The Bottom Line
Pros
- Weiner's characters are largely relatable and likeable
- Weiner has a deft hand with scenes and dialogue, so 'Certain Girls' is a fast read
Cons
- That same deft hand makes certain parts seem cliched or like Weiner isn't making an effort
- 'Certain Girls' takes a serious turn that seems tacked on in an effort to make a weightier novel
Description
- Cannie Shapiro is married to a doctor, and her daughter is turning thirteen
- As Joy grows up, she confronts the content of her mother's revealing and personal novel
- Joy's approaching bat mitzvah brings to a boil the conflicts between mother and daughter
Guide Review - 'Certain Girls' by Jennifer Weiner - Book Review
Jennifer Weiner is a perennially bestselling author who made her name with her first novel, Good in Bed, which told the story of Cannie Shapiro. In Certain Girls, Cannie is back, having written a bestselling novel of her own, and the baby girl born at the end of Good in Bed is now preparing for her bat mitzvah.
Certain Girls is told in chapters that alternate between Cannie's and Joy's points of view. As a narrative technique, this proves quite effective, and Joy's voice is authentic and just as absorbing as Cannie's. Cannie is a little bit less likable this time around, though, partly due to her whiny-seeming complaints about being a bestselling author and the sometimes-unflattering press she received. Cannie also struggles with understanding why her teenage daughter has a bad attitude -- it's undoubtedly a common trial for parents, but Cannie comes off as though she thinks she's too kind or cool to deserve it.
Certain Girls loses its way as the story of Cannie and her family draws to a close, but despite the flaws, Weiner's novel is utterly readable.
