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More Like Her
A brilliant, hilarious, and touching story from the author of Conversations with the Fat Girl , Liza Palmer’s More Like Her is smart, funny, though-provoking women’s fiction in the vein of Emily Giffin, Marian Keyes, Meg Cabot, and Jane Green. More Like Her is the story of a seemingly perfect woman who’s the envy of her friends, neighbors, and co-workers…until the life of the object of their jealousy spectacularly, unexpectedly, and disastrously explodes. A novel of secrets, disappointments, false impressions—and what really goes on behind those suburban picket fences— More Like Her is ultimately about facing reality and appreciating everything that life has to offer.
309 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2011
60 people are currently reading
2665 people want to read
About the author
Liza Palmer
21 books557 followersLiza Palmer is the internationally bestselling author of Conversations with the Fat Girl , which has been optioned for series by HBO.
Library Journal said Palmer’s “blend of humor and sadness is realistic and gripping,..”
After earning two Emmy nominations writing for the first season of VH1’s Pop Up Video, she now knows far too much about Fergie.
Palmer’s fifth novel, Nowhere but Home, is about a failed chef who decides to make last meals for the condemned in Texas. Nowhere but Home won the Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction in 2013.
Liza's seventh novel, The F Word, came out through Flatiron Books April 25, 2017.
Liza lives in Los Angeles and when she's not drinking tea and talking about The Great British Bake Off, she works at BuzzFeed.
Library Journal said Palmer’s “blend of humor and sadness is realistic and gripping,..”
After earning two Emmy nominations writing for the first season of VH1’s Pop Up Video, she now knows far too much about Fergie.
Palmer’s fifth novel, Nowhere but Home, is about a failed chef who decides to make last meals for the condemned in Texas. Nowhere but Home won the Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction in 2013.
Liza's seventh novel, The F Word, came out through Flatiron Books April 25, 2017.
Liza lives in Los Angeles and when she's not drinking tea and talking about The Great British Bake Off, she works at BuzzFeed.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 289 reviews
June 4, 2014
Rating: 4.5 Stars
I didn't expect More Like Her to wind up being my favorite Liza Palmer novel, but it is - it most definitely is. Both romantic and horrific, comforting and shocking, this isn't the warm story of Nowhere But Home or the amusing tale of Seeking Me Naked. Instead, it's much rawer, realer, and makes truly worthy statements about self-esteem and society. Just...impeccable.
Frances is a guidance counselor at the prestigious Markham School, vying for a promotion alongside her best friend, Jill. Where Jill is in a steady relationship, however, Frances is recently single--yet again--and is eager to prove herself to the new headmistress, Emma. From the outside, Emma is everything Frances aspires to be--sophisticated, intelligent, and successful. When a bullying incident brings her closer to the headmistress, however, Frances discovers that behind the veneer of perfection, Emma is hurting, broken, and doubtful. With time, Frances and Emma only grow closer, on the cusp of an unbreakable friendship, when tragedy strikes.
From the surface, More Like Her seems to be nothing more than the far-too-often-retold tale of an unlucky woman who, when it comes to romance, never seems to get it right. In reality, though, this is merely a skin-deep perception of this novel. Palmer writes friendships--relationships, really--with such a careful, nuanced construction that we learn to understand them completely. From the perceptions our friends have of us to the minute details which comprise a tight friendship, Palmer presents the relationships between Frances and Jill, Frances and Lisa (another co-worker of hers who becomes a close friend), and most importantly, Frances and Emma with complexity and depth. Every one of these four women are real, filled with their insecurities and flaws, which makes them come alive on the page, their hearts suddenly stuck in our throats as Palmer unapologetically forces us to feel every emotion throughout this narrative.
What's more, More Like Her is the type of novel whose pages we turn to a close but whose story lingers in our minds for days to come. You see, Emma's husband--all part of the veneer of her "perfect" life--brings a gun to a school event one evening and the lives of Frances and her friends are forever changed. Not only does Palmer write about a tragedy of this magnitude with poise and aplomb--particularly as this is not a novel that touches upon gun rights in the least--but she also manages to bring about growth from this event. As Frances is forced to look into her own life, she is made to look past the facades we all live with and accept as part of our lives, just as Emma likely accepted her husband for who he was and refused to see past his "calm" and "normal" exterior. It was Emma's own lack of self-worth that enabled her to keep living with a man who couldn't appreciate her value or give her the freedom to pursue the passions she wished and following the events of this tragedy, Frances--a single woman who may-or-may-not be falling in love--is forced to come to terms with her own self-worth. Whether or not she needs a man to keep her happy. Whether she truly sees herself as she is or simply sees a construct built by society that makes us view ourselves as inferior. It's a fascinating breakdown of our psyche and, what's more, Palmer observes this with each and every one of Frances friends, from her lover to her best friend Jill who seems to have everything put together in her life, particularly her love life.
More Like Her, for all the serious subject matter it touches upon, is compulsively readable and, for the most part, a fairly light read as well. Moreover, the friendships within these pages will touch your heart, the romance will make you swoon (and smile and sigh and dream and cause butterflies to flutter in your stomach and your breath to catch and all of that), and most importantly, the characters will nearly (but not actually) outstay their welcome in your heart. It seems like the most innocent, unassuming of stories but--trust me--it'll change your life, at least a little. For me, there's no greater admission than the fact that words can change lives, but Palmer's have changed mine; irrevocably.
I didn't expect More Like Her to wind up being my favorite Liza Palmer novel, but it is - it most definitely is. Both romantic and horrific, comforting and shocking, this isn't the warm story of Nowhere But Home or the amusing tale of Seeking Me Naked. Instead, it's much rawer, realer, and makes truly worthy statements about self-esteem and society. Just...impeccable.
Frances is a guidance counselor at the prestigious Markham School, vying for a promotion alongside her best friend, Jill. Where Jill is in a steady relationship, however, Frances is recently single--yet again--and is eager to prove herself to the new headmistress, Emma. From the outside, Emma is everything Frances aspires to be--sophisticated, intelligent, and successful. When a bullying incident brings her closer to the headmistress, however, Frances discovers that behind the veneer of perfection, Emma is hurting, broken, and doubtful. With time, Frances and Emma only grow closer, on the cusp of an unbreakable friendship, when tragedy strikes.
From the surface, More Like Her seems to be nothing more than the far-too-often-retold tale of an unlucky woman who, when it comes to romance, never seems to get it right. In reality, though, this is merely a skin-deep perception of this novel. Palmer writes friendships--relationships, really--with such a careful, nuanced construction that we learn to understand them completely. From the perceptions our friends have of us to the minute details which comprise a tight friendship, Palmer presents the relationships between Frances and Jill, Frances and Lisa (another co-worker of hers who becomes a close friend), and most importantly, Frances and Emma with complexity and depth. Every one of these four women are real, filled with their insecurities and flaws, which makes them come alive on the page, their hearts suddenly stuck in our throats as Palmer unapologetically forces us to feel every emotion throughout this narrative.
What's more, More Like Her is the type of novel whose pages we turn to a close but whose story lingers in our minds for days to come. You see, Emma's husband--all part of the veneer of her "perfect" life--brings a gun to a school event one evening and the lives of Frances and her friends are forever changed. Not only does Palmer write about a tragedy of this magnitude with poise and aplomb--particularly as this is not a novel that touches upon gun rights in the least--but she also manages to bring about growth from this event. As Frances is forced to look into her own life, she is made to look past the facades we all live with and accept as part of our lives, just as Emma likely accepted her husband for who he was and refused to see past his "calm" and "normal" exterior. It was Emma's own lack of self-worth that enabled her to keep living with a man who couldn't appreciate her value or give her the freedom to pursue the passions she wished and following the events of this tragedy, Frances--a single woman who may-or-may-not be falling in love--is forced to come to terms with her own self-worth. Whether or not she needs a man to keep her happy. Whether she truly sees herself as she is or simply sees a construct built by society that makes us view ourselves as inferior. It's a fascinating breakdown of our psyche and, what's more, Palmer observes this with each and every one of Frances friends, from her lover to her best friend Jill who seems to have everything put together in her life, particularly her love life.
More Like Her, for all the serious subject matter it touches upon, is compulsively readable and, for the most part, a fairly light read as well. Moreover, the friendships within these pages will touch your heart, the romance will make you swoon (and smile and sigh and dream and cause butterflies to flutter in your stomach and your breath to catch and all of that), and most importantly, the characters will nearly (but not actually) outstay their welcome in your heart. It seems like the most innocent, unassuming of stories but--trust me--it'll change your life, at least a little. For me, there's no greater admission than the fact that words can change lives, but Palmer's have changed mine; irrevocably.
April 13, 2012
I realize I write odd reviews at times. This will be one of them.
My friend Hallie had just returned from visiting her parents when she phoned me. She told me it had been a rough couple of weeks. "You know my parents live in Littleton, Colorado, didn't you?" she asked. It was April, 1999. Hallie was visiting her parents on April 20, 1999 while her youngest sister was at school. For four horrifying hours, she and her parents did not know if her sister was dead or alive. At last the news crews caught footage of the last survivors exiting the school with their hands on their heads. Hallie's sister was the last one to leave, stepping past her best friend's body.
Hallie's sister eventually healed, graduated from high school, left her small town and went to college in another state and married. For the first couple of years, loud noises made her dive under tables and cower. She wore dark clothes, trying to not stand out in a crowd. She has healed by adjusting to the world around her yet she is indelibly changed.
With my own prologue, the book begins with a prologue. It's a 911 call. There is a shooter at a private school. Emma is dead. Possibly the shooter. Maybe he got Frannie.
The story explores multiple relevant issues. More than a school shooting, the story provides a perspective of before, a trauma, then after. The book is told by Frannie's point of view. She is a speech therapist at an elite school. Frannie's best friend is Jill and we soon meet Lisa. It is the beginning of the school year and Frannie is to start the year as a newly single woman. She'd been living with another teacher, Ryan, who had dumped her. Also, we meet the new Head of School, Emma and her creepy husband.
The book explores the different faces of bullying and repercussions along with the social tendency to turn a blind eye to bad behavior. The way society often blames the victim or the victim blames him or herself. How we don't know anybody completely and we certainly don't know their secrets.
Another big topic that I really appreciated is the way women see themselves - very often carrying their insecurities from their self esteem of junior high. In order to be fully loved or appreciated, we must never be completely ourselves. We are appreciated only for what we can offer our significant others - beauty, slender body, great sex, support of the other, etc. We are never free to simply be ourselves for fear of being rejected. This is both Frannie's and Jill's issue, along with others that pop up. In the meantime, we meet Lisa, the Jersey girl who is true to herself.
Returning to the trauma of the school shooting, the reader and the characters never completely understand the senselessness of the violence or the people involved, much like the Columbine tragedy. On the other hand, the story continues after the violence. Each character handles it differently. There is a lot of processing, nightmares, regret, and blaming of self. The story covers much of that.
At the same time, there is a lot of dialogue I struggled to get through. Jill and Frannie have their own language and understanding of one another. They don't always finish their sentences, leaving the reader to fill in the blanks. I didn't feel like I knew them well enough to finish their thoughts. They also have a lot of dirty jokes. It's also a little slow at times and transitions were not clear for me.
Those issues aside, the book provides a good starting point for discussion of bullying, dealing with extreme trauma along with women self esteem issues.
My friend Hallie had just returned from visiting her parents when she phoned me. She told me it had been a rough couple of weeks. "You know my parents live in Littleton, Colorado, didn't you?" she asked. It was April, 1999. Hallie was visiting her parents on April 20, 1999 while her youngest sister was at school. For four horrifying hours, she and her parents did not know if her sister was dead or alive. At last the news crews caught footage of the last survivors exiting the school with their hands on their heads. Hallie's sister was the last one to leave, stepping past her best friend's body.
Hallie's sister eventually healed, graduated from high school, left her small town and went to college in another state and married. For the first couple of years, loud noises made her dive under tables and cower. She wore dark clothes, trying to not stand out in a crowd. She has healed by adjusting to the world around her yet she is indelibly changed.
With my own prologue, the book begins with a prologue. It's a 911 call. There is a shooter at a private school. Emma is dead. Possibly the shooter. Maybe he got Frannie.
The story explores multiple relevant issues. More than a school shooting, the story provides a perspective of before, a trauma, then after. The book is told by Frannie's point of view. She is a speech therapist at an elite school. Frannie's best friend is Jill and we soon meet Lisa. It is the beginning of the school year and Frannie is to start the year as a newly single woman. She'd been living with another teacher, Ryan, who had dumped her. Also, we meet the new Head of School, Emma and her creepy husband.
The book explores the different faces of bullying and repercussions along with the social tendency to turn a blind eye to bad behavior. The way society often blames the victim or the victim blames him or herself. How we don't know anybody completely and we certainly don't know their secrets.
Another big topic that I really appreciated is the way women see themselves - very often carrying their insecurities from their self esteem of junior high. In order to be fully loved or appreciated, we must never be completely ourselves. We are appreciated only for what we can offer our significant others - beauty, slender body, great sex, support of the other, etc. We are never free to simply be ourselves for fear of being rejected. This is both Frannie's and Jill's issue, along with others that pop up. In the meantime, we meet Lisa, the Jersey girl who is true to herself.
Returning to the trauma of the school shooting, the reader and the characters never completely understand the senselessness of the violence or the people involved, much like the Columbine tragedy. On the other hand, the story continues after the violence. Each character handles it differently. There is a lot of processing, nightmares, regret, and blaming of self. The story covers much of that.
At the same time, there is a lot of dialogue I struggled to get through. Jill and Frannie have their own language and understanding of one another. They don't always finish their sentences, leaving the reader to fill in the blanks. I didn't feel like I knew them well enough to finish their thoughts. They also have a lot of dirty jokes. It's also a little slow at times and transitions were not clear for me.
Those issues aside, the book provides a good starting point for discussion of bullying, dealing with extreme trauma along with women self esteem issues.
May 22, 2012
A disjointed story line and unlikable characters made this a difficult read. I really wanted to love it because I've read so many other reviews from readers that thought it was fantastic. But reading is subjective and it's obvious that everyone's idea of fantastic varies greatly.
Let me back up and correct my statement that the characters were unlikable. As written, they were likable enough, but they were boring. I don't know about you, but I can find boring any day of the week in aisle 5 at Wal-mart on sale for 50% off (actually, I can't. Have you seen the People of Wal-mart?). I don't need it in a book.
In the main character, Frances, Liza Palmer has created a pathetic woman. Recently dumped by her boyfriend, who happens to work at the same school as she does, she wishes she were more like Emma, the new principal. Liza's best friend and co-worker, Jill, is obsessed with having a perfect marriage and finding Liza a new boyfriend. East coast transplant Lisa is just out for a good time. After the three witness a horrific crime, I'd love to tell you they have some big revelation, but the truth is, they don't. The author wants you to believe they do, but really, yeah, no.
The cover and the blurb on the back of the book also leads readers to believe the three women are given equal story lines. The reality is Liza is the main character and Jill and Lisa are satellite characters, which is a shame, because both seem much more interesting than Liza. Honestly, I couldn't figure out what the author wanted this book to be. Was it about women learning something new about themselves or was it a romance? Could it be both, sure, but if you can only do one thing well, then do one thing well. Don't do two mediocre things.
Let me back up and correct my statement that the characters were unlikable. As written, they were likable enough, but they were boring. I don't know about you, but I can find boring any day of the week in aisle 5 at Wal-mart on sale for 50% off (actually, I can't. Have you seen the People of Wal-mart?). I don't need it in a book.
In the main character, Frances, Liza Palmer has created a pathetic woman. Recently dumped by her boyfriend, who happens to work at the same school as she does, she wishes she were more like Emma, the new principal. Liza's best friend and co-worker, Jill, is obsessed with having a perfect marriage and finding Liza a new boyfriend. East coast transplant Lisa is just out for a good time. After the three witness a horrific crime, I'd love to tell you they have some big revelation, but the truth is, they don't. The author wants you to believe they do, but really, yeah, no.
The cover and the blurb on the back of the book also leads readers to believe the three women are given equal story lines. The reality is Liza is the main character and Jill and Lisa are satellite characters, which is a shame, because both seem much more interesting than Liza. Honestly, I couldn't figure out what the author wanted this book to be. Was it about women learning something new about themselves or was it a romance? Could it be both, sure, but if you can only do one thing well, then do one thing well. Don't do two mediocre things.
August 12, 2012
The premise was there, the execution was awful. This is a book that doesn't live up to its synopsis at all. I skimmed the last 100 pages because it got so tedious. I was trying to find a punchline but none showed up- we never find out what was behind the picket fence. Jill has a "less than perfect marriage" that never gets explained beyond her not being her "real self"... oookay. Lisa is characterized as your average Jersey girl, not someone "too career focused to find time for a family." And I can't even get into how annoyingly desperate and neurotic Frannie was. The whole book was a glance by glance play by play of her non-relationship with Sam and a murder on the side. Just ugh.
August 9, 2012
Originally reviewed here.
My introduction to Liza Palmer's books came via the excellent Seeing Me Naked, a book that held so much more for me than the title (or cover) seemed to imply. I've reread it and handed it to so many people since then, and I've been looking forward to the release of MORE LIKE HER for some time now. I purchased my copy back when it was released and then just . . . held onto it (as I often do) for the right night. And though I went in expecting it this time, Ms. Palmer surprised me with the level of ambition with which she approached this novel. Once again, I think the cover (which I quite like) is quietly deceptive as to its contents, though those red shoes do seem more ominous than they did when I originally picked it up. I kind of love that. The title I find perfectly fitting as well. So.
Frances and her best friend Jill are guidance counselors at the prestigious Markham School--a prep academy in San Francisco. Having recently and unwillingly become single again after yet another ill-fated voyage with one of the male teachers at the school, Frances is thrown for an additional loop by Emma Dunham. Emma is the new headmistress at Markham. Poised, witty, and clearly successful, Emma is everything Frances would like to hate but can't because she's just so nice, so genuine. As time passes, she admires Emma from afar until a bullying situation brings them closer together. On the cusp of becoming real friends, the two women are torn apart by the unthinkable. In the aftermath, Frances and Jill, their new friend and colleague Lisa, and their respective husbands and/or significant others struggle to make sense of the tragedy and their individual roles in it.
Palmer opens with the following epigraph:
And that pretty much sums up the tone of this novel. The epigraph is followed by a truly harrowing two-page prologue and then by chapter one, entitled "Lipstick and Palpable Fear." So, yeah. I pretty much loved it. Like her characters, Palmer's writing always has more going on under the surface than at first meets the eye. You think you're going into your standard tale of down-on-her-luck girl has romantic woes and makes good with her feisty personality and killer shoes. But beyond the setup you are treated to a thoughtful exploration of what it means to know someone. Really know someone. And how impossible it is to ever know just what's going on behind the superficial. Also, because it's Liza Palmer, you get wonderfully nuanced family relationships and tentative romance. One of my favorite early passages in which Frances describes her best friend Jill:
Win. I love this description of the way our best friends see us. It certainly rang true for me. And that certainty of theirs that you can date the Great Gastby is what sees you through so many of the curve balls life throws you. This is a tough book to read. The tragedy is truly horrific. And timely, unfortunately. But Ms. Palmer tempers it with emotionally resonant scenes and moments of levity that left me turning the pages eagerly. I like how she hits you with the big scene fairly early on, but doesn't ever blow her wad too soon. She takes all her pages to get the job done and I was happy with where she left things. MORE LIKE HER is warm and exploratory novel, filled with big questions and true friends. Recommended.
My introduction to Liza Palmer's books came via the excellent Seeing Me Naked, a book that held so much more for me than the title (or cover) seemed to imply. I've reread it and handed it to so many people since then, and I've been looking forward to the release of MORE LIKE HER for some time now. I purchased my copy back when it was released and then just . . . held onto it (as I often do) for the right night. And though I went in expecting it this time, Ms. Palmer surprised me with the level of ambition with which she approached this novel. Once again, I think the cover (which I quite like) is quietly deceptive as to its contents, though those red shoes do seem more ominous than they did when I originally picked it up. I kind of love that. The title I find perfectly fitting as well. So.
Frances and her best friend Jill are guidance counselors at the prestigious Markham School--a prep academy in San Francisco. Having recently and unwillingly become single again after yet another ill-fated voyage with one of the male teachers at the school, Frances is thrown for an additional loop by Emma Dunham. Emma is the new headmistress at Markham. Poised, witty, and clearly successful, Emma is everything Frances would like to hate but can't because she's just so nice, so genuine. As time passes, she admires Emma from afar until a bullying situation brings them closer together. On the cusp of becoming real friends, the two women are torn apart by the unthinkable. In the aftermath, Frances and Jill, their new friend and colleague Lisa, and their respective husbands and/or significant others struggle to make sense of the tragedy and their individual roles in it.
Palmer opens with the following epigraph:
One can't build little white picket fences to keep nightmares out. --Anne Sexton
And that pretty much sums up the tone of this novel. The epigraph is followed by a truly harrowing two-page prologue and then by chapter one, entitled "Lipstick and Palpable Fear." So, yeah. I pretty much loved it. Like her characters, Palmer's writing always has more going on under the surface than at first meets the eye. You think you're going into your standard tale of down-on-her-luck girl has romantic woes and makes good with her feisty personality and killer shoes. But beyond the setup you are treated to a thoughtful exploration of what it means to know someone. Really know someone. And how impossible it is to ever know just what's going on behind the superficial. Also, because it's Liza Palmer, you get wonderfully nuanced family relationships and tentative romance. One of my favorite early passages in which Frances describes her best friend Jill:
Amid all of her more shallow inclinations and superficial dress-downs of other women, Jill has always seen me as beautiful. Beautiful in a way I have yet to see myself. Beautiful in a way I don't even think she sees herself as, despite all evidence to the contrary. The night Ryan left I sobbed to Jill that my brown hair was too drab. It's mysterious, she said. I think I should take off a few pounds. You've got great tits, she said in a particularly uncomfortable moment. I have no style. Let's face it, I wailed, it boils down to me wearing a lot of beaded cardigans. You're rocking a hearth-wear-meets-vintage thing! It's effortlessly perfect, she said. I may believe I'm not up to snuff, but Jill? Jill thinks I can date the Great Gatsby.
Win. I love this description of the way our best friends see us. It certainly rang true for me. And that certainty of theirs that you can date the Great Gastby is what sees you through so many of the curve balls life throws you. This is a tough book to read. The tragedy is truly horrific. And timely, unfortunately. But Ms. Palmer tempers it with emotionally resonant scenes and moments of levity that left me turning the pages eagerly. I like how she hits you with the big scene fairly early on, but doesn't ever blow her wad too soon. She takes all her pages to get the job done and I was happy with where she left things. MORE LIKE HER is warm and exploratory novel, filled with big questions and true friends. Recommended.
April 12, 2012
Loved this. Agree with reviewers who found it shocking...shocking but good. Did NOT expect the twist. Love all of Liza's books.
December 14, 2011
I'm still reeling. I finished this book late last night and had to fight the urge to get online right then and there to write the review. It took me longer than usual to finish this book, because I was working on edits/rewrites and also because I was really laid out with the crud, but I found myself DREAMING about this book and the characters within, while I was in a Nyquil induced coma.
First off, you should all know that this is not the kind of book you want to pick up because you want a quick, mindless read that will make you giggle and sigh. Though this book will make you do that, I promise. This book will also make you gasp in horror and pace the floor to get your mind straight. There is one chapter in particular (chapter 9, I think) that will literally rip your chest open, tear out your heart, kick it around on the floor, then cram it back into your chest all dusty, battered, and bruised. You'll feel hollow and sort of broken after reading it, and you'll replay it all in your head over and over again.
The characters in More Like Her are (as always) like the people you know right now. As I was reading this book, I found myself picturing faces of women I have in my life in the roles of Lisa, Jill, Emma, and Francie. They are heartbreakingly human and flawed. They are imperfect and have incredibly human responses to the circumstances of the story. This is why I dreamt about them at night. They were so unbearably real. I felt like I couldn't escape them when I put the book down. (Which I love)
Every woman wants the life of another woman, whether she admits it or not. Sometimes it's because the other woman has more money or success. Maybe it's because the other woman has less pressure on her shoulders. Maybe it's because the other woman has children...or NO children. Regardless, we all do it. Liza Palmer takes a deeper look into the secret lives of women. What we DON'T share with each other, and why we wind up in those life circumstances. Ms. Palmer's story made me look at my own upbringing, and realize why I wound up in a terrible first marriage in my early twenties. She made me rethink what I've taught my own daughter about choosing a spouse carefully and chasing my dreams instead of forfeiting them to comply with what is expected of me. She took a story that could have been incredibly light hearted and funny..and added a surprising dash of harsh reality, and I literally consumed every page like a platter of cheese.
This book will move you. If it doesn't, you don't have a heart. It will make you laugh (because all of Liza Palmer's books do) and it will make you cry. But most of all, it will make you look at the woman in the grocery store who appears to have her entire life together with nary a problem in the world...and you will want to see beneath the facade. I am forever changed by this book, and I will remain a loyal Liza Palmer disciple henceforth.
Buy this book now. And buy a copy for your best friend. You'll want to read them together, so that you can cry and gab together.
First off, you should all know that this is not the kind of book you want to pick up because you want a quick, mindless read that will make you giggle and sigh. Though this book will make you do that, I promise. This book will also make you gasp in horror and pace the floor to get your mind straight. There is one chapter in particular (chapter 9, I think) that will literally rip your chest open, tear out your heart, kick it around on the floor, then cram it back into your chest all dusty, battered, and bruised. You'll feel hollow and sort of broken after reading it, and you'll replay it all in your head over and over again.
The characters in More Like Her are (as always) like the people you know right now. As I was reading this book, I found myself picturing faces of women I have in my life in the roles of Lisa, Jill, Emma, and Francie. They are heartbreakingly human and flawed. They are imperfect and have incredibly human responses to the circumstances of the story. This is why I dreamt about them at night. They were so unbearably real. I felt like I couldn't escape them when I put the book down. (Which I love)
Every woman wants the life of another woman, whether she admits it or not. Sometimes it's because the other woman has more money or success. Maybe it's because the other woman has less pressure on her shoulders. Maybe it's because the other woman has children...or NO children. Regardless, we all do it. Liza Palmer takes a deeper look into the secret lives of women. What we DON'T share with each other, and why we wind up in those life circumstances. Ms. Palmer's story made me look at my own upbringing, and realize why I wound up in a terrible first marriage in my early twenties. She made me rethink what I've taught my own daughter about choosing a spouse carefully and chasing my dreams instead of forfeiting them to comply with what is expected of me. She took a story that could have been incredibly light hearted and funny..and added a surprising dash of harsh reality, and I literally consumed every page like a platter of cheese.
This book will move you. If it doesn't, you don't have a heart. It will make you laugh (because all of Liza Palmer's books do) and it will make you cry. But most of all, it will make you look at the woman in the grocery store who appears to have her entire life together with nary a problem in the world...and you will want to see beneath the facade. I am forever changed by this book, and I will remain a loyal Liza Palmer disciple henceforth.
Buy this book now. And buy a copy for your best friend. You'll want to read them together, so that you can cry and gab together.
May 27, 2013
You know how you have a friend whose company you enjoy, but when you are done talking or hanging out with them, you think "Wow - as much of an overthinker as I think I can be, I do not hold a candle to that level of neurotic."
That book is the equivalent of that situation. The main character is so in her own head that putting the book down and coming back to reality is a pleasant transition.
I loathe prologues that reveal key plot points in a book. See also: the evolution of the telling of the story on How I Met Your Mother.
It would have been so much more realistic or interesting if the main character had transformed without the major drama in the book. The major drama just was not believable to me, nor was the way too convenient setup of the main characters. The constant highlighting of the different geographical backgrounds of the characters grew obnoxious (Jersey, Tennessee) as well as the inevitable return of the ex-boyfriend.
This was just a weird book that got me through another flight, but I would not recommend it to anyone.
That book is the equivalent of that situation. The main character is so in her own head that putting the book down and coming back to reality is a pleasant transition.
I loathe prologues that reveal key plot points in a book. See also: the evolution of the telling of the story on How I Met Your Mother.
It would have been so much more realistic or interesting if the main character had transformed without the major drama in the book. The major drama just was not believable to me, nor was the way too convenient setup of the main characters. The constant highlighting of the different geographical backgrounds of the characters grew obnoxious (Jersey, Tennessee) as well as the inevitable return of the ex-boyfriend.
This was just a weird book that got me through another flight, but I would not recommend it to anyone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2019
This book was inconsistent. Sometimes great writing, sometimes REALLY repetitive, with giant plot holes and too simplistic. This could have been a great book, still worth reading but too many issues with the writing for it to be GREAT.
January 17, 2015
Edit: I wrote more on Clear Eyes, Full Shelves - http://cleareyesfullshelves.com/blog/...
This book was full of authentic emotion, humor and messy realness than worked for me on a number of levels. And Frannie is probably my favorite main character from Liza Palmer's novels.
But! Even more importantly.... This book features Justin Timberlake as an important reference point for the story AND the last scene made me cry at 2am thanks to a J.T. (yes, that's what the cool kids call him) reference.
(Also, David Gray's music is featured in an important scene and he was pretty much the soundtrack to my 2000, when I was living oversees and my life was weird.)
So, yeah, I loved this as much as Nowhere But Home and like NBH, can't really rationally talk about why it resonated with me so intensely.
(It would probably be a good idea to write a blog post about my binge on Liza's books and why they work for me.)
This book was full of authentic emotion, humor and messy realness than worked for me on a number of levels. And Frannie is probably my favorite main character from Liza Palmer's novels.
But! Even more importantly.... This book features Justin Timberlake as an important reference point for the story AND the last scene made me cry at 2am thanks to a J.T. (yes, that's what the cool kids call him) reference.
(Also, David Gray's music is featured in an important scene and he was pretty much the soundtrack to my 2000, when I was living oversees and my life was weird.)
So, yeah, I loved this as much as Nowhere But Home and like NBH, can't really rationally talk about why it resonated with me so intensely.
(It would probably be a good idea to write a blog post about my binge on Liza's books and why they work for me.)
May 25, 2012
How much do you really know about those around you? What secrets lie behind their public facades?
Frannie believes Emma Dunham, the new head of Markham, has it all together. Great job, great looks, great relationship... everything Frannie wishes she had in her own life. But when Emma's husband murders her at a school function, Frannie and her friends are faced not only with the truth about Emma's life, but the aftermath of surviving such a terrible tragedy.
Not at all what I'd expected! Liza Palmer maintains a delicate balance between the horrors of spousal abuse and Frannie's self discovery. Entertaining and enjoyable seem inappropriate given the subplot of the story, but Palmer does a good job creating both a story that draws the reader in and a heroine that is ultimately relatable.
Frannie believes Emma Dunham, the new head of Markham, has it all together. Great job, great looks, great relationship... everything Frannie wishes she had in her own life. But when Emma's husband murders her at a school function, Frannie and her friends are faced not only with the truth about Emma's life, but the aftermath of surviving such a terrible tragedy.
Not at all what I'd expected! Liza Palmer maintains a delicate balance between the horrors of spousal abuse and Frannie's self discovery. Entertaining and enjoyable seem inappropriate given the subplot of the story, but Palmer does a good job creating both a story that draws the reader in and a heroine that is ultimately relatable.
February 15, 2015
This is a very different book than I was expecting from the author. I have mixed feelings about it. It looks at abuse in relationships as well as people being true to who they are in relationships. These are not unconnected concepts but wither would be difficult to do justice to on their own. I admit that I had a hard time understanding how some of the main characters interacted and understanding their way of speech. There are some wonderful moments in this book and some interesting characters but overall there was too much here to do justice to such important topics. Not my favorite of this author's books.
May 22, 2013
This was a good book, hard hitting at times and tugged at your heart strings, but felt the author tried to wrap certain things up too quickly. Good writing and look forward to reading Liza's new book.
August 4, 2012
Chick lit at its worst.
March 22, 2021
I'm not sure I'd call this book "hilarious" as is promised in the book blurb, though parts of it are touching. The blurb shown on the GR page isn't spoilery, but beware of the back cover blurb on the paperback edition of this book as it contains some very big plot spoilers.
Though this book appears to be marketed as lighthearted chick lit, it really isn't. I'd consider this one more mainstream fiction (or women's fiction, if you want to use the marketing term). This is less a coming-of-age and more a dive into some pretty serious issues. The heroine, Frances, is a speech therapist at a prestigious West Coast private school. As the book opens, Frances and her best friend are both vying for a promotion and the school has hired Emma to be head of school, the first time a woman has been hired to fill the role.
On the personal front, Frances is still a bit of a mess. She had been dating a teacher at the school, but that relationship fell apart as he left her for another woman. At first I simultaneously felt sorry for Frances, but also optimistic for her as she seemed to be on the cusp of a possible promotion and a great mentoring relationship with Emma. And there's even a cute new guy in the picture.
However, the story quickly takes a dark turn as the hidden side of Emma's life finds its way into the open. On the one hand, I felt like the author started out well in tackling this portion of the plot. However, as the story developed, the contrast between this plot thread and the entire rest of Frances' life just didn't work. The characters seemed more and more unsympathetic and unlikeable and some of the more traumatic events that happen just didn't entirely get dealt with.
In the end, I enjoyed parts of this book and I appreciated that the author took on a very difficult topic. However, I just couldn't warm up to the characters, and the book was a fairly uneven read for me.
CW: cheating, domestic violence, school violence, bullying
Though this book appears to be marketed as lighthearted chick lit, it really isn't. I'd consider this one more mainstream fiction (or women's fiction, if you want to use the marketing term). This is less a coming-of-age and more a dive into some pretty serious issues. The heroine, Frances, is a speech therapist at a prestigious West Coast private school. As the book opens, Frances and her best friend are both vying for a promotion and the school has hired Emma to be head of school, the first time a woman has been hired to fill the role.
On the personal front, Frances is still a bit of a mess. She had been dating a teacher at the school, but that relationship fell apart as he left her for another woman. At first I simultaneously felt sorry for Frances, but also optimistic for her as she seemed to be on the cusp of a possible promotion and a great mentoring relationship with Emma. And there's even a cute new guy in the picture.
However, the story quickly takes a dark turn as the hidden side of Emma's life finds its way into the open. On the one hand, I felt like the author started out well in tackling this portion of the plot. However, as the story developed, the contrast between this plot thread and the entire rest of Frances' life just didn't work. The characters seemed more and more unsympathetic and unlikeable and some of the more traumatic events that happen just didn't entirely get dealt with.
In the end, I enjoyed parts of this book and I appreciated that the author took on a very difficult topic. However, I just couldn't warm up to the characters, and the book was a fairly uneven read for me.
CW: cheating, domestic violence, school violence, bullying
Read
July 3, 2023First I have read from Liza Palmer. Thoroughly enjoyed the writing. Recommended by my DIL, who is brilliant❤️
June 16, 2015
(a similar version of this review can be found here at Into the Hall of Books: http://www.intothehallofbooks.com/201...)
OH YAY, More Like Her by Liza Palmer! You attracted me with those awesome red shoes on your pretty cover and then WOW’d me with your story on the inside. You have the makings of a book that I will share with my in-real-life friends and that is a really great thing. But first, let me share with my blog friends why I found you fascinating.
More Like Her opens with a literal BANG! when the Prologue begins as a 911 distress call. It appears there’s been a shooting at a school and there is blood everywhere. The caller is frantic, of course, but we really don’t get much information except something dreadful has happened. And…END SCENE. WOW.
The first chapter opens, however, calmly and quietly – way before the dramatic event of the prologue. So as we begin the story we KNOW something is coming…we just don’t know when or why or to what degree. You guys, that was – to me – an awesome way to begin a book. Because there was this fun underlying tension the entire time I read the actual story.
And the story goes something like this: Frances Reid is the storyteller. She is a bit insecure, feels unloved, and has absolutely no qualms about telling us this. She’s just out of a relationship that was unhealthy – not by her choice, mind you – but she has great friends, and they are trying to help her muddle through the slap of sudden singleness. All the while, she and her friends area little bit jealous of Mara Dunham, the Headmistress at the school where Frannie is a speech therapist. And who wouldn’t be? Mara is perfect, has the perfect life. Perfect house, perfect husband. She even has a perfect dog.
But suddenly all of Mara’s imperfections are exposed when Mara’s husband comes to school with a GUN. Suddenly her perfect life isn’t really perfect, and Frances can hardly believe it.
For me, the REAL meat of More Like Her happens after the big shooting. Frances and her two best friends struggle to regain their footing after their world has been shaken. After all, they were present during the shooting. They were THERE – in the middle of the whole thing! Not only that, but mixed up in the middle of all of this, Frances is trying to come to terms with who she is as a person – is she loved or unloved, and can she find a person to complete her? Does she NEED a guy to complete her? Or can she just be happily alone forever, scared to open her heart to this guy that she kinda-loves? Because exposing her heart to the potential pain that may or may not accompany that kind of exposure may be more than Frannie can handle…
***********************************************************************
Friends, I realize that this book may sound a bit like an adult fiction/women’s contemporary, and it really is. But I really think there is some crossover appeal for the older YA-reading crowd. There are absolutely some of the same themes in More Like Her that we read about all the time in YA books, which is why I think some of my YA-reading friends would love More Like Her.
I personally loved More Like Her because while it is contemporary, it also has a tiny twist of thriller thrown in too, which makes it interesting. For the first half of the book, I was in complete anticipation-mode while I waited for the big event to happen, not really even knowing what it was. For the second half of the book, I was happily watching these friends grapple life and love and relationships and friendships – a perfect contemporary, for you contemporary-lovers! – with perfect character development in every case.
The story is compelling with good pacing. The characterization is wonderful – these characters are people that we could all know. And the author has a unique, fun style of writing that made what was a potentially heavy topic really a fun book to read. I will be recommending Liza Palmer’s More Like Her to my bookish online friends as well as my in-real-life friends. It’s just a great story that I really enjoyed reading.
**I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest opinion and review. I received no compensation for my thoughts. Thank you HarperCollins and TLC Book Tours!
OH YAY, More Like Her by Liza Palmer! You attracted me with those awesome red shoes on your pretty cover and then WOW’d me with your story on the inside. You have the makings of a book that I will share with my in-real-life friends and that is a really great thing. But first, let me share with my blog friends why I found you fascinating.
Some Notes On More Like Her…
More Like Her opens with a literal BANG! when the Prologue begins as a 911 distress call. It appears there’s been a shooting at a school and there is blood everywhere. The caller is frantic, of course, but we really don’t get much information except something dreadful has happened. And…END SCENE. WOW.
The first chapter opens, however, calmly and quietly – way before the dramatic event of the prologue. So as we begin the story we KNOW something is coming…we just don’t know when or why or to what degree. You guys, that was – to me – an awesome way to begin a book. Because there was this fun underlying tension the entire time I read the actual story.
And the story goes something like this: Frances Reid is the storyteller. She is a bit insecure, feels unloved, and has absolutely no qualms about telling us this. She’s just out of a relationship that was unhealthy – not by her choice, mind you – but she has great friends, and they are trying to help her muddle through the slap of sudden singleness. All the while, she and her friends are
But suddenly all of Mara’s imperfections are exposed when Mara’s husband comes to school with a GUN. Suddenly her perfect life isn’t really perfect, and Frances can hardly believe it.
For me, the REAL meat of More Like Her happens after the big shooting. Frances and her two best friends struggle to regain their footing after their world has been shaken. After all, they were present during the shooting. They were THERE – in the middle of the whole thing! Not only that, but mixed up in the middle of all of this, Frances is trying to come to terms with who she is as a person – is she loved or unloved, and can she find a person to complete her? Does she NEED a guy to complete her? Or can she just be happily alone forever, scared to open her heart to this guy that she kinda-loves? Because exposing her heart to the potential pain that may or may not accompany that kind of exposure may be more than Frannie can handle…
***********************************************************************
Friends, I realize that this book may sound a bit like an adult fiction/women’s contemporary, and it really is. But I really think there is some crossover appeal for the older YA-reading crowd. There are absolutely some of the same themes in More Like Her that we read about all the time in YA books, which is why I think some of my YA-reading friends would love More Like Her.
I personally loved More Like Her because while it is contemporary, it also has a tiny twist of thriller thrown in too, which makes it interesting. For the first half of the book, I was in complete anticipation-mode while I waited for the big event to happen, not really even knowing what it was. For the second half of the book, I was happily watching these friends grapple life and love and relationships and friendships – a perfect contemporary, for you contemporary-lovers! – with perfect character development in every case.
The story is compelling with good pacing. The characterization is wonderful – these characters are people that we could all know. And the author has a unique, fun style of writing that made what was a potentially heavy topic really a fun book to read. I will be recommending Liza Palmer’s More Like Her to my bookish online friends as well as my in-real-life friends. It’s just a great story that I really enjoyed reading.
More Like Her will appeal to fans of:
Chick-Lit/Adult Contemporary Fiction
(with YA Crossover, in my opinion)
Character-Driven Stories
Stories About Friendship
Stories With Issues (in
this case, possible-PTSD related to school shooting)
More Like Her by Liza Palmer
is currently available for purchase.
**I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest opinion and review. I received no compensation for my thoughts. Thank you HarperCollins and TLC Book Tours!
April 24, 2013
How does Liza Palmer keep writing these amazing books that just blow me away? Seriously she is all kinds of amazing and I just can't get enough of her humor and dry wit and well, intensity. Love it all.
UPDATED: She's got it all. At least that's what it seems like to speech therapist Frances Reid upon meeting her lovely, talented and successful new boss, Emma Dunham (who happens to be the first ever female headmistress at the posh Markham Prep School. Ahem, she's that perfect.). Perfect job, husband, house and life and to top it off, Frannie discovers she's actually a really nice person. While in comparison, Frannie's life could nicely be described as a train-wreck. But what do we really know about our friends lives, if anything at all? That's the question Frannie and her friends must ask themselves when tragedy strikes Markham School and Emma Dunham in particular.
I honestly do not know how Liza Palmer keeps doing it. Really. This latest novel*, More Like Her, contains one of the touchiest subjects out there -- bullying, abuse, and hello...death and she just pushes it all upfront and forces you to deal with it straight on -- all the time feeling like you're right there. Especially in all those moments when the characters are dealing with messy aftermath of hurt and guilt for trying to get on with their lives. Because that's really where this book excels. You'd think reading a novel where every couple of pages someone is falling apart would be annoying at best or even slightly embarrassing, but no. Not remotely so. Frannie and company's grief is so real and honest and open that it becomes impossible for you to even think of addressing the circumstances any other way.
What I especially loved was that Liza Palmer gave each of her characters room to deal with such a horrible event in their own way. Be it healthy or not. Frannie wants to 'taaaalk' about it all, Jill doesn't want to ever speak of it again and Lisa, well, Lisa finds the silver lining through it all. And then there's Sam. Sam about broke my heart numerous times with his quick Southern boy charm and manners and his definite un-okayness with it all. But it was just so understandable, warts and all. Every single reaction felt real and while utterly sad in theory it was thoroughly suffused with Liza Palmer's trademark dry wit to keep everyone moving along.
One thing I really like about Liza Palmer's books is that she doesn't dumb down to her audience. She doesn't explain every reference or give her readers time to catch up, she simply drops these little or big nothings along the way and expects you to be with her 100%. Can I say how much I love that about her books? It's like mental gymnastics in the best way possible. This is never more apparent in Frannie's case as she often leaves much unsaid (or halfway said) and expects the reader to follow along. And can I just say: I'm totally with you, Ms. Palmer, totally.
UPDATED: She's got it all. At least that's what it seems like to speech therapist Frances Reid upon meeting her lovely, talented and successful new boss, Emma Dunham (who happens to be the first ever female headmistress at the posh Markham Prep School. Ahem, she's that perfect.). Perfect job, husband, house and life and to top it off, Frannie discovers she's actually a really nice person. While in comparison, Frannie's life could nicely be described as a train-wreck. But what do we really know about our friends lives, if anything at all? That's the question Frannie and her friends must ask themselves when tragedy strikes Markham School and Emma Dunham in particular.
I honestly do not know how Liza Palmer keeps doing it. Really. This latest novel*, More Like Her, contains one of the touchiest subjects out there -- bullying, abuse, and hello...death and she just pushes it all upfront and forces you to deal with it straight on -- all the time feeling like you're right there. Especially in all those moments when the characters are dealing with messy aftermath of hurt and guilt for trying to get on with their lives. Because that's really where this book excels. You'd think reading a novel where every couple of pages someone is falling apart would be annoying at best or even slightly embarrassing, but no. Not remotely so. Frannie and company's grief is so real and honest and open that it becomes impossible for you to even think of addressing the circumstances any other way.
What I especially loved was that Liza Palmer gave each of her characters room to deal with such a horrible event in their own way. Be it healthy or not. Frannie wants to 'taaaalk' about it all, Jill doesn't want to ever speak of it again and Lisa, well, Lisa finds the silver lining through it all. And then there's Sam. Sam about broke my heart numerous times with his quick Southern boy charm and manners and his definite un-okayness with it all. But it was just so understandable, warts and all. Every single reaction felt real and while utterly sad in theory it was thoroughly suffused with Liza Palmer's trademark dry wit to keep everyone moving along.
One thing I really like about Liza Palmer's books is that she doesn't dumb down to her audience. She doesn't explain every reference or give her readers time to catch up, she simply drops these little or big nothings along the way and expects you to be with her 100%. Can I say how much I love that about her books? It's like mental gymnastics in the best way possible. This is never more apparent in Frannie's case as she often leaves much unsaid (or halfway said) and expects the reader to follow along. And can I just say: I'm totally with you, Ms. Palmer, totally.
November 7, 2014
I bought this book because I went to a conference workshop about Finding Your Voice (or similar title) led by Liza, and I just kind of fell in love with her particular combination of wry wit, self-deprecation, and conversationality (did I just make that word up?). She was funny, sweet, vulnerable, kind, a good listener, and just kind of authentically present, by which I mean that she came to the session prepared, but she went with the flow of the discussion, rather than trying to stick to a strict outline. And she mentioned this book in the session, so I bought it. (That's often all the reason I need. It's a thing with me.)
Frances Reid -- Frannie to her friends, Ms. Reid to her pupils -- is a newly-single speech therapist who works at a school for the children of the criminally wealthy. Her ex-boyfriend works at the same school, so there is Awkwardness. Her two best girlfriends -- including one who is up for the same promotion as Frannie -- also work there. Frannie's ex accused her of being "too intense"; her friends tell her she is awesome and ex-BF Ryan is a jerk who didn't deserve her, and that she was never really herself around him. Frannie's journey is that of self-discovery, of finding who her real true self is, without reference to anyone else's need or perception.
If that were all this book did, it would be a brilliant illustration of Liza's main point in her session: that being our own true selves, with other people around, involves being vulnerable.
But this book does more than show us Frannie's progress. It takes the concept of "to thine own self be true", of speaking with one's own voice, of showing the world one's true face, and shows us half a dozen different facets of it, in the various supporting characters. Being one's authentic self, it posits, is easy to say, and less easy to do. And most of us aren't doing it, because it makes us vulnerable. Along the way to discovering her own true self, Frannie also discovers the façades of those around her, even those closest to her.
This book is peopled with unforgettable characters, and richly layered. I will never forget John Henry, of the ice-blue eyes. I will certainly reread this at some point.
Frances Reid -- Frannie to her friends, Ms. Reid to her pupils -- is a newly-single speech therapist who works at a school for the children of the criminally wealthy. Her ex-boyfriend works at the same school, so there is Awkwardness. Her two best girlfriends -- including one who is up for the same promotion as Frannie -- also work there. Frannie's ex accused her of being "too intense"; her friends tell her she is awesome and ex-BF Ryan is a jerk who didn't deserve her, and that she was never really herself around him. Frannie's journey is that of self-discovery, of finding who her real true self is, without reference to anyone else's need or perception.
If that were all this book did, it would be a brilliant illustration of Liza's main point in her session: that being our own true selves, with other people around, involves being vulnerable.
But this book does more than show us Frannie's progress. It takes the concept of "to thine own self be true", of speaking with one's own voice, of showing the world one's true face, and shows us half a dozen different facets of it, in the various supporting characters. Being one's authentic self, it posits, is easy to say, and less easy to do. And most of us aren't doing it, because it makes us vulnerable. Along the way to discovering her own true self, Frannie also discovers the façades of those around her, even those closest to her.
This book is peopled with unforgettable characters, and richly layered. I will never forget John Henry, of the ice-blue eyes. I will certainly reread this at some point.
January 29, 2012
I have to say I am not a fan of the cover of this book in my opinion it is a little bland, it wouldn’t be one that would catch my eye whilst searching the shelves for my next book. I found the storyline had a very slow start and I struggled to keep reading, it did reach a point where I was ready to give up but luckily it was just after this point where there was a shocking twist in the book which finally managed to grab my attention.
My favourite character in this book has to be Sam, I found that his character felt like he was developed more than the other characters in this book. I especially found it moving how Sam dealt with his situation in the big twist in this book. It was clear that Sam had feelings for Frannie but because of her past she seemed to constantly be putting barriers up after she had had a great time with Sam but I think this was to protect herself from getting hurt again. Frannie was an easy character to warm to at times you wanted to give her a big cuddle and at other times you wanted to give her a good shake!
I am surprised that the character of Emma wasn’t more developed because there is a situation involving her which really should have pulled at my heart strings but I didn’t really feel like I knew anything about her so although I was shocked I don’t feel like I experienced the emotions I should have been feeling at this point in the story.
For me the best part of this book was the shocking chapter which there is no way you can predict when this is about to happen in this book because there is no build up to it. It was a relatively quick read but I do feel it was hard to get through the first half of this book but it is worth persevering with.
My favourite character in this book has to be Sam, I found that his character felt like he was developed more than the other characters in this book. I especially found it moving how Sam dealt with his situation in the big twist in this book. It was clear that Sam had feelings for Frannie but because of her past she seemed to constantly be putting barriers up after she had had a great time with Sam but I think this was to protect herself from getting hurt again. Frannie was an easy character to warm to at times you wanted to give her a big cuddle and at other times you wanted to give her a good shake!
I am surprised that the character of Emma wasn’t more developed because there is a situation involving her which really should have pulled at my heart strings but I didn’t really feel like I knew anything about her so although I was shocked I don’t feel like I experienced the emotions I should have been feeling at this point in the story.
For me the best part of this book was the shocking chapter which there is no way you can predict when this is about to happen in this book because there is no build up to it. It was a relatively quick read but I do feel it was hard to get through the first half of this book but it is worth persevering with.
June 25, 2012
Was going to do 3 stars.. till I realized that the end part wasn't a "discussion guide" but a "breakup mix tape"... The author earned the 4th star right there.
I loved this story...And Im not going to summaraize the plot for you.. the dust jacket does that. Totally enjoyed this despite the obvious flaws -- continuity problems, dialogue challenges that made it hard to follow at times, and far too many attempts at foreshadowing that were about as subtle as a brick to the side of the head. Despite all that, I loved it. Quite a lot of "heavy" things to be dealt with - women's friendships, domestic violence/bullying, romance - the new, the established, the failing... insecurities, empowerment. Despite the awkward dialogue and none too subtle forshadowing, the author does a remarkable job of weaving together a very serious event with the joys of good friends (I want Jill and Lisa to be my friends), the tumult of relationships forming, ending, and enduring, and a truckload of lesson learning. Saw the ending coming from a mile away, but I was still quite happy with it. Its kind of a chick-flick book, but with enough meat to be a decent bookclub choice.
(I wanted to *kill* Frannie on a regular basis, but I also saw myself (circa 10 years ago) in far too much of her actions. The crushing insecurity, the hiding for fear of coming up short. Cripes the very first paragraph of the book could have been a journal entry of mine from a few years ago!)
I loved this story...And Im not going to summaraize the plot for you.. the dust jacket does that. Totally enjoyed this despite the obvious flaws -- continuity problems, dialogue challenges that made it hard to follow at times, and far too many attempts at foreshadowing that were about as subtle as a brick to the side of the head. Despite all that, I loved it. Quite a lot of "heavy" things to be dealt with - women's friendships, domestic violence/bullying, romance - the new, the established, the failing... insecurities, empowerment. Despite the awkward dialogue and none too subtle forshadowing, the author does a remarkable job of weaving together a very serious event with the joys of good friends (I want Jill and Lisa to be my friends), the tumult of relationships forming, ending, and enduring, and a truckload of lesson learning. Saw the ending coming from a mile away, but I was still quite happy with it. Its kind of a chick-flick book, but with enough meat to be a decent bookclub choice.
(I wanted to *kill* Frannie on a regular basis, but I also saw myself (circa 10 years ago) in far too much of her actions. The crushing insecurity, the hiding for fear of coming up short. Cripes the very first paragraph of the book could have been a journal entry of mine from a few years ago!)
December 24, 2017
I liked it a lot more than I expected to, after reading the back cover. In fact, I think the back cover isn't very accurate about the basis of the story and the personalities of the main characters. I never felt like Liza and her friends wanted to be like Emma. Lisa wasn't described as too career-focused. I also felt like it revealed WAY too much like Jill being pregnant (which didn't happen until the end anyways...and had no purpose.
I think that Jill's character seemed inconsistent. In general, she seemed to be joking about sex all the time, but yet supposedly had very proper thoughts about sex. There was one time, where Jill says to Lisa "I haven't seen you in DAYS...just show me on the cucumber what happened" and then two minutes later is shocked that she slept with the guy".
Also, I felt the way that abusive men were described was inaccurate. The two abusive men in the novel were immediately noticed by Frannie, because of their dead eyes and controlling personality. But, many men who are abusive at home are able to put on a very deceptive persona in real life.
Overall, I thought that it was a quick and easy read, and it went a step above your typical chick-flick. The guy wasn't perfect. The circumstances weren't perfect. And, the main character wasn't perfect. But, it still was a remarkable and heartfelt story.
I think that Jill's character seemed inconsistent. In general, she seemed to be joking about sex all the time, but yet supposedly had very proper thoughts about sex. There was one time, where Jill says to Lisa "I haven't seen you in DAYS...just show me on the cucumber what happened" and then two minutes later is shocked that she slept with the guy".
Also, I felt the way that abusive men were described was inaccurate. The two abusive men in the novel were immediately noticed by Frannie, because of their dead eyes and controlling personality. But, many men who are abusive at home are able to put on a very deceptive persona in real life.
Overall, I thought that it was a quick and easy read, and it went a step above your typical chick-flick. The guy wasn't perfect. The circumstances weren't perfect. And, the main character wasn't perfect. But, it still was a remarkable and heartfelt story.
May 3, 2012
This was an enjoyable, quick read. Frances is a believable single, whose live-in boyfriend left the relationship not so long ago and she is wondering with every man she encounters whether this will be the new ‘him’. She comes across a builder, Sam, who is working on an extension of the school that she works at. She likes him (a lot) but is she just an interlude for him?
However, the main story is the story of Emma, the headmistress. She’s new and Frances at first thinks she’s too cool and impersonal, but later warms to her and they start to become friends. But not for long, because it seems Emma’s life isn’t quite so perfect.
Frances, Jill, and Lisa have to try and come to terms with a terrible ordeal, to say nothing of Sam, who was even more directly involved. Frances changes for the better, though, and shows another side of herself.
I didn’t find the characters 100% convincing in the aftermath of the ordeal they went through. Sam didn’t talk about it, full-stop, that was fine, but the others seem to play their role only when it suited the particular storyline that was focused on at any time.
Having said that, I did enjoy reading this book (4 stars!). It has some life lessons for us all – in an non-obtrusive way – and for that, I like it a lot.
However, the main story is the story of Emma, the headmistress. She’s new and Frances at first thinks she’s too cool and impersonal, but later warms to her and they start to become friends. But not for long, because it seems Emma’s life isn’t quite so perfect.
Frances, Jill, and Lisa have to try and come to terms with a terrible ordeal, to say nothing of Sam, who was even more directly involved. Frances changes for the better, though, and shows another side of herself.
I didn’t find the characters 100% convincing in the aftermath of the ordeal they went through. Sam didn’t talk about it, full-stop, that was fine, but the others seem to play their role only when it suited the particular storyline that was focused on at any time.
Having said that, I did enjoy reading this book (4 stars!). It has some life lessons for us all – in an non-obtrusive way – and for that, I like it a lot.
April 12, 2012
This is such a strange book. The cover is classic chick lit, but the prologue is a 911 call about a school shooting. So, as you're reading the first 100 pages or so -- which are very much written in a chick lit vein, about dating angst and friendship -- you know tragedy is coming and can't help but wonder which of the characters will survive. Once the shooting occurs, the heroine's angst grows. Now, she not only has to deal with her messed-up love life and poor self-image but nightmares, as well. Her closest friends were there during the shooting, though, and it's also a tale of how three friends help each other deal with tragedy. I can't give it a rating lower than 4/5 because I found it gripping enough to read in a single day and I am not a fast reader. But, it is definitely an odd blend. Much as I found it deeply compelling, there were some things that didn't sit right with me. I thought the ending was a little too predictable, for example, and the love-life angst was often annoying.
I'm glad I read it, if only for the fact that it was so unique that it really threw me. A *very* emotional read. I had to keep reaching for tissues.
I'm glad I read it, if only for the fact that it was so unique that it really threw me. A *very* emotional read. I had to keep reaching for tissues.
June 8, 2012
This was a notch above chick lit, but probably not a full four stars. In any event, the book follows three friends who teach at a private school in California. The main character is envious of the new head of school who seems to have it all together. After tragedy strikes, they see how flawed the head of school really was.
There were some real problems with this book - specifically, that the friendships between the three teachers didn't weren't really fully developed and were portrayed as deeper than the time that passed seemed to justify, especially with the new teacher. Specifically, two teachers met the third teacher at orientation and within days, despite very different personalities, they were portrayed as very best friends. At some point someone dies and there is a subplot with a dog that didn't seem to flow either.
Also, I wasn't crazy about the "message" of the book. I mean, the message was fine--no one could disagree with the message, but I feel like I've outgrown books that have a message.
Despite the flaws, I did like the book.
There were some real problems with this book - specifically, that the friendships between the three teachers didn't weren't really fully developed and were portrayed as deeper than the time that passed seemed to justify, especially with the new teacher. Specifically, two teachers met the third teacher at orientation and within days, despite very different personalities, they were portrayed as very best friends. At some point someone dies and there is a subplot with a dog that didn't seem to flow either.
Also, I wasn't crazy about the "message" of the book. I mean, the message was fine--no one could disagree with the message, but I feel like I've outgrown books that have a message.
Despite the flaws, I did like the book.
January 11, 2012
This is one of those deceptive books that seems like straight chick-lit,then twists that behind your back and makes you cry "uncle". This is not a bad thing here. Frannie works at a private school in California and is a speech therapist, works with her two best friends, one married, one not,and has just ended a two year relationship with a fellow teacher at her school, whom she has shared an apartment with, until he cheated on her. See the chick-lit thing? Enter Emma, the new head of the school. Her life, like her appearance,seem flawless. In only a short time, her husband snaps and not only kills her at the school,but tries to kill all of her coworkers.
After a heroic "act" by one of the witnesses, who just happens to be the man Frannie is falling in love with, the three friends are forced to look at their lives more closely and they don't always like what they are seeing. Capturing a snap-shot of the aftermath of a tragedy and mixing in chick-lit, this is well done.
After a heroic "act" by one of the witnesses, who just happens to be the man Frannie is falling in love with, the three friends are forced to look at their lives more closely and they don't always like what they are seeing. Capturing a snap-shot of the aftermath of a tragedy and mixing in chick-lit, this is well done.
May 6, 2012
I loved this book. Loved. Narrator Frannie is possessed by the poor self-esteem of all of us (or is it just me?) and she perfectly captures the doubt, confusion, and irritation women who've always longed for their Jake Ryan have. We're great, we really are! For the right guy! Where is that guy!?
I loved the Pasadena setting (at one point the characters drive on streets right past my aunt's real life house) and I loved the twist of the story where you think you're getting a good story about friends and breakups and then....it's something else.
Lots of authors are good writers, but Liza Palmer is excellent. She's funny in a snarky subversive way--exactly my kind of gal--and how could I not love any book that manages to reference Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Sixteen Candles, AND Fast Times at Ridgemont High? I mean, come on.
I liked this book so much that I HADN'T EVEN FINISHED IT YET when I went and bought the rest of her books. New favorite author. Just saying.
I loved the Pasadena setting (at one point the characters drive on streets right past my aunt's real life house) and I loved the twist of the story where you think you're getting a good story about friends and breakups and then....it's something else.
Lots of authors are good writers, but Liza Palmer is excellent. She's funny in a snarky subversive way--exactly my kind of gal--and how could I not love any book that manages to reference Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Sixteen Candles, AND Fast Times at Ridgemont High? I mean, come on.
I liked this book so much that I HADN'T EVEN FINISHED IT YET when I went and bought the rest of her books. New favorite author. Just saying.
December 31, 2014
Frannie works as a speech therapist at a posh private school. Her best friends, Jill and Lisa also work there. She hasn't known them long; in fact, Lisa has just started at the school. Frannie has just been dumped by Ryan, who also works at the school, and she's not coping well. One wonders why, as she reveals to her friends that she and Ryan haven't had sex in over a year. Heellooo? What's going on in the head of this supposedly intelligent woman? Reader, Frannie was beginning to irritate me. Big time. Then a tragedy occurs that affects all characters, which triggers a new bout of soul searching and public breast-beating. And the title, More Like Her; more like whom one wonders; to which of these self-obsessed, privileged women should one aspire?
August 6, 2012
This is the worst book I've read. The intro to the book isn't anything like the story. It makes you think it's going to be about women being friends wanting to be like the other etc. Instead, it's about a shooting and it goes from there. I thought written on a young adult level along with the lead character being IMMATURE, ANALYZING everything a man does (when it's minimal) this is where I thought the writing was more for teenagers. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone not even a young teenager!! I'm afraid if their having problems with women, girls and men it might send them over the edge...thinking ohh, mann, I should be worried about more things! Geezzzzzzzz
May 27, 2012
I'll start by saying I read this book in a single day. Its been a long time since a book keept me up long past my bedtime!
I suppose this is chick-lit but it seems to have slightly more going on than most in that genre. I found some of the characters to be irritating because they were such caricatures but the main character was well drawn. She is, sadly, a lot like me!
Decent plot, some sections of nice writing, pleasant romantic hero. Overall, pretty good.
I suppose this is chick-lit but it seems to have slightly more going on than most in that genre. I found some of the characters to be irritating because they were such caricatures but the main character was well drawn. She is, sadly, a lot like me!
Decent plot, some sections of nice writing, pleasant romantic hero. Overall, pretty good.
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