, "Certain Girls" is a sequel to Weiner's hit novel "Good in Bed". In my opinion, there are three types of sequels. The first type are those certain sequels that are great. They are even better than the original novel and it tends to make them look better. The second type are those that don't really make much of a difference to the original novel. These are loose sequels. They have some of the original novel's backstory, but not so much where it's absolutely necessary to read the first novel. They can be read as stand-alone novels. Lastly, there are those sequels that are better in theory. The ones that make the original novel worse. "Certain Girls", unfortunately, falls under the third category.
I loved "Good In Bed". I thought it was a gem. "Certain Girls"...not so much. First off, Cannie Shapiro (the heroine of the first novel) did a complete 180. It seemed like she went from three steps forward (in the first novel) and two steps back (in the second). She became this smothering, obsessive, character. What happened to the witty, sharp-tounged heroine from the first novel? And Joy, her daughter, was obnoxious and bratty. I know she's only twelve, but she was overly bratty. It went to the point where I wanted to skip the chapters she narrated (I didn't, but boy, did I ever want to!). And don't even get me started on the ending. I'm not going to say it, so that I don't spoil the book. But the ending was majorly depressing and completely unnecessary.
So, if you loved "Good In Bed", do not read "Certain Girls". It will change you perceptions of the first novel and not in a good way. "Good In Bed" should not have been messed with in this way. Which is why I rate this two stars.
I like Jennifer Weiner but I had a hard time trying to get into this book.
Every so often I need a bit of chick lit and I like Jennifer Weiner's books because there is good with the bad and lives are complicated. And because I could know these people.
I really enjoyed this book. I'm still not sure how I feel about the different points of view --one chapter is from the mother's perspective, then next from the daughter's. I guess I just didn't really enjoy the daughter's perspective. She came off as an incredibly spoiled 12 year old. But I love "Cannie" the same character from Good in Bed, and I was glad to see her again. I liked how it jumped in many years later, but then went back and filled you in on what happened between the two books. A big surprise at the ending...but I won't give it away...I certainly didn't see it coming, but then again, I was dupped by Sixth Sense too (okay, it's not nearly that big of a shocker). I wanted more depth, I wanted to hear more form Cannie, but overall a very enjoyable read.
Weiner loves a very, very sad 4th quarter for her books. I was sad-ish about the mother-daughter relationship challenges in the beginning of the book, but the last quarter was a sob-fest. Which might be what you're looking for! Be forewarned. My kids don't like when I cry, so they didn't like me reading this in front of them.
Otherwise, it's chick lit just like the first one. It is what it is, and it's decent reading.
Otherwise, it's chick lit just like the first one. It is what it is, and it's decent reading.