Review: The Next Best Thing by Jennifer Weiner

The Next Best Thing
Author: Jennifer Weiner
Published: July 3, 2012
Genre: chick lit
Hardcover: 400 pages
Source: borrowed from the library

My Rating: 3.5 stars

Synopsis (from GoodReads): At twenty-three, Ruth Saunders headed west with her seventy-year-old grandma in tow, hoping to be hired as a television writer. Four years later, she’s hit the jackpot when she gets The Call: the sitcom she wrote, The Next Best Thing, has gotten the green light, and Ruthie’s going to be the show-runner. But her dreams of Hollywood happiness are threatened by demanding actors, number-crunching executives, an unrequited crush on a boss, and her grandmother’s impending nuptials. 

Set against the fascinating backdrop of Los Angeles show business culture, with an insider’s ear and eye for writer’s rooms, bad behavior backstage and set politics, Jennifer Weiner’s new novel is a rollicking ride on the Hollywood rollercoaster and a heartfelt story about what it’s like for a young woman to love, and lose, in the land where dreams come true.

My Thoughts: I read the short story, Swim, upon which this novel is based and just knew that I would have to read this novel. I mean, I've read Jennifer Weiner in the past and liked it, but there was something different from the get go with this story. Telling the story of a struggling writer in Hollywood, living with her grandmother, who has raised her since her parents died in a tragic car accident when she was a little girl, Weiner tells the story of trying to make it work and seeing how twisted our visions can become when we let others take the reins. 

For me, the best part of this novel was the characters. There were a lot of them, but they were all so real, it almost felt like I was reading a tell-all memoir and not a work of fiction. Ruth is so well crafted, so multi-faceted, that it's impossible not to like her. She was in the car with her parents when they got into that horrific car accident, and Ruth's body was badly burned in places. Since the accident took place in the 1980s, the medical prowess that we have today was not available back then, so multiple surgeries to try and heal her skin have left her scarred on her face and part of her body. Your heart breaks hearing about how she dresses to cover up those burn marks. Realizing how that's the first thing people see when they look at her, Ruth is constantly trying to have people focus on other things about her, whether it be the hat that she pulls down low to try and cover the scars, or her quick wit. Her self-esteem issues are issues that all women have grappled with, but those burn marks make it so much more. Weiner crafted such an amazing leading lady for this novel and Ruth is probably one of my favorite main characters ever!

Now, the bad news about this book: there seems to be little to no editing in the story. There was one point where Ruth arrives to a party wearing pants, a few paragraphs later, she is talking about the skirt she's wearing, and by the end of the night, she's taking off her dress at home. I mean, come on! Little things like that could have been avoided. It didn't ruin the novel for me, but it did take away my attention sometimes because I was so focused on the bad editing. If you are looking for some chick lit that's a bit heavier, then you should look for this book. It was a great, quick read, and one that I will be sure to recommend to people looking for something light to read.

Waiting On Wednesday (4-4-12)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Each week, you highlight an upcoming release that you are eagerly awaiting. This week, my pick is: The Next Best Thing by Jennifer Weiner (expected publication date: July 10, 2012).

Synopsis (from BN.com): At twenty-three, Ruth Saunders headed west with her seventy-year-old grandma in tow, hoping to be hired as a television writer. Four years later, she’s hit the jackpot when she gets The Call: the sitcom she wrote, The Next Best Thing, has gotten the green light, and Ruthie’s going to be the show-runner. But her dreams of Hollywood happiness are threatened by demanding actors, number-crunching executives, an unrequited crush on a boss, and her grandmother’s impending nuptials.

Set against the fascinating backdrop of Los Angeles show business culture, with an insider’s ear and eye for writer’s rooms, bad behavior backstage and set politics, Jennifer Weiner’s new novel is a rollicking ride on the Hollywood rollercoaster and a heartfelt story about what it’s like for a young woman to love, and lose, in the land where dreams come true.

So, what are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Review: Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner

Then Came You
Author: Jennifer Weiner
Published: July 12, 2011
Genre: chick lit
Hardcover: 338 pages
Source: borrowed from the library


My Rating: 3 stars


Synopsis (from GoodReads): The lives of four very different women intertwine in unexpected ways in this new novel by bestselling author Jennifer Weiner (In Her Shoes; Best Friends Forever). Each woman has a problem: Princeton senior Jules Wildgren needs money to help her dad cure his addiction; Pennsylvania housewife Annie Barrow is gasping to stay financially afloat; India Bishop yearns to have a child, an urge that her stepdaughter Bettina can only regard with deeply skepticism until she finds herself in a most unexpected situation. Interlocking dramas designed to ensnare; bound to be a bestseller.


My Thoughts: I was very intrigued by this book when I first heard about it. I think surrogacy is a controversial issue today, so when I found out that Jennifer Weiner would be writing a book about this issue, I just knew that I had to read it. Not just because of the author, but because this is just too good of a topic to pass up. Four women share their stories of surrogacy, from the egg donor, the surrogate, the mother-to-be, and her stepdaughter. Each woman has a unique take on their experience with the process, handling the difficulties along with the joys. I think that having four women share their stories in this process was a great idea, because surrogacy involves so many people besides the mother and father. It really does take a team of people to bring a baby into the world. 


Each woman brings a unique perspective to this story and each voice is different. I was clearly able to distinguish between the four narrators and each had their own personality, which would shine through in their chapters. I don't want to give too much away in my review, but I would say that I found the ending to be very lacking. I felt the whole book building up to it, and then there was nothing. It just petered out, leaving me with a dissatisfied feeling. If the ending were stronger, then I definitely would have rated this book higher. I would still recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the topic of surrogacy or looking for a chick lit book that isn't all about love.

Audiobook Review: Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner

Best Friends Forever
Author: Jennifer Weiner
Narrators: Kate Baldwin and Rick Holmes
Publisher: Simon & Schuester Audio
Published: July 14, 2009
Audiobook: 5 discs
Source: borrowed from library


My Rating: 3 stars


Synopsis (from goodreads.com): Some bonds can never be broken... Addie Downs and Valerie Adler will be best friends forever. That's what Addie believes after Valerie moves across the street when they're both nine years old. But in the wake of betrayal during their teenage years, Val is swept into the popular crowd, while mousy, sullen Addie becomes her school's scapegoat.

Flash-forward fifteen years. Valerie Adler has found a measure of fame and fortune working as the weathergirl at the local TV station. Addie Downs lives alone in her parents' house in their small hometown of La Prairie, Illinois, caring for a troubled brother and trying to meet Prince Charming on the Internet. She's just returned from Bad Date #6, when she opens her door to find her long-gone best friend standing there, with a terrified look on her face and blood on the sleeve of her coat. "Something horrible has happened," Val tells Addie, "and you're the only one who can help."

Best Friends Forever is a grand, hilarious, edge-of-your-seat adventure; a story about betrayal and loyalty, family history and small-town secrets. It's about living through tragedy, finding love where you least expect it, and the ties that keep best friends together.

My Thoughts: A story about two best friends reunited after a betrayal in high school is something that really appealed to me. No, I never had my best friend betray me (in high school or at any point), but I love stories about best friends. Val and Addie grew up across the street from one another, sharing everything with one another, but start to drift apart in high school. After one high school party, they don't talk to one another until Val shows up on Addie's door step late one nite, following their high school reunion. What happens next is comical and dramatic. Very much a modern-day Thelma and Louise story. It's a typical chick-lit book, Jennifer Weiner's strong suit, but still highly enjoyable.

I loved the characters in this book. Each has their own issues that they are dealing with. Addie has had the world on her shoulders since the age of 18, when she lost both of her parents. She has struggled with self-image issues since she was a teenager and still continues with them. Jordan Novick is hurting from his divorce and how he wants so badly to have a family of his own. The only character who is a bit lacking is Val. There isn't much background there, and no growth through the story. She was one-sided, offering comedic relief when the story needed it.

I enjoyed listening to this book; both narrators did a great job, changing their voices quickly. Each character had a distinct voice and diction. Each narrator would narrate a chapter, then it would switch to the other narrator. It made for an enjoyable listening experience.

In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner

In Her Shoes
Author: Jennifer Weiner
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Published: September 17, 2002
Paperback: 421 pages
Source: purchased at used book sale


My Rating: 2 stars


Synopsis (from goodreads.com): Meet Rose Feller. She's thirty years old and a high-powered attorney with a secret passion for romance novels. She dreams of a man who will slide off her glasses, gaze into her eyes, and tell her that she's beautiful. She also dreams of getting her fantastically screwed-up little sister to get her life. together.

Meet Rose's sister, Maggie. Twenty-eight years old, drop-dead gorgeous and only occasionally employed. Although her dreams of big-screen stardom haven't progressed, Maggie dreams of fame and fortune -- and of getting her dowdy big sister to stick to a skin-care regime.

These two women with nothing in common but childhood tragedy, shared DNA, and the same size feet, are about to learn that their family is more different than they ever imagine, and that they're more alike, than they'd ever believe. In Her Shoes observes Rose and Maggie, the brain and the beauty, as they make journeys of discovery. Along the way, the'll encounter a wild cast of characters and they'll borrow shoes and clothes and boyfriends, and make peace with their most intimate enemies -- each other.

My Thoughts: After reading one of Jennifer Weiner's novels earlier this year, I decided that she was an author I should definitely check out more of. Unfortunately, this book was a huge disappointment for me. The characters were bland, the writing lackluster, and the plot almost nonexistent. Telling the story of two sisters who don't have anything in common with one another, there are so many things that Weiner could have focused on to show how the two women grow individually and as sisters, but there was nothing there connecting these two together. There wasn't even much talk of shoes (at least for me)!

The story is basically this: Rose and Maggie have always been polar opposites of one another, with Rose basically being the perfect child and Maggie the screw-up. Maggie makes a huge mistake, losing Rose's trust, and must find herself while Rose discovers who she is. At the end, they reconnect and everything turns out wonderful. It's pretty conventional, nothing all that surprising, and nothing that really stuck out in my mind. Like I said, the plot was lackluster. Nothing made it stand out or different from most chick-lit. The characters had no sparkle. The two sisters were completely stereotypical: Rose is perfect, Maggie is beautiful and gets by on her looks. Way too predictable.

I have sisters and enjoy books that explore the relationship between sisters. When the subject is well-written, it can make a book phenonmenal. But when there's little thought put into the characters, it just makes for a dull read.

Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner

Fly Away Home
Author: Jennifer Weiner
Publisher: Atria
Published: July 13, 2010
Hardcover: 397 pages
Source: purchased at Borders


My Rating: 3.5 stars


Synopsis (from goodreads.com): When Sylvie Serfer met Richard Woodruff in law school, she had wild curls, wide hips, and lots of opinions. Decades later, Sylvie has remade herself as the ideal politician's wife-her hair dyed and straightened, her hippie-chick wardrobe replaced by tailored knit suits. At fifty-seven, she ruefully acknowledges that her job is staying twenty pounds thinner than she was in her twenties and tending to her husband, the senator. 

Lizzie, the Woodruffs' younger daughter, is at twenty-four a recovering addict, whose mantra HALT (Hungry? Angry? Lonely? Tired?) helps her keep her life under control. Still, trouble always seems to find her. Her older sister, Diana, an emergency room physician, has everything Lizzie failed to achieve-a husband, a young son, the perfect home-and yet she's trapped in a loveless marriage. With temptation waiting in one of the ER's exam rooms, she finds herself craving more. 

After Richard's extramarital affair makes headlines, the three women are drawn into the painful glare of the national spotlight. Once the press conference is over, each is forced to reconsider her life, who she is and who she is meant to be. 

My Thoughts: We live in a country where politicians often make the headlines not for the good work they are doing for the country, but for their infidelity and lying. Jennifer Weiner's latest book explores the infidelity of a politican, Richard Woodruff, and how his life as a politician has affected his wife, Sylvie, and two daughters, Diana and Lizzie. While this is not a groundbreaking plot (given the latest political scandals of Arnold's love child and John Edward's being charged with using campaign funds for his mistress), it is something that I have not really considered before. I certainly had opinions of those women standing behind their husbands as they admitted their wrongdoings and I couldn't help but wonder, "Why are these women standing up there, supporting their cheating husbands?!?" Weiner explores that in her book, about how Sylvie can stand behind her husband at his press conference, announcing his infidelity to the world. Sylvie takes you into that world of the scorned wife, of someone who has spent her life supporting her husband and his political aspirations, and how it can all come crashing down so quickly and leave one feeling stripped of their identity.

The novel is told from 3 different points of view, with the chapters being told from Sylvie, Diana, and Lizzie's points of view. Each woman is struggling with her own issues, so it's easy to relate to at least one of the women in this story. Sylvie is trying to discover who she is and what she wants after years of supporting her husband. Diana is suffering from fidelity issues of her own and the pressures of being a working mother and wife. Lizzie is a recovering addict, trying to live a substance-free life and truly experience a drug-free world. The character's voices don't differ that much, but their stories all come together to tell a story of how family shapes each of us, how the decisions our parents make when we are young will affect us for the rest of our lives.

Weiner is a fabulous writer, one who can craft a story that most of us will never live through, but something that we witness constantly in our society. The cheating spouse and the family that is left to pick up the pieces afterwards. The story is strong, and if the character's voices had differed a little, I would have liked this book even more. I am looking forward to reading more from Weiner in the future and would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for that classic summer read.

Waiting On Wednesday (6-15-11)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where you highlight an upcoming book release that you are eagerly awaiting. It's a great way to meet other bloggers and add some more books to your wishlist (which we all need, haha). My pick this week is Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner (expected publication date: July 12, 2011).

Synopsis (from borders.com): Jules Wildgren is a Princeton senior with a full scholarship, acquaintances instead of friends, and a family she’s ashamed to invite to parents’ weekend. With the income she’ll receive from donating her “pedigree” eggs, she believes she can save her father from addiction.

Annie Barrow married her high school sweetheart and became the mother to two boys. After years of staying at home and struggling to support four people on her husband’s salary, she thinks she’s found a way to recover a sense of purpose and bring in some extra cash.

India Bishop, thirty-eight (really forty-three), has changed everything about herself: her name, her face, her past. In New York City, she falls for a wealthy older man, Marcus Croft, and decides a baby will ensure a happy ending. When her attempts at pregnancy fail, she turns to technology, and Annie and Jules, to help her dreams come true.

But each of their plans is thrown into disarray when Marcus’s daughter Bettina, intent on protecting her father, becomes convinced that his new wife is not what she seems . . .

With startling tenderness and laugh-out-loud humor, Jennifer Weiner once again takes readers into the heart of women’s lives in an unforgettable, timely tale that interweaves themes of class and entitlement, surrogacy and donorship, the rights of a parent and the measure of motherhood.

So, what are you waiting on this Wednesday?