Friends Like Us [Deckle Edge] [Hardcover]

Monday, April 2, 2012

Friends Like Us [Deckle Edge] [Hardcover]

Product Details

Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Knopf (February 14, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 030726811X
ISBN-13: 978-0307268112
Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 1 x 8.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

By : Lauren Fox
Price : $15.96
You Save : $8.99 (36%)

Customer Reviews

Willa and Ben were best friends in high school. They had a little oddball club of two members. After high school ended, however, they drifted apart, as high school friends sometimes do. Willa met Jane in college, and another best friendship bloomed. Now Willa and Jane are roommates, but when Ben re-enters the pictures something odd happens. Ben and Jane fall in love, and Willa ends up being left out. What will happen to the dymanics as these relationships cross all sorts of boundaries?
From the very beginning of the book, we know that there has been a sad sad turn of events in the friendship of Willa and Jane. Because we know something happened, but do not know what, we are hooked. We want to know what happened, and we want to try to fix it. I found myself adoring Willa and Jane both, and saddened to think that something was coming that would hurt them.
While the storyline is not the most original, the thing that really stood out to me was the character development of Willa and Jane. The reader can not help but feel for these women, and the wounds they suffer. I was completely wrapped up in the story. I will admit that I was not wholly satisfied with the ending of the book, but mostly because I wanted their story to continue. I think the book will really appeal to fans of contemporary fiction, particularly dealing with difficult relationships.

If you're looking for what other reviewers have called "chick lit", this book will be a disappointment to you. It has none of the over-the-top-ness that seems to be so prevalent in chick-lit, and instead, slips nicely into more of a contemporary fiction model, quietly telling the story of an era most of us live through, and choices we hope we never have to make.
Other reviewers have summarized the story well, so I'll skip that part. The storyline itself is universal -- girl meets boy, girl loses boy, etc. -- but the way the story's told is heartbreaking. In a choice between the sister-like love of a friend and the love of your soulmate, which wins?
Fox's characters are engaging and strong They are human, instead of one-dimensional plot devices, with motivations and assumptions. For me, that's what took it out of the chick lit realm and into something less grandiose -- and made it a compelling read.
One last note: Fox is an amazing wordsmith. It's rare for me, with most of the books out there today, to be taken with the way something is said in such a way that I have to go back and re-read it. Fox's writing is incredibly well-crafted. If you're fond of that kind of thing, you'll love this book.