(10) Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner

When I read the first chapter of Certain Girls, it was very exciting to me. I was catching up with my old friend, Cannie Shapiro. Do you remember her? The heroine of Jennifer Weiner's Good In Bed?

The first chapter is Cannie observing her thirteen year old daughter, Joy. And wondering what has prompted the change in her daughter. Her grades are slipping, she is distant & moody. Is it a boy? Does she have a friend treating her poorly? Cannie is completely baffled.

Turn to chapter two & you find out that Joy's problem is her mother!

Jennifer Weiner writes Certain Girls from the alternating viewpoint of Cannie & Joy. The first chapter is Cannie, the next chapter Joy. And so on & so forth. You get to intimately look at the thoughts and feelings of both mother and daughter.

I have never been a mother, but I have been a thirteen year old daughter. So I found myself identifying most with Joy. I could totally understand her frustrations and disbeliefs when discovering "truths" about her mother and her past, and her future. There were many times when I just wanted to reach through the pages & tell Cannie to "get over yourself & pay attention!!"

The book continues on between the two of them. And you see the gap of communication growing further and further apart.

Then something happens that will change both Joy & Cannie for life. They BOTH have to grow up and stick together in order to survive.

I don't want to give too much away, but the "life changing event" took me completely by suprise. It had me in tears & left me dazed and shocked.

Certain Girls was an excellent, well written follow up to the successful Good In Bed. Fans of Jennifer Weiner will not be disappointed. In fact, they will be left wondering "what is going to happen in the next book?".

Will there be another book in Cannie's life? I don't know. But I sure would like to read more of Cannie's story!