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Friends Like Us
With her critically acclaimed debut novel, Still Life with Husband, Lauren Fox established herself as a wise and achingly funny chronicler of domestic life and was hailed as “a delightful new voice in American fiction, a voice that instantly recalls the wry, knowing prose of Lorrie Moore” (Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times ). Fox’s new novel glitters with these pleasures—fearless wordplay, humor, and nuance—and asks us the question at the heart of every What would you give up for a friend’s happiness?
For Willa Jacobs, seeing her best friend, Jane Weston, is like looking in a mirror on a really good day. Strangers assume they are sisters, a comparison Willa secretly enjoys. They share an apartment, clothing, and groceries, eking out rent with part-time jobs. Willa writes advertising copy, dreaming up inspirational messages for tea bags (“The path to enlightenment is steep” and “Oolong ! Farewell!”), while Jane cleans houses and writes poetry about it, rhyming “dust” with “lust,” and “clog of hair” with “fog of despair.” Together Willa and Jane are a fortress of private jokes and shared opinions, with a friendship so close there’s hardly room for anyone else. But when Ben, Willa’s oldest friend, reappears and falls in love with Jane, Willa Can she let her two best friends find happiness with each other if it means leaving her behind?
For Willa Jacobs, seeing her best friend, Jane Weston, is like looking in a mirror on a really good day. Strangers assume they are sisters, a comparison Willa secretly enjoys. They share an apartment, clothing, and groceries, eking out rent with part-time jobs. Willa writes advertising copy, dreaming up inspirational messages for tea bags (“The path to enlightenment is steep” and “Oolong ! Farewell!”), while Jane cleans houses and writes poetry about it, rhyming “dust” with “lust,” and “clog of hair” with “fog of despair.” Together Willa and Jane are a fortress of private jokes and shared opinions, with a friendship so close there’s hardly room for anyone else. But when Ben, Willa’s oldest friend, reappears and falls in love with Jane, Willa Can she let her two best friends find happiness with each other if it means leaving her behind?
269 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
123 people are currently reading
2344 people want to read
About the author
Lauren Fox
4 books429 followersI was born in a suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, into a family full of love, support, and very little grist for the dramatic mill. I knew from an early age that I wanted to be a writer, and decided that my best bet was to make stuff up. My first attempts at fiction included a tragic story about a blind Mexican orphan, and a tragic tale about a horse who dies, tragically, in a barn fire.
By the time I got to college and enrolled in a few creative writing classes, I learned the adage, “write what you know,” and began churning out stories about the unhappy love lives of young, thin-skinned, near-sighted, sarcastic, curly haired girls. My first published short story, which appeared in a nationally distributed college magazine, used the structure of the game show Jeopardy! to trace the demise of a relationship. (I’ll take ‘the slow erosion of my self-esteem’ for $200, Alex.) I was pleased that I had finally created fiction out of my two favorite pastimes: tv-watching and borderline obsessive pining over unavailable men.
After college I moved around a bit, living in Washington, DC and then for a while back in Madison, Wisconsin, bravely conducting field research for my stories about lonely women in their twenties who can’t find a date. In graduate school in Minneapolis, I took a brief detour from fiction and began writing about my family’s history and the Holocaust, which was fun.
When I was twenty-six, I met a nice boy from Dublin who put an end to my anthropological studies of loneliness and heartbreak. Luckily, I had gathered enough material to last for a while.
I now live in Milwaukee with my husband and two daughters.
By the time I got to college and enrolled in a few creative writing classes, I learned the adage, “write what you know,” and began churning out stories about the unhappy love lives of young, thin-skinned, near-sighted, sarcastic, curly haired girls. My first published short story, which appeared in a nationally distributed college magazine, used the structure of the game show Jeopardy! to trace the demise of a relationship. (I’ll take ‘the slow erosion of my self-esteem’ for $200, Alex.) I was pleased that I had finally created fiction out of my two favorite pastimes: tv-watching and borderline obsessive pining over unavailable men.
After college I moved around a bit, living in Washington, DC and then for a while back in Madison, Wisconsin, bravely conducting field research for my stories about lonely women in their twenties who can’t find a date. In graduate school in Minneapolis, I took a brief detour from fiction and began writing about my family’s history and the Holocaust, which was fun.
When I was twenty-six, I met a nice boy from Dublin who put an end to my anthropological studies of loneliness and heartbreak. Luckily, I had gathered enough material to last for a while.
I now live in Milwaukee with my husband and two daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 395 reviews
March 3, 2012
First, let's talk about motivation.
Is there a reason why Willa sabotages her self over and over again?
Is thera any, and i mean ANY reason why Ben even hooked up with Jane?
I am not even going to ask why he asked her to marry him.
And really, after he did all this, why, in the name of all that is holy, did he make a 180 degrees turn around and went back to Willa, his first love, or what ever you can call the feeling of all around spineless gnat Ben?
So!
Chick lit! Will I ever learn?
It was all fluffy and misshapen in the name of deep philosophy.
It made me realize the whole book was supposed to be intellectually dramatic and that at least made me laugh my behind off :) The other option was to cry for wasting my time with reading this novel.
Is there a reason why Willa sabotages her self over and over again?
Is thera any, and i mean ANY reason why Ben even hooked up with Jane?
I am not even going to ask why he asked her to marry him.
And really, after he did all this, why, in the name of all that is holy, did he make a 180 degrees turn around and went back to Willa, his first love, or what ever you can call the feeling of all around spineless gnat Ben?
So!
Chick lit! Will I ever learn?
It was all fluffy and misshapen in the name of deep philosophy.
It made me realize the whole book was supposed to be intellectually dramatic and that at least made me laugh my behind off :) The other option was to cry for wasting my time with reading this novel.
January 11, 2012
**A 2.5 Review**
Sooo… it’s been a while since I’ve read chick-lit, mostly because I hate it, (ok hate it is a bit of a stretch, lets just say I wish it intense bodily harm.) but more, because I just can’t bring myself to accept if for review. Now, just so we are clear… I’m not talking about romances or (more common these days) a romp in the hay. Noooo… I am talking about the, “Oh woe is me, my life really sucks so I’m going to sit her and whine about it for 260 pages before I finally figure out that living in a 5 bedroom house with my perfect husband and my 2.5 children isn’t so heinous after all. Hey let’s throw a party!” Chick-lit. (I know you know what I’m talking about.) Anyways… I decided to take on the chore (yes chore) of “Friends Like Us” by Lauren Fox because it boasted humor. (“Fox neatly balances the comic and the serious…” – Margaret Quamme, Columbus Dispatch) Lots and lots of humor. Which, I kind of need right now. Unfortunately, there is no amount of puns (“It looks like you’re playing pinball with your eyes. Like you’re playing eyeball!”) or witty dialogue exchanges (“”Did I not mention that I’ve been married and divorced three times?” “You did not.” I say. “Yes! And I have, um, twins. Four-year-old twin, uh…boys.” “Really!” “Yes, and from different mothers!”) that could make up for the disastrous last 3 pages of this book. (*glares at evil evil book!*)
But first… a word from Fox’s sponsor:
“For Willa Jacobs, seeing her best friend, Jane Weston, is like looking in a mirror on a really good day. Strangers assume they are sisters, a comparison Willa secretly enjoys. They share an apartment, clothing, and groceries, eking out rent with part-time jobs. Willa writes advertising copy, dreaming up inspirational messages for tea bags (“The path to enlightenment is steep” and “Oolong! Farewell!”), while Jane cleans houses and writes poetry about it, rhyming “dust” with “lust,” and “clog of hair” with “fog of despair.” Together Willa and Jane are a fortress of private jokes and shared opinions, with a friendship so close there’s hardly room for anyone else. But when Ben, Willa’s oldest friend, reappears and falls in love with Jane, Willa wonders: Can she let her two best friends find happiness with each other if it means leaving her behind?”
Alright…alright, I will admit that I was (unconsciously I assure you) drawn in by the prologue of this novel (there is a bit of a battle royal staged at a bank) and… against ALL of my better judgement I just HAD TO KNOW what in Hemingway’s holy name happened, so I read on. But it wasn’t all that far into the read (though it’s a quick one) that I realized that I had committed to something less than spectacular.
Like I said above, as with every other chick-lit I have read (I beg of you…someone please prove me wrong) the beginning of the novel was the best part, but around the 60 page mark or so.. I started to find Fox’s sarcastic slams and pun-tastic play on words down right annoying.
Now, before you start scolding me, because I too am ingrained with the “say sarcastic shit” button, I have nothing but respect for those who know when to shut it off, especially when it comes to writing…a somewhat serious book. That’s not to say I didn’t chuckle like a lunatic (and perhaps take notes) in the beginning of this book, I’m just saying that a break now and then (like say…for instance: during sex scenes) would have been nice.
So, what about the characters?
Well, Willa was mildly entertaining when she wasn’t destroying herself, Jane was nice…when she wasn’t being a control freak, and Ben was… well… pathetic. No, actually, change that to gutless, (which also goes for Willa.)
And, if that wasn’t enough to warn you off of this mildly amusing, yet incredibly predictable read. Let’s talk about the ending.
IT SUCKED!
I’m talking grade-A, top of the class, “what the hell….is that it?” type of ending.
In 3 words… it just stopped. Everything was a mess, Willa was rambling about something that may or may not have been construed as meaningful and the next thing I know, *POOF* it’s over. Which left me a little annoyed that I had even read the book in the first place.
All in all… not that awesome, unless you need material for a girl on girl smack-down.
Don’t waste your money people, spend it on something you won’t want to drive a wooden stake through.
Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me 26 times… I deserve to be punished.
Sooo… it’s been a while since I’ve read chick-lit, mostly because I hate it, (ok hate it is a bit of a stretch, lets just say I wish it intense bodily harm.) but more, because I just can’t bring myself to accept if for review. Now, just so we are clear… I’m not talking about romances or (more common these days) a romp in the hay. Noooo… I am talking about the, “Oh woe is me, my life really sucks so I’m going to sit her and whine about it for 260 pages before I finally figure out that living in a 5 bedroom house with my perfect husband and my 2.5 children isn’t so heinous after all. Hey let’s throw a party!” Chick-lit. (I know you know what I’m talking about.) Anyways… I decided to take on the chore (yes chore) of “Friends Like Us” by Lauren Fox because it boasted humor. (“Fox neatly balances the comic and the serious…” – Margaret Quamme, Columbus Dispatch) Lots and lots of humor. Which, I kind of need right now. Unfortunately, there is no amount of puns (“It looks like you’re playing pinball with your eyes. Like you’re playing eyeball!”) or witty dialogue exchanges (“”Did I not mention that I’ve been married and divorced three times?” “You did not.” I say. “Yes! And I have, um, twins. Four-year-old twin, uh…boys.” “Really!” “Yes, and from different mothers!”) that could make up for the disastrous last 3 pages of this book. (*glares at evil evil book!*)
But first… a word from Fox’s sponsor:
“For Willa Jacobs, seeing her best friend, Jane Weston, is like looking in a mirror on a really good day. Strangers assume they are sisters, a comparison Willa secretly enjoys. They share an apartment, clothing, and groceries, eking out rent with part-time jobs. Willa writes advertising copy, dreaming up inspirational messages for tea bags (“The path to enlightenment is steep” and “Oolong! Farewell!”), while Jane cleans houses and writes poetry about it, rhyming “dust” with “lust,” and “clog of hair” with “fog of despair.” Together Willa and Jane are a fortress of private jokes and shared opinions, with a friendship so close there’s hardly room for anyone else. But when Ben, Willa’s oldest friend, reappears and falls in love with Jane, Willa wonders: Can she let her two best friends find happiness with each other if it means leaving her behind?”
Alright…alright, I will admit that I was (unconsciously I assure you) drawn in by the prologue of this novel (there is a bit of a battle royal staged at a bank) and… against ALL of my better judgement I just HAD TO KNOW what in Hemingway’s holy name happened, so I read on. But it wasn’t all that far into the read (though it’s a quick one) that I realized that I had committed to something less than spectacular.
Like I said above, as with every other chick-lit I have read (I beg of you…someone please prove me wrong) the beginning of the novel was the best part, but around the 60 page mark or so.. I started to find Fox’s sarcastic slams and pun-tastic play on words down right annoying.
Now, before you start scolding me, because I too am ingrained with the “say sarcastic shit” button, I have nothing but respect for those who know when to shut it off, especially when it comes to writing…a somewhat serious book. That’s not to say I didn’t chuckle like a lunatic (and perhaps take notes) in the beginning of this book, I’m just saying that a break now and then (like say…for instance: during sex scenes) would have been nice.
So, what about the characters?
Well, Willa was mildly entertaining when she wasn’t destroying herself, Jane was nice…when she wasn’t being a control freak, and Ben was… well… pathetic. No, actually, change that to gutless, (which also goes for Willa.)
And, if that wasn’t enough to warn you off of this mildly amusing, yet incredibly predictable read. Let’s talk about the ending.
IT SUCKED!
I’m talking grade-A, top of the class, “what the hell….is that it?” type of ending.
In 3 words… it just stopped. Everything was a mess, Willa was rambling about something that may or may not have been construed as meaningful and the next thing I know, *POOF* it’s over. Which left me a little annoyed that I had even read the book in the first place.
All in all… not that awesome, unless you need material for a girl on girl smack-down.
Don’t waste your money people, spend it on something you won’t want to drive a wooden stake through.
Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me 26 times… I deserve to be punished.
February 14, 2012
I so loved this funny, lovely book about friendship and loyalty and hard choices. It’s a departure from what I typically read (and not a romantic happily-ever-after) but I felt like it was so rich and good, and full of true things about friendship and the heart and human nature here - I was so sad when it was over!
In a nutshell, the book revolves around two hilarious, smart, artistic friends, Jane and Willa. They’re in their twenties and fumbling their way into adulthood together when Ben, a nerdy friend from Willa’s past (who’d pined for her all through high school) appears on the scene and starts dating Jane. Willa is thrilled at first, because the two most awesome people she's ever known are together, but then a very complicated and bittersweet love triangle evolves. Gah!
One of my favorite aspects of this novel was being in the exuberantly intimate girlfriend world of Willa and Jane, who are in that twenty-something phase of just beginning to navigate what it means to be adults. Their world is one of elaborate inside jokes and weird little dinners at their pathetic kitchen table and a fierce friendship that is brilliantly and sparklingly drawn. So wonderful.
In a nutshell, the book revolves around two hilarious, smart, artistic friends, Jane and Willa. They’re in their twenties and fumbling their way into adulthood together when Ben, a nerdy friend from Willa’s past (who’d pined for her all through high school) appears on the scene and starts dating Jane. Willa is thrilled at first, because the two most awesome people she's ever known are together, but then a very complicated and bittersweet love triangle evolves. Gah!
One of my favorite aspects of this novel was being in the exuberantly intimate girlfriend world of Willa and Jane, who are in that twenty-something phase of just beginning to navigate what it means to be adults. Their world is one of elaborate inside jokes and weird little dinners at their pathetic kitchen table and a fierce friendship that is brilliantly and sparklingly drawn. So wonderful.
May 27, 2012
I have to say that I felt a little empty after reading this book. There did not seem to be any resolution between the characters. I understand the working through of the relationship after running into Jane, but Lauren Fox just seems to leave the reader hanging. What happened to Ben? Is he still in Willa's life? Her friendship with Jane ended because of Ben. Its seems as if there is a chapter missing out of this book and I needed it to be there.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2012
i need to stop reading chick-lit. ugh these characters were horrible to each other. And the writing! O-M-G do people really talk like that? puns everywhere. save yourself and don't read this book. I regret listening to EW when they gave this one a positive review.
In short this book is about 3 friends. Willa, the main character has a high school best friend- Ben, whom she loses touch with in college. While in college she meets Jane and becomes best friends with her. At their 8 year (?!?!) high school reunion she reunites with Ben and finds out that he used to be in love with her and that is why they lost touch with each other. Eventually Ben falls for Jane (what?! do friends really do this to each other?) asks her to marry him after 6 months then and only then does Willa realize that she does love Ben and proceeds to have sex with him 2 days before his wedding! Jane of course leaves, Willa and Ben try to start a relationship only to have Ben leave Willa! to go find himself in Ecuador after 3 months of their new relationship. So willa loses Jane and Ben. And I feel no sympathy for her. She deserved it after that! and I felt no sympathy for Jane because she should've never gotten involved with Ben. And Ben is a loser!
what i am finding with more and more chick lit is tales of these 20-somethngs that are still trying to find themselves with their horrible jobs and awful apartments. Maybe I need to realize I am no longer in this demographic. So I need to stop reading chick-lit.
In short this book is about 3 friends. Willa, the main character has a high school best friend- Ben, whom she loses touch with in college. While in college she meets Jane and becomes best friends with her. At their 8 year (?!?!) high school reunion she reunites with Ben and finds out that he used to be in love with her and that is why they lost touch with each other. Eventually Ben falls for Jane (what?! do friends really do this to each other?) asks her to marry him after 6 months then and only then does Willa realize that she does love Ben and proceeds to have sex with him 2 days before his wedding! Jane of course leaves, Willa and Ben try to start a relationship only to have Ben leave Willa! to go find himself in Ecuador after 3 months of their new relationship. So willa loses Jane and Ben. And I feel no sympathy for her. She deserved it after that! and I felt no sympathy for Jane because she should've never gotten involved with Ben. And Ben is a loser!
what i am finding with more and more chick lit is tales of these 20-somethngs that are still trying to find themselves with their horrible jobs and awful apartments. Maybe I need to realize I am no longer in this demographic. So I need to stop reading chick-lit.
April 21, 2012
I waffle between three and four stars, but just because of the inevitable bummer of an ending. But this was such a fun read until then. I loved the characters and wanted to have drinks with them - they're all quick witted, fun, smart and silly. The book is from mid-20s Willa's perspective, that phase when you're out of college and waiting for opportunities to arise and for life to coalesce, without too much pressure yet to get it together. But as other lives come together - say, your two best friends fall in love and suddenly you're a third wheel, the pressure ramps up and she kinda cracks.
I was hooked from page one.
"'You know,' I said, 'my mom never let me crack eggs when I was a kid.' I tapped one against the side of the bowl and plopped it in. "I used to be very clumsy!" I swept my hand to the side in a dismissive gesture - can you believe that? - and with that brush of my hand, knocked the remaining four eggs off the counter and onto the floor. They made a clapping sound as they hit the linoleum, four little thwacks in rapid succession, like a quick round of applause from the gods of comic timing."
I was hooked from page one.
"'You know,' I said, 'my mom never let me crack eggs when I was a kid.' I tapped one against the side of the bowl and plopped it in. "I used to be very clumsy!" I swept my hand to the side in a dismissive gesture - can you believe that? - and with that brush of my hand, knocked the remaining four eggs off the counter and onto the floor. They made a clapping sound as they hit the linoleum, four little thwacks in rapid succession, like a quick round of applause from the gods of comic timing."
April 12, 2012
This book explores the question 'What would you give up for a friends happiness?' According to Friends Like Us, not much. Without ruining the story, the main character in this book has to deal with her best friend dating and becoming engaged to the boy who was her best buddy during her awkward school years, and has now morphed into a witty, attractive man. A lot of "poor me", a lot of angst as she watches the two fall in love and become a couple. There were times I wanted to reach into the book, and just tell the author "enough all ready!! If you don't want to see them together, move out on your own and start fresh!!" Every relationship in her life has some horrible flaw, and I can't help but think that the common denominator is her. Oh well, I wanted some fluff after my foray into the classics-this book has now cured me of that.
March 19, 2012
I have mixed feelings about this book. I liked it while I was reading it, but the ending went so downhill, now I'm questioning why I liked it. The main character is awful and I don't understand her, and to top it off, the ending was totally ambiguous and we don't even know what ends up happening. I hate that!
January 19, 2013
I've been told that when I get around my sisters I start to talk like them: my voice gets higher and my vocabulary shrinks and I basically get a little obnoxious. So I get that Willa and Jane have their thing, you know? They're besties! They're twinsies! Shit happens. But then in the scenes where it's Willa and her brother Seth (who have a pretty stilted relationship), there's all these caustic one liners followed up with nose snorts and then they're calling their parents Fran and Stan even though their father's real name is Jerry! Oh ho! Life! Nutty! And speaking of nuts, there is an actual moment where Willa is visiting with Jane's family and she witnesses Jane saying, "Cashew." to which Jane's father, Charlie (formerly Chuck) responds "Gesundheit."
INEXCUSABLE.
Oolong! Farewell! actually made it onto the book jacket. Oh, BROTHER!
Everyone is a comedian. Everyone. All day, every day, until the cows come home just yakking it up. It was exhausting. They're just the worst humans ever. They take passive aggressive to a whole 'notha LEVEL. No one ever comes right out and says what they feel, it's all "Tee hee!" and all the anger and resentment builds until it bursts and whoops, betrayal.
With Friends Like Us, who needs...yeah, you get it.
INEXCUSABLE.
Oolong! Farewell! actually made it onto the book jacket. Oh, BROTHER!
Everyone is a comedian. Everyone. All day, every day, until the cows come home just yakking it up. It was exhausting. They're just the worst humans ever. They take passive aggressive to a whole 'notha LEVEL. No one ever comes right out and says what they feel, it's all "Tee hee!" and all the anger and resentment builds until it bursts and whoops, betrayal.
With Friends Like Us, who needs...yeah, you get it.
June 1, 2012
This book is very “Something Borrowed.” Protagonist has two best friends, one male, one female. She sets them up and voila! Love ensues. She then must promptly face her misgivings about the situation, namely, male BFF’s love not flowing in her direction. In this the female friend (Jane) is not a bitch as portrayed in Something Borrowed and the three do seem to have a deep connection. Their repartee and banter is pretty funny even when it’s purposefully corny. I did find the writing a notch above comparable books and I definitely snickered a few times (in a good way). One of the book’s highlights is Willa’s (the protagonist) relationship with her brother, which is very bittersweet and well-told. The author handled this expertly and I wished it was highlighted more. I did like the ending, it’s different, as well as the setup (we know from the get-go things sort of blow up in Willa’s face). I do think the ending will turn off a LOT of people but for me it differentiated the book. This is a pretty light and fast read, not life-changing but not total fluff as the writing itself is quite sharp.
March 4, 2012
The prologue tells us that things will end between Willa and Jane. I spent the whole book wondering how, and then bam! feelings are revealed and the answer is there at last. But it's near the end, and then there IS no end! There's an epilogue, though, but not the kind I want. If only Fox had put a little more information into the prologue, kept the characters consistent, and not been so subtle with what she is seemingly trying to say.
March 15, 2012
Friends Like Us, was somewhat enjoyable to read. I found myself fighting with the characters, instead of rejoicing with them in their accomplishments & failures. I just couldn't enjoy reading it as much!
Here's why:
Ok, so was I the only one that thought Willa was such a masochist? Ben a big jerk and a coward? And Jane a compleat bitch?!? I couldn't been the only one!
First, Willa was such a wuss when it came to telling her so called "best friend" about her feelings & how she felt everything moving forward and seeing herself stuck behind in life. I thought it was ok to tell these type of feelings to your BFF, that's why after all, they're bffs. And why, oh why, was she happy on always being the thirst wheel of Ben & Jane's relationship? Why being with them constantly, made her somehow feel good? I thought it was pathetic & annoying. I mean, I do understand how she is feeling ( Trust me, I do understand!) but sometimes in order to find 'yourself' you must distant yourself from people you love & do your own thing. Overall, Willa to me, seemed weak & powerless & that's not how I like my heroines in any story!
Next up, Jane. Whenever she was mention, I could only picture her with the word "bitch" stamped on her forehead. Sounds mean, I know, but that's how I saw her. First, didn't she know that dating her best friend's best friend from high school was NOT ok? Even more so after Willa confessed to her that they kissed after the high school reunion & confessed he had a crush on Willa, maybe even love her?! I mean, that's on the BFF Rule Book!! I thought it was shady & superficial of her to start dating him, knowing there was some kind of history between Ben & Willa. Also, haven't she ever heard of Karma? Why would you feel so betrayed & hurt after Ben & Willa had sex? Weren't you groping your next door neighbor, Dougie, at a seedy bar? And not telling Ben about it? Well, like the saying goes, Back Times 3, Karmas a bitch! I did not feel bad for her at all after what happened between Willa and Ben.
Ben, Ben, Ben, Ben. To his credit though, he did confess on cheating to Jane, late. And I respect him for that. Unlike Jane. Anyways, Ben. I did not like him since he came into the picture. Couldn't trust him, an I was right! I felt like he had something up his sleeve. Like Seth (Willa's older brother) said, there was a smugness about him that I didn't like at all. Why, cut all communication with Willa in college to come back and confessed how you feel at the high school reunion? I feel like he came back to get his revenge on Willa. Like he wanted her to suffer like he did in high school & college. I mean, why would you date & then planned a wedding with Jane after telling Willa you were & still may be in love with her. And to top it off, after sleeping with Willa he still said he love her?! Big jerky move! And let me just point out, that I thought it was a very coward move for him to leave after all that happened. Leave Jane alone, after she sacrificed her friendship with Jane. Couldn't he face the problem like Willa was. JERK!
This book could've been so much better if somethings were change. For example, do Willa & Jane make amends to restore their friendship after that awkward and unexpected conversation at the cafe? That would've been great to read. I mean, after finishing this book, I don't blame Jane nor Willa for how everything went down. Nobody's perfect, and no friendship is either.
Here's why:
Ok, so was I the only one that thought Willa was such a masochist? Ben a big jerk and a coward? And Jane a compleat bitch?!? I couldn't been the only one!
First, Willa was such a wuss when it came to telling her so called "best friend" about her feelings & how she felt everything moving forward and seeing herself stuck behind in life. I thought it was ok to tell these type of feelings to your BFF, that's why after all, they're bffs. And why, oh why, was she happy on always being the thirst wheel of Ben & Jane's relationship? Why being with them constantly, made her somehow feel good? I thought it was pathetic & annoying. I mean, I do understand how she is feeling ( Trust me, I do understand!) but sometimes in order to find 'yourself' you must distant yourself from people you love & do your own thing. Overall, Willa to me, seemed weak & powerless & that's not how I like my heroines in any story!
Next up, Jane. Whenever she was mention, I could only picture her with the word "bitch" stamped on her forehead. Sounds mean, I know, but that's how I saw her. First, didn't she know that dating her best friend's best friend from high school was NOT ok? Even more so after Willa confessed to her that they kissed after the high school reunion & confessed he had a crush on Willa, maybe even love her?! I mean, that's on the BFF Rule Book!! I thought it was shady & superficial of her to start dating him, knowing there was some kind of history between Ben & Willa. Also, haven't she ever heard of Karma? Why would you feel so betrayed & hurt after Ben & Willa had sex? Weren't you groping your next door neighbor, Dougie, at a seedy bar? And not telling Ben about it? Well, like the saying goes, Back Times 3, Karmas a bitch! I did not feel bad for her at all after what happened between Willa and Ben.
Ben, Ben, Ben, Ben. To his credit though, he did confess on cheating to Jane, late. And I respect him for that. Unlike Jane. Anyways, Ben. I did not like him since he came into the picture. Couldn't trust him, an I was right! I felt like he had something up his sleeve. Like Seth (Willa's older brother) said, there was a smugness about him that I didn't like at all. Why, cut all communication with Willa in college to come back and confessed how you feel at the high school reunion? I feel like he came back to get his revenge on Willa. Like he wanted her to suffer like he did in high school & college. I mean, why would you date & then planned a wedding with Jane after telling Willa you were & still may be in love with her. And to top it off, after sleeping with Willa he still said he love her?! Big jerky move! And let me just point out, that I thought it was a very coward move for him to leave after all that happened. Leave Jane alone, after she sacrificed her friendship with Jane. Couldn't he face the problem like Willa was. JERK!
This book could've been so much better if somethings were change. For example, do Willa & Jane make amends to restore their friendship after that awkward and unexpected conversation at the cafe? That would've been great to read. I mean, after finishing this book, I don't blame Jane nor Willa for how everything went down. Nobody's perfect, and no friendship is either.
November 1, 2012
Well, this is my first five star rating on GoodReads, which I think is a BFD. I've been on this search for the perfect book to read that is exactly what I'm looking for, except I didn't know what I was looking for, so instead I just kept saying what I DIDN'T want, and it was a lot like trying to pick out a restaurant with someone (me) who doesn't make any suggestions but also uses the power of veto liberally. Basically, I kept saying that I wanted something age appropriate (I'm 31, so ABSOLUTELY NO YOUNG ADULT, GOD), not supernatural, something smart and interesting , not necessarily a romance, although I'm not opposed to happy endings (but they have to be earned if they get one). Funny would be nice, but mostly I just wanted actual adult characters who made actual choices that actual people would make and that had actual consequences. And I did NOT want chick lit. And honestly, I know a lot of reviews (especially the more negative ones) have called this chick lit, but it was really anything but fluff.
And that's the thing--this book gave me everything I wanted, including some things I didn't know I wanted, and didn't give me any stupid bullshit that I didn't want. The characters were almost all likable and all very flawed, just like real people. It was just a really smart, thought provoking book that appealed to me in all the ways that I felt like it should. And I liked that it was a pretty accurate representation of that mid-to-late-twenties to say early thirties (at least--I'll let you know how the rest of the thirties go, I suppose) where you aren't married, don't have a real "career" to speak of, and kind of know what you're doing but actually have no idea what the fuck you're doing.
It was really, really good. You should've read it yesterday.
And that's the thing--this book gave me everything I wanted, including some things I didn't know I wanted, and didn't give me any stupid bullshit that I didn't want. The characters were almost all likable and all very flawed, just like real people. It was just a really smart, thought provoking book that appealed to me in all the ways that I felt like it should. And I liked that it was a pretty accurate representation of that mid-to-late-twenties to say early thirties (at least--I'll let you know how the rest of the thirties go, I suppose) where you aren't married, don't have a real "career" to speak of, and kind of know what you're doing but actually have no idea what the fuck you're doing.
It was really, really good. You should've read it yesterday.
September 24, 2012
Willa lives in a small apartment with her best friend, Jane. Jane is an aspiring poet who writes about her day job cleaning houses, and Willa thinks up slogans for an advertising agency. The two are suspended between college and "real life," and when Willa attends her high school reunion and reconnects with her old friend Ben, he is immediately drawn into their circle. Jane and Ben begin dating, and the three become a delicately balanced family, sharing adventures, breakfasts, and tiny paychecks. For a while everything is perfect, but it can't last.
While the story is familiar, it is Fox's writing that makes this book stand out. The characters are real and hilarious and flawed, and the dialogue is snappy and full of word play. The relationships are entirely realized, and to read this book is to feel as though you are a part of this close knit group of friends. The dialogue is so good and so much a part of the story that experiencing it was more like watching a play or a movie than reading a novel. For some light reading with a bite, try Friends Like Us.
While the story is familiar, it is Fox's writing that makes this book stand out. The characters are real and hilarious and flawed, and the dialogue is snappy and full of word play. The relationships are entirely realized, and to read this book is to feel as though you are a part of this close knit group of friends. The dialogue is so good and so much a part of the story that experiencing it was more like watching a play or a movie than reading a novel. For some light reading with a bite, try Friends Like Us.
May 18, 2016
This book should have been called "Neuroses Like Us". There were some great, fun moments in this story but overall it was nothing more than a running commentary on why Willa has a failure to succeed mentality. The book opens so strong and really makes you want to know how these friends got to this point but after that it is downhill. I kept reading hoping I would feel some "closure" but it just fell flat. The author can write well, it just seems like she was too busy constructing sentences to build a story.
March 9, 2017
I mostly just was bored by this book, I guess. I mean, it was fine. But it just seems to drift along, and the ending is unresolved. The old best friend and the new best friend meet and hit it off, and our heroine becomes an emotionally conflicted third wheel on their non-adventures about town. Like, buying groceries, eating food, or finding a raccoon in the woods - wow! Such doings! Also, her brother's kind of a dick. The sections of backstory about her dysfunctional childhood were more interesting and had more drama and surprise. The main part of the story? Meh.
March 25, 2013
This book - in true tawdry fashion - drew me because of the cover...
I've found that this is the Author's first effort. Its a light and clever read, and I hope indicative of Mrs Fox's talents.
Its clever. You are told of the ending, know that things are going to end... and (at least so far) I'm rooting for the implausibility of a magical/cathartic "happy ending"
Its a sort of deconstruction romance novel.
Ryan
I've found that this is the Author's first effort. Its a light and clever read, and I hope indicative of Mrs Fox's talents.
Its clever. You are told of the ending, know that things are going to end... and (at least so far) I'm rooting for the implausibility of a magical/cathartic "happy ending"
Its a sort of deconstruction romance novel.
Ryan
April 18, 2018
I immediately thought of "Something Borrowed" when I first started reading this book. It started off promising, but then fell apart with unfunny cliches and underdeveloped characters. This book was so quintessentially predictable and messy - I didn't want to finish it, but I did anyway because I was curious to see just how the story between Willa, Jane, & Ben would play out. I'm a fan of the rom-com genre, but even this was too much.
Read
November 22, 2019I thought this book was going to be pretty lighthearted and I was pleasantly surprised to discover it had depth to it. Three friends, romantic configurations, trouble ensues. There's a heavy emphasis on "clever dialogue" (puns abound), which sometimes worked, sometimes didn't, but that is my only issue. All the characters are flawed and therefore so appealing (at least to me). The main character, Willa, doesn't always behave the best, but then who of us does? I followed her thinking throughout and was always rooting for her. And the ending? Just right.
June 29, 2024
Very funny and genuine.
February 17, 2015
How bittersweet and painful that ending is... Maybe it's the half bottle of wine I drank reading the last third of this book, but it's true that this ending went down well with some red. Not-so-spoiler* I am so glad it wasn't a happy ending.
It's true that at different moments, I look back at 26 and think it wasn't nearly this bad, Willa. Then, I have a bad week and think I haven't yet escaped the misery of that year. I don't know that I would appreciate this book as much at 40 as I do now at 30. And that's a good thing, probably, hopefully.
Some choice quotes that have been sitting with me a while:
Her eyes huge with need that could easily be mistaken for adoration.
Seven yrs is long enough to turn an excuse for the worst kind of behaviour into a flawed nugget of wisdom.
Cheerful little children who don't demand much attention.
The truth about two ppl who dont like each other very much is that their fights can be small gnawing things. This is how ppl destroy each other, in ugly increments, slivers of their lives falling away, until all at once, they topple. (Stop nibbling away at your own happiness!)
...Thinking that this might be an answer, tho of course everything depends on the question.
And I think, "but we're adults. We're not supposed to let our parents' mistakes turn us into children." But they do. And we do.
She seems to straddle a very fine line btwn neglected and self sufficient.
Like so many things, this started off in my my head as a sort-of joke, then took a wrong turn out of my mouth.
Pretending we like it this way. Attached to nothing but ourselves.
...and some of you are making the obvious "Something Borrowed" comparisons, but I'll argue these are too different books, written in different ways. The characters aren't the same, their levels of likeability are different. I just definitely feel different about Willa, Jane, or Ben than I did about either Rachel, Dex, or Darcy.
Darcy was too entitled. Jane was certainly entitled but in a different (mid-west?) way. Dex and Ben are both idiots, but in different (bumbling vs lost?) ways. And Willa... oh Willa. Willa is not Rachel, and vice versa.
It's like comparing apples to bananas. Both fruit, both fiction, but different shapes, different writing styles, different places in their lives: Lost, directionless 20-somethings vs established, well-earning lawyers/PR people who realistically should have stood up for themselves had they not spent their early 20's studying and achieving so goddamn hard. It won't kill you to get stupid drunk a few nights in your early 20's when it can be excused away as easily, instead of supposedly making up for lost time in your 30's when it reads as a sadder, more pathetic story that's harder to lie to yourself about and learn from than the previous scenario... Just sayin'.
It's true that at different moments, I look back at 26 and think it wasn't nearly this bad, Willa. Then, I have a bad week and think I haven't yet escaped the misery of that year. I don't know that I would appreciate this book as much at 40 as I do now at 30. And that's a good thing, probably, hopefully.
Some choice quotes that have been sitting with me a while:
Her eyes huge with need that could easily be mistaken for adoration.
Seven yrs is long enough to turn an excuse for the worst kind of behaviour into a flawed nugget of wisdom.
Cheerful little children who don't demand much attention.
The truth about two ppl who dont like each other very much is that their fights can be small gnawing things. This is how ppl destroy each other, in ugly increments, slivers of their lives falling away, until all at once, they topple. (Stop nibbling away at your own happiness!)
...Thinking that this might be an answer, tho of course everything depends on the question.
And I think, "but we're adults. We're not supposed to let our parents' mistakes turn us into children." But they do. And we do.
She seems to straddle a very fine line btwn neglected and self sufficient.
Like so many things, this started off in my my head as a sort-of joke, then took a wrong turn out of my mouth.
Pretending we like it this way. Attached to nothing but ourselves.
...and some of you are making the obvious "Something Borrowed" comparisons, but I'll argue these are too different books, written in different ways. The characters aren't the same, their levels of likeability are different. I just definitely feel different about Willa, Jane, or Ben than I did about either Rachel, Dex, or Darcy.
Darcy was too entitled. Jane was certainly entitled but in a different (mid-west?) way. Dex and Ben are both idiots, but in different (bumbling vs lost?) ways. And Willa... oh Willa. Willa is not Rachel, and vice versa.
It's like comparing apples to bananas. Both fruit, both fiction, but different shapes, different writing styles, different places in their lives: Lost, directionless 20-somethings vs established, well-earning lawyers/PR people who realistically should have stood up for themselves had they not spent their early 20's studying and achieving so goddamn hard. It won't kill you to get stupid drunk a few nights in your early 20's when it can be excused away as easily, instead of supposedly making up for lost time in your 30's when it reads as a sadder, more pathetic story that's harder to lie to yourself about and learn from than the previous scenario... Just sayin'.
January 1, 2021
Book on CD performed by Amy Rubinate
From the book jacket: For Willa Jacobs, seeing her best friend, Jane Weston, is like looking in a mirror on a really good day. Strangers assume they are sisters, a comparison Willa secretly enjoys. They share an apartment, clothing, and groceries, eking out rent with part-time jobs. Willa writes advertising copy, dreaming up inspirational messages for tea bags, while Jane cleans houses and writes poetry about it, rhyming “clog of hair” with “fog of despair.” Together Willa and Jane are a fortress of private jokes and shared opinions, with a friendship so close there’s hardly room for anyone else. But when Ben, Willa’s oldest friend, reappears and falls in love with Jane, Willa wonders: Can she let her two best friends find happiness with each other if it means leaving her behind?
My reactions
I really enjoyed this exploration of friendship and the choices one makes as one matures. I remember close friends I had in my twenties … how we’d hang out at each other’s apartments, sometimes spending the night, watching movies, sharing PB sandwiches, taking a walk to the park or a Saturday matinee. And, like the characters in Fox’s novel, we’d create terrible puns and inside jokes that, looking back, were truly dreadful, but which made us feel clever and bright and “in charge of our destiny.”
While I’ve never experienced the kind of implosion that this trio is headed for, I have witnessed (and been part of) break-ups that hurt so badly you wondered how you would ever survive. And I recognized how a best friend can say just the right thing to help you through what you believe to be the darkest moments. So the relationships between these people and their emotions were completely relatable to me, even though I am more than twice as old as they are.
Willa narrates, and so we get more of her internal dialogue and exploration of her feelings about what is happening between her and Ben and Jane. I would have liked to have heard more from both Jane and Ben’s perspectives.
I loved all the references to local establishments. I don’t often read books set in Milwaukee, and the setting contributed to my easily relating to the book’s characters and plot. There’s also a very interesting subplot involving Willa’s brother, Seth.
Amy Rubinate does a fine job performing the audiobook version. There are many scenes where the two women have quick back and forth banter and I was never confused about who was speaking.
From the book jacket: For Willa Jacobs, seeing her best friend, Jane Weston, is like looking in a mirror on a really good day. Strangers assume they are sisters, a comparison Willa secretly enjoys. They share an apartment, clothing, and groceries, eking out rent with part-time jobs. Willa writes advertising copy, dreaming up inspirational messages for tea bags, while Jane cleans houses and writes poetry about it, rhyming “clog of hair” with “fog of despair.” Together Willa and Jane are a fortress of private jokes and shared opinions, with a friendship so close there’s hardly room for anyone else. But when Ben, Willa’s oldest friend, reappears and falls in love with Jane, Willa wonders: Can she let her two best friends find happiness with each other if it means leaving her behind?
My reactions
I really enjoyed this exploration of friendship and the choices one makes as one matures. I remember close friends I had in my twenties … how we’d hang out at each other’s apartments, sometimes spending the night, watching movies, sharing PB sandwiches, taking a walk to the park or a Saturday matinee. And, like the characters in Fox’s novel, we’d create terrible puns and inside jokes that, looking back, were truly dreadful, but which made us feel clever and bright and “in charge of our destiny.”
While I’ve never experienced the kind of implosion that this trio is headed for, I have witnessed (and been part of) break-ups that hurt so badly you wondered how you would ever survive. And I recognized how a best friend can say just the right thing to help you through what you believe to be the darkest moments. So the relationships between these people and their emotions were completely relatable to me, even though I am more than twice as old as they are.
Willa narrates, and so we get more of her internal dialogue and exploration of her feelings about what is happening between her and Ben and Jane. I would have liked to have heard more from both Jane and Ben’s perspectives.
I loved all the references to local establishments. I don’t often read books set in Milwaukee, and the setting contributed to my easily relating to the book’s characters and plot. There’s also a very interesting subplot involving Willa’s brother, Seth.
Amy Rubinate does a fine job performing the audiobook version. There are many scenes where the two women have quick back and forth banter and I was never confused about who was speaking.
December 23, 2023
I’m 50/50 on this story and I just don’t know which way to sway honestly.
Negatives first:
-The FMC is completely weak willed. She is unable to do anything alone and is portrayed as whiny and needy throughout the whole story with implications that she was this way before the story started and will stay this way well after the epilogue. As the story wraps up it also shows her having almost no growth at all, which doesn’t make the FMC personality or storyline worth it at all.
-The FMC best friend is allowed to cheat on her boyfriend/soon to be fiancée with little to no remorse but then when her boyfriend/fiancée does the same thing to her the FMC and the boyfriend/fiancee are the worst people in the world and she doesn’t even give them the time of day. Going along with this I hate that the boyfriend/fiancée never finds out that he wasn’t the only one to cheat, the story just continues with no one ever telling him.
-There are so many plot lines that are introduced throughout the story with almost no follow up and then just a small explanation tossed in. Stating that Jane, the FMC best friend, has a baby. Seth, the FMC is depressed and struggling through emotions one moment and then the next time he’s brought up he’s thriving and has a girlfriend.
-At one point the FMC compares her boyfriend, Ben, to her literal brother ??? Which is just so wrong on so many accounts and gives me the heebie jeebies. The only reasoning that’s provided for this happening is the guilt the FMC has for aiding in her now boyfriend’s cheating on her ex best friend and roommate.
Positives:
-For once I feel as if a book has a realistic take on what everyday life is like. How life actually feels. I get the vibe from more recent books and the booktok stories that everything is cookie cutter and the MC life is going great except for the one bump in the road with their lover that they are able to get over by the end of the story and live happily ever after.
-I like that it doesn’t end with just any other happy ending, the story provides an ending with a lot of room for interpretation.
Not many Pros in comparison to Cons so I think after writing this review I’m going to change my initial start rating of 3 stars to a 2 star with the possibility of it having a 2.5 star rating overall.
Negatives first:
-The FMC is completely weak willed. She is unable to do anything alone and is portrayed as whiny and needy throughout the whole story with implications that she was this way before the story started and will stay this way well after the epilogue. As the story wraps up it also shows her having almost no growth at all, which doesn’t make the FMC personality or storyline worth it at all.
-The FMC best friend is allowed to cheat on her boyfriend/soon to be fiancée with little to no remorse but then when her boyfriend/fiancée does the same thing to her the FMC and the boyfriend/fiancee are the worst people in the world and she doesn’t even give them the time of day. Going along with this I hate that the boyfriend/fiancée never finds out that he wasn’t the only one to cheat, the story just continues with no one ever telling him.
-There are so many plot lines that are introduced throughout the story with almost no follow up and then just a small explanation tossed in. Stating that Jane, the FMC best friend, has a baby. Seth, the FMC is depressed and struggling through emotions one moment and then the next time he’s brought up he’s thriving and has a girlfriend.
-At one point the FMC compares her boyfriend, Ben, to her literal brother ??? Which is just so wrong on so many accounts and gives me the heebie jeebies. The only reasoning that’s provided for this happening is the guilt the FMC has for aiding in her now boyfriend’s cheating on her ex best friend and roommate.
Positives:
-For once I feel as if a book has a realistic take on what everyday life is like. How life actually feels. I get the vibe from more recent books and the booktok stories that everything is cookie cutter and the MC life is going great except for the one bump in the road with their lover that they are able to get over by the end of the story and live happily ever after.
-I like that it doesn’t end with just any other happy ending, the story provides an ending with a lot of room for interpretation.
Not many Pros in comparison to Cons so I think after writing this review I’m going to change my initial start rating of 3 stars to a 2 star with the possibility of it having a 2.5 star rating overall.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 8, 2021
I was surprised to see this categorized as chick lit; I went into it without knowing much about this book, nine years after its publication, and just assumed it was literary fiction the whole time I was reading. "Chick lit" as a genre isn't used too often anymore so I wonder if the marketing would've changed if Friends Like Us had been published in 2021 instead of 2012. I also feel like this story was less about Ben and much more about Jane and Willa; there was this poignant, difficult question of how adult friendships can survive and thrive in a world that believes that only romantic relationships can make sense as a sustainable structure/goal.
Overall, a compelling, unusual, more-serious-than-you'd-assume book that made me tear up a few times. I like the way , which throws the rest of the book into question too. The quirky wordplay and joking definitely hides the things the characters won't say to each other, which I personally loved and found heartbreaking. It's intriguing to read a book from even nine years ago and think about it might've juuuuust missed a certain zeitgeist in the questions it examines! I could see this getting compared to shows like Broad City (which only came out a couple of years later). I really and truly enjoy Fox's writing style and want to check out her other books now.
Overall, a compelling, unusual, more-serious-than-you'd-assume book that made me tear up a few times. I like the way , which throws the rest of the book into question too. The quirky wordplay and joking definitely hides the things the characters won't say to each other, which I personally loved and found heartbreaking. It's intriguing to read a book from even nine years ago and think about it might've juuuuust missed a certain zeitgeist in the questions it examines! I could see this getting compared to shows like Broad City (which only came out a couple of years later). I really and truly enjoy Fox's writing style and want to check out her other books now.
April 20, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. The opening "scene" grabbed me and sucked me in immediately, and made me want to know what had transpired leading up to that. The characters are well-balanced--likable but believably un-saintly. They were relatable/recognizable. Even though their specific circumstances and decisions might not be what they reader has ever dealt with, some form of the emotions experienced should be familiar. The main character grapples with a host of feelings. Happy for her friends, yet envious of that happiness. Proprietary towards her friends, and threatened by what is subtly demonstrated by the author to be not just a perceived shift, but a genuine one. Giddy at their connection and time together, yet heavily aware of its looming expiration and her inevitable exclusion.
I felt that the author did an excellent job of letting us inside the main character's head. This was accomplished in part by not just showing us her most significant thoughts & feelings, but the random, silly things--wordplay, etc, that she was prone to.
The ending (don't worry, no real spoilers here--in fact, in some ways, even the author doesn't "spoil" it) is just right: not too tidy, leaves the reader simultaneously, oddly, satisfied yet wanting more, and best of all, it has the ring of truth to it.
I felt that the author did an excellent job of letting us inside the main character's head. This was accomplished in part by not just showing us her most significant thoughts & feelings, but the random, silly things--wordplay, etc, that she was prone to.
The ending (don't worry, no real spoilers here--in fact, in some ways, even the author doesn't "spoil" it) is just right: not too tidy, leaves the reader simultaneously, oddly, satisfied yet wanting more, and best of all, it has the ring of truth to it.
June 23, 2014
I'm sure that some people will think this book really ain't that much. And I get that. It's not like Fox was forging new territory in writing this book or anything. Love and betrayal, the effects of the past on our view of the present, the delicacy of the bonds that we form with friends and with family...we've heard it all before. And it's not like Fox explores these themes with the kind of originality and flair that distinguish Friends Like Us from its similarly-detailed counterparts. The prologue-flashback-epilogue format is nice, but not particularly inspired.
So why four stars then?
I think, for me, this book is all about perspective. By making this Willa's story, Fox gives us "the other side", the side we might normally root against in a book like this...and yet we don't. Or at least I didn't. Willa is definitely flawed, but she knows this. She is human. That's what I liked about her. Was she a little bit too accepting of these flaws at times? Sure. But aren't we all like that at some point? I understood Willa. I didn't always like the choices she made or the thought processes she employed, but I got her.
And sometimes, that's enough to make a book kind of special.
So why four stars then?
I think, for me, this book is all about perspective. By making this Willa's story, Fox gives us "the other side", the side we might normally root against in a book like this...and yet we don't. Or at least I didn't. Willa is definitely flawed, but she knows this. She is human. That's what I liked about her. Was she a little bit too accepting of these flaws at times? Sure. But aren't we all like that at some point? I understood Willa. I didn't always like the choices she made or the thought processes she employed, but I got her.
And sometimes, that's enough to make a book kind of special.
February 25, 2012
http://charlotteswebofbooks.blogspot....
Friends Like Us is getting a lot of positive buzz right now and I can certainly see why. Lauren Fox has created a world of friendship that we all long for. One where Willa has not one, but two friends who "complete" her. I just don't think she can see how lucky she is to have the bond that she has with both Jane and Ben. It is truly a gift from God. And when she makes an incredibly stupid move those bonds are changed forever. I really want to be careful in what I say, but the cover does a pretty good job of explaining what happens, you just need to figure out whose legs belong to whom.
I really enjoyed this book. I laughed at Willa's silly little puns and my heart ached for her when things took a turn. There is nothing worse than feeling like an outsider, but what happened was a pretty crappy thing to do, no matter how much you are hurting. So many of us want to see the world in black and white, yet Willa is proof that it is far more grey
Friends Like Us is getting a lot of positive buzz right now and I can certainly see why. Lauren Fox has created a world of friendship that we all long for. One where Willa has not one, but two friends who "complete" her. I just don't think she can see how lucky she is to have the bond that she has with both Jane and Ben. It is truly a gift from God. And when she makes an incredibly stupid move those bonds are changed forever. I really want to be careful in what I say, but the cover does a pretty good job of explaining what happens, you just need to figure out whose legs belong to whom.
I really enjoyed this book. I laughed at Willa's silly little puns and my heart ached for her when things took a turn. There is nothing worse than feeling like an outsider, but what happened was a pretty crappy thing to do, no matter how much you are hurting. So many of us want to see the world in black and white, yet Willa is proof that it is far more grey
October 7, 2012
I will put a big disclaimer on this by saying I have known the author since high school. So you can stop reading this if you want.
I really liked Lauren's first book. I really LOVED this one. And I read it when it first came out and am only now commenting, which is not a reflection on her, the book, or Goodreads, but just a reflection of how much life has gotten in the way of me commenting on any books in the last year. Enough about me...I really appreciated how much Lauren has grown as a writer between her first and second books. I related much more to the characters in this book and how she really appreciates the tensions on female friendships as people change and evolve and grow. Even though I haven't had the situation at the heart of this book, it spoke to me so much about how female friends relate to each other...how they grow so close, and then so very often grow apart when life gets in the way. I read this book in 2 days and really want to know where the characters are after the book ends.
I really liked Lauren's first book. I really LOVED this one. And I read it when it first came out and am only now commenting, which is not a reflection on her, the book, or Goodreads, but just a reflection of how much life has gotten in the way of me commenting on any books in the last year. Enough about me...I really appreciated how much Lauren has grown as a writer between her first and second books. I related much more to the characters in this book and how she really appreciates the tensions on female friendships as people change and evolve and grow. Even though I haven't had the situation at the heart of this book, it spoke to me so much about how female friends relate to each other...how they grow so close, and then so very often grow apart when life gets in the way. I read this book in 2 days and really want to know where the characters are after the book ends.
August 31, 2012
Overall, I picked this book up on a whim and didn't have high expectations.
That being said, I wasn't extremely disappointed with it. Considering it covered the familiar 'best friend/third wheel/pseudo-love triangle arc', I think the author gave depth to the characters which was helped the book transcend traditional chick lit.
Although many people were not impressed, I think Jane and Willa's relationship however dysfunctional and imbalanced below the surface, represented a very real dynamic in many female relationships. I also liked Willa's back story with relation to her parent's divorce because it gave a bit of motivation to her actions.
Now I'm not sure if I was supposed to be rooting for Jane after the big reveal, but to be honest, I never felt much sympathy for her character and I`m not sure if that`s what the author intended.
Overall, this was a decent fluff read, but it would have been nice to provide a more concrete ending.
That being said, I wasn't extremely disappointed with it. Considering it covered the familiar 'best friend/third wheel/pseudo-love triangle arc', I think the author gave depth to the characters which was helped the book transcend traditional chick lit.
Although many people were not impressed, I think Jane and Willa's relationship however dysfunctional and imbalanced below the surface, represented a very real dynamic in many female relationships. I also liked Willa's back story with relation to her parent's divorce because it gave a bit of motivation to her actions.
Now I'm not sure if I was supposed to be rooting for Jane after the big reveal, but to be honest, I never felt much sympathy for her character and I`m not sure if that`s what the author intended.
Overall, this was a decent fluff read, but it would have been nice to provide a more concrete ending.
March 16, 2012
The book was written up in so many magazines, so I was surprised that I didn't love it. The book follows a girl named Willa who, when the book starts, runs into her ex-best friend, Jane. The story then goes back in time to find out how and why the two aren't chummy any more, which, of course involves a love story.
Overall, I found the story pretty boring/not exciting. The prose is really simple - a bit annoyingly so -- and to be honest, I found the main character pretty annoying. The story kind of drags on, and many times I found myself just not caring as to what happens. And then, after all that, the story ends on an unresolved note! So, not really worth reading, in my opinion.
Overall, I found the story pretty boring/not exciting. The prose is really simple - a bit annoyingly so -- and to be honest, I found the main character pretty annoying. The story kind of drags on, and many times I found myself just not caring as to what happens. And then, after all that, the story ends on an unresolved note! So, not really worth reading, in my opinion.
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