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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
I adore Jennifer Weiner - I know she's mostly classified as chick lit, but some of her stuff isn't as superficial as it sounds. She "gets it" and Certain Girls was no exception; a very poignant book with a surprise ending. Just like life is, sometimes.
I liked this book very much, though I'm not sure I liked it as much as I liked (really, loved) Good In Bed. I think that was a little more relatable for me. This one was about a mother raising a tween/teen daughter, and while I could relate it to my childhood, I felt like I had no connection with Cannie as a mom. She reminded me very little of my own mom, and I'm not a mom, so there was just no interest there really. However, as always, Jennifer Weiner is a fabulous storyteller, so I did love the story, even if I had a hard time relating to it.
The end was rough for me, though. I won't give it away, but I was pretty angry. Like Good In Bed, Cannie went through a lot of trials and tribulations and, like the critics of her fictitions book, Big Girls Don't Cry, I felt like it was a little outrageous. I'm not sure a happy thing happened the entire book! And toward the end, when I thought Cannie and Joy would reconcile, I felt like that was realistic. Mothers and daughters don't get along when the kid is a teen; they go through ups and downs, and I thought they were on the way up from being really down. And I guess they were... but then tragedy out of left field! I didn't like it. By the very end, I guess I'd come to terms with it (can't change it!) but I still wasn't happy with it.
I would, however, still recommend this book, and any other by Jennifer Weiner. I think she really is the great female voice of writers today, and I love that.
The end was rough for me, though. I won't give it away, but I was pretty angry. Like Good In Bed, Cannie went through a lot of trials and tribulations and, like the critics of her fictitions book, Big Girls Don't Cry, I felt like it was a little outrageous. I'm not sure a happy thing happened the entire book! And toward the end, when I thought Cannie and Joy would reconcile, I felt like that was realistic. Mothers and daughters don't get along when the kid is a teen; they go through ups and downs, and I thought they were on the way up from being really down. And I guess they were... but then tragedy out of left field! I didn't like it. By the very end, I guess I'd come to terms with it (can't change it!) but I still wasn't happy with it.
I would, however, still recommend this book, and any other by Jennifer Weiner. I think she really is the great female voice of writers today, and I love that.
yet another book told in two voices - this time it's mother vs. daughter and both in first person
it works here - it really does
I liked getting both the sully teenager side of the story along with the overprotective mother side.
it works here - it really does
I liked getting both the sully teenager side of the story along with the overprotective mother side.
I haven't read a JW in awhile and I picked this up so I could get the free shipping (since shipping was about as much as the book). Then I began to read reviews and my heart sank. Not her best, so many said.
I enjoyed it. I thought it was real. Good in Bed was great - but it was more fairy tale where this is the grit; and yet, there is still hope at the end. The author proved she had guts to not protect her darlings, and it must have hurt to write what she wrote - but she spared it from being average sop and gave the book depth.
I understand that readers who read strictly for escapism may feel betrayed. On the other hand, even Good in Bed displayed a darker side lingering there, and it is what gives JW a star - an author that proves that marketability does not have to be cheesy cheep, like so many books that spat forward as "women's books."
I enjoyed it. I thought it was real. Good in Bed was great - but it was more fairy tale where this is the grit; and yet, there is still hope at the end. The author proved she had guts to not protect her darlings, and it must have hurt to write what she wrote - but she spared it from being average sop and gave the book depth.
I understand that readers who read strictly for escapism may feel betrayed. On the other hand, even Good in Bed displayed a darker side lingering there, and it is what gives JW a star - an author that proves that marketability does not have to be cheesy cheep, like so many books that spat forward as "women's books."
If you liked Good in Bed, this book is not for you. Weiner has completely changed the main character, to the point that it is jarring. Otherwise, it's an okay "in between" book - a palate cleanser when you need something on the fluffy side.
Cute book! In my opinion, not Weiner's strongest, but still an enjoyable read.
I've honestly seriously struggled to read this book and I can't wait to finish it and be done with it forever.
Edit: Sad ending, hollow feeling in my chest
Edit: Sad ending, hollow feeling in my chest
This book I had my doubts about. I am not really into Jennifer Weiners style of wrtitting but thought I would give it a shot. I needed a good chick novel to sink into.
I really loved this book the main charectors are a yong girl Joy and her mother Cammy. Cammy wrote a very crude book on her younger years and becoming pregnant by a guy who could care less and ran off to Amsterdamn. The book is full of sex, anger and hatred, nothing like Cammy's life is now at 45. Her daughter joy has many difficulties in school, social life and her coming of age party is just around the corner. I could totally relate to Joy because I very much felt like my life was a mess and I had no control at 13. Who does, you want to be an adult and yet your still a child? The ending of this book took a very diffrent turn then I thought it would or should but I guess that is a sign of a good writter. I kept turning the pages.
I really loved this book the main charectors are a yong girl Joy and her mother Cammy. Cammy wrote a very crude book on her younger years and becoming pregnant by a guy who could care less and ran off to Amsterdamn. The book is full of sex, anger and hatred, nothing like Cammy's life is now at 45. Her daughter joy has many difficulties in school, social life and her coming of age party is just around the corner. I could totally relate to Joy because I very much felt like my life was a mess and I had no control at 13. Who does, you want to be an adult and yet your still a child? The ending of this book took a very diffrent turn then I thought it would or should but I guess that is a sign of a good writter. I kept turning the pages.
The sequel to Weiner's earlier book, Good in Bed. I have kind of mixed feelings about the book. It meets Cannie Shapiro and her daughter, Joy, 10 years or so after the earlier book ends. I was disappointed in some of the issue Cannie had, like she hadn't grown much since the earlier book. Cannie's husband was not portrayed very fully at all, he was kind of a shadow character. I did like the depictions of Cannie's relationship with her daughter and the preteen angst her daughter had. I thought those parts were well done. Overall, though, this was not up to the standard I expect from Weiner who I usually think is a very very good writer. It just didn't suck me in the way her books usually do. Also, I don't want to give anything away but I thought the end was terrible. I don't know if I will ever forgive Weiner for writing it.
Let me start out by saying...I love Jennifer Weiner. I relate to her, a strange part of me feels like I know her, maybe because I see pieces of myself in her characters and my guess is that she puts little parts of her into her characters. I feel like if Jennifer was my neighbor we would be friends. Her books are fun to read and most would call them Chic Lit... but to me they are Chic Lit with a bit more substance.
Now. I started reading this book and hated it. I almost put it down and stopped reading it. I was so disappointed because I LOVED Good In Bed and this book is the sequel to it. I hated it so much that I decided to have another book that I read at work during lunch break and just read this book at home before bed. I NEVER read two books at the same time. I HATED Cannie's daughter Joy at the beginning. I couldn't figure out why she was such a brat and didn't appreciate her mom Cannie as much as I did. I thought that I was supposed to like her and be able to look back at myself as a teenager and relate to her... and by the end I did. By the end I loved her *almost* as much as Cannie and was glad that I stuck with Certain Girls. It's not my favorite of Jennifer's books but I'm glad that I took the journey to find out what has become of Cannie Shapiro.
Now. I started reading this book and hated it. I almost put it down and stopped reading it. I was so disappointed because I LOVED Good In Bed and this book is the sequel to it. I hated it so much that I decided to have another book that I read at work during lunch break and just read this book at home before bed. I NEVER read two books at the same time. I HATED Cannie's daughter Joy at the beginning. I couldn't figure out why she was such a brat and didn't appreciate her mom Cannie as much as I did. I thought that I was supposed to like her and be able to look back at myself as a teenager and relate to her... and by the end I did. By the end I loved her *almost* as much as Cannie and was glad that I stuck with Certain Girls. It's not my favorite of Jennifer's books but I'm glad that I took the journey to find out what has become of Cannie Shapiro.