Girls Dinner Club

by Jessie Elliot

The love of Junie's life for the past year is suddenly acting like a crazed puppy. Celia's dad has found the most ridiculous woman in all of Manhattan—and decided, after fifteen years of being single, to date her. Danielle's hot-guy-in-a-band ex-boyfriend is trying to convince her that he's "changed." Sometimes living life is a recipe for disaster. Sometimes, girls just have to make their own recipes.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fiction, New York, Chick Lit, Romance, Friendship

256 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2005

About the author

Jessie Elliot attended Columbia University and currently lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and her cat. Girls Dinner Club is her first novel.

Reviews

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Over all pretty cutesy and nice, but I have some complaints:


Junie's character was contradictory. She breaks up with her year-long boyfriend, who she loves and later misses a lot, because she's not ready to have sex with him for the second time... but the first time she sees Rob she's practically fantasizing herself on top of him! She wonders if, and I quote: "Rob ever took a break from being a good boy to have a little fun" ....um, strong sexual undertones for someone who's not ready to have sex, dontcha think?

At some points, Celia was annoying. She's that strong, empowered black girl that secretly dislikes white people because she thinks they look down at her... About Jane, she says: "I guess she's okay, if your taste runs to tiny white women" Excuse me, but I got the feeling that she was the one looking down her nose at everyone during the entire book. And the author tried too hard to depict her as the artsy, spiritual, high fashion goddess, but at times she was just plain snobby.

I really would have liked to see the emotional side to Danielle's singing and her build up towards singing in public again more developed. She was probably the girl that I liked the most, after warming up to her
Also the relationship between Celia and Henry could have been worked at some more, not so cut and dry. Maybe more on his part trying to win her over, and proving that guys don't all suck. It's like at one point she despises him, and then she's like 'Oh, I'm so in love with him I don't know what to do!!' How can she be sooo in love if she's never even been kissed before??

In the end Rob seemed like such a pointless character. I hated how the author puts him on this really high pedestal at the beginning and then slowly degrades him throughout the book. I liked him at first, and it bothered me when Junie started describing him as dorky, cheesy and strange. All of that because he was nice to her and because he had an unusual hobby.... judgmental much?

And lastly, all the references to Brooklyn were so pretentious and overdone! It's like, 'Okay I get it, you're all in Brooklyn. You're so hip. Get over yourselves.

The truth is, this book is probably not as bad as I make it out to be. I just had a sort of vision of what it would be like... one of those really cozy reads that are great for a rainy day when you're curled up on the couch. I thought the atmosphere would be developed more, and that it'd be sort of vintagey with recipes and stuff. And it fell short of that. And maybe that's partly my fault for expecting all that I did before even reading the first page....



It was a lovely story, and I enjoyed all the different points of view, and the girls' semisweet endings, but..... I don't know, I just thought it would be different.

[Laurie]

This book suffered, in my eyes, even more than it would have already because I read it immediately after finishing Stuff White People Like. Girls Dinner Club features: diversity; coffee; having black friends; Asian girls; yoga; having two last names; Brooklyn; Apple products; indie music; kitchen gadgets; difficult breakups. And more.

While it didn't turn out to be as terrible as I expected (after reading, on page 1, that "Brian was her boyfriend of almost a year, always good for a wacky idea," I almost stopped reading, and again on page 5, when Brian and Junie started making out in Junie's parents' bed, while wearing Junie's parents' bathrobes. EWWW), I don't recommend it. I got a little tired of the self-conscious name-checking of microneighborhoods and streets. (WE GET IT. You live in Brooklyn. It's hip. OK.) The dinner-cooking and cheese-buying parts are not bad, but not good enough to redeem the novel. Might have been better as twentysomething chick lit.

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE COOKING!!!!

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5/5
Ce livre se veut dans la lignée de 4 filles et un jean mais n'a malheureusement pas le même charme.
On peut s'en dispenser facilement.

[Seni Haks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Heartwarming book. The friendships of the characters were so genuine, kind and friendly. It reminds you of how female friendships are the strongest relationships of all!

This book also would be better if it was written for mills and boon it would of made it even more gripping with pleasure to read on!

Above all, it was a fantastic read! I definitely recommend young adults to read this book!

[Lauren Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

silly little book that I thrifted! Easy read, refreshing and fun but nothing phenomenal

[Héloïse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Franchement j'ai adoré c'est très léger et drôle ! Je recommande surtout si vous avez aimé 4 filles et un jean !

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Taylor Rector for TeensReadToo.com

Celia, Junie, and Danielle all become friends on a whim. Celia and Junie are already friends when GIRLS DINNER CLUB starts, and one night, Danielle was at Celia's house while Junie was there. Danielle offers to make them both dinner, and because of this all the girls become friends by regularly meeting at each others houses and making and having dinner together. They celebrate with each other through the good times and the bad. Some of the things that happen to the girls include: crushes, boyfriend problems, and family issues; just the basic teenage girl problems. It's definitely not written in a depressing way, as there are so many funny things that happen in the book. During one of their dinners together they even get in a food fight! It shows a great friendship that grows between the girls. I would recommend this book to any girl who loves to read about friendships, relationships, and great food.

While I was reading GIRLS DINNER CLUB all I could think about was how good of friends the girls became. All formed such a close bond over something everyone loves--food! This is the first book that Jessie Elliot has written and there will hopefully be more to come. Even though this is Ms. Elliot's first book, it feels like she has written a million stories! GIRLS DINNER CLUB is so well-written and the characters seem so real that it feels like you could be their friend, as well.

[Alexa (Alexa Loves Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Review originally posted on Alexa Loves Books)

The summary of this book was what had me intrigued and wanting to read it. When I did finally finish, I felt very ambivalent about it - I liked some of it, I didn't like some of it. It turned out to be just an average read for me.

While I did enjoy the idea of the Girls Dinner Club for these three friends, and it was amusing seeing how varied and fun their menus were for every time they did it, I do wish there had been more emphasis on this. Off the top of my head, I can think of a few additions that might have made the book even more interesting and meaningful - adding recipes for the dishes the girls cooked, choosing dishes based significantly on what they could mean or symbolize, thematic dinner club sessions instead of just picking whatever they felt like.

I did like the friendship between the girls, and the realistic portrayal of the different situations they were facing. There's a lot of tough stuff happening all around them, and finding solace in their dinners and in each other was such a beautiful concept. Each girl faces her own personal struggles and, in the end, though not necessarily perfectly resolved, there seems to be a conclusive improvement or change in their lives.

This book is an okay read, but I wouldn't really say it was one of my favorites.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about 3 different girls (Junie, Celia, and Danielle) going through their teen lives... Junie's boyfriend recently starts acting weird and they start to ignore eachother, Celia's dad has started dating a ridiculous woman, and Danielle's ex-boyfriend is trying to convince her that he has "changed". Girls lives can get pretty crazy and overwhelming (espeicially when you're 17), which is exactly what Junie, Celia, and Danielle are feeling. So, they start to form a dinner club and every week or so the girls will get together and cook. Sometimes if your sick of life, your parents, and boys, the only thing you want is your friends. Junie, Celia, and Danielle are always there for eachother when needed and together through cooking, laughing, and talking, they form the best friendships of all.
I personally think that this book is slightly similiar to the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" series, because some parts in the book reminded me of those books, and the way both books descride really good female friendships. So...if you liked those books then you could maybe try reading this one (then again, it might have just been me who thinks they are kind of similiar!)

[Kelly Vance · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, I enjoyed this book, it was a fun and quick read. The perspective of the three main characters was nice. HOWEVER.... Big however. I had a hard time not getting caught up in how cliche the characters were. There was the Italian catholic schoolgirl, complete with a naughty side and the grandma who loves to cook. The rich girl with absent parents, but was pretty well adjusted due to having had Mary Poppins for a nanny. The strong black woman/girl with the outrageous fashion sense. The hippie deadhead kid (from Vermont OF COURSE). The uptight British woman, the music nerd DJ.... Was anyone not a cliche? Maybe Rob, the cheese guy, he was fairly unique. Some of the characters were so cliche that they needed no development or description. I THINK the one girl is half Asian from her last name, but it doesn't seem like Asian features were ever described... Okay the more I rant, the more I feel like making it a 2 instead of a 3. ;)

But I really did enjoy it, if I didn't think too hard about things like the chronology of Nonna, and how she should probably be Danielle's great grandmother...

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book about three best friends who gain valuable life lessons through falling in love and cooking delicious food. They also learn the true value of friendship and just how important family is. This book is funny and sad. Love is lost, love is found. It's a realistic portrayal of Brooklyn, NY as in the eyes of three high school girls. Junie, has been dating another runner like herself, but when he gets too pushy they break up. She begins an attraction to a deli/bread/cheese guy who is older than her, but still loves her old boyfriend. Danielle's ex boyfriend and her begin a friends with benefits relationship, but she wants more from a relationship than that, and soon begins to see that sex isn't love. Celia's dad starts dating a woman, who is much too into fashion for Celia, but who does also introduce Celia to Henry. Celia shows Henry around the city for two weeks, and falls in love. Celia's story was my favorite. I don't want to spoil it, so I'll stop here. But those ingredients? They really are all one needs to have a girls dinner club.

[Mira · Rating 3 out of 5]

ガールズディナークラブ
Garuzudinakurabu

Junie's boyfriend of almost one year decides to break up with her all because of a misunderstanding. Danielle goes crazy when she reunites with her ex-boyfriend who cheated on her way back when. Celia is upset when her dad finds the craziest woman to date after 14 single years, and being commanded to "babysit" her nephew. When Celia introduces Junie to Danielle, they have dinner and decide to form the girls' dinner club, a strong friendship that nothing can break!

The front cover has a recipe for Cannibal Cake!!
Some bodily fluids
One boy
Brains and mouths
One stomach
One pair of lungs and a diaphragm
Ripped hearts
Some salt
Anything else you'd like to add
Mix, put in the oven for 20 minutes, and you've got some delicious cannibal cake! Serves four. XD I had some the other day. It was delicious.
LOL, just kidding. Anyway, for a debut novel, Jessie Elliot did a great job! Short review is short. Keep up the good work, Jessie!

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I consumed it in two days; the characters are all uniquely individual and the idea that these girls are brought together by cooking good food carries the story nicely. The three main girls are all different nationalities which is refreshing to read in a book because it’s realistic, they all have their own quirks and personalities which keeps the story alive and interesting. I would defiantly recommend this book, it combines two of my favourite hobbies; cooking and reading all in one.

[gabiss reale · Rating 3 out of 5]

confesso que inicialmente, julguei o livro pela capa e não criei muita expectativa pela história
o livro gira em torno três jovens garotas muito diferentes, que encontram na criação de um clube de jantar semanal, uma forma compartilhar sobre o seu dia, receber conselhos e desfrutar da companhia de suas amigas. Assim, conforme fui dando uma chance, percebi o quão rico ele era e como a autora conseguiu desenvolver bem a amizade das personagens principais, assim como seus dilemas e problemas pessoais.
foi uma boa surpresa :)

[Andrea · Rating 1 out of 5]

well i am currently reading this it is a very good book. if u do not like romance in any sort than dont read it. but those are the type of books i like to read. it is about what girls are having troubles with and that it is good to confess them to friends that you can trust and know will keep. and in the end it makes you feel better.

[Abbey]

SO i started reading this book, and it was all sounding waaaay too familiar. I flipped thorugh the book and sure enoguh--i've read it before! I'm a little disappointed in myself for not rememebering it, but i guess that says something about how memorable the book is! but i rememebr really liking it--clearly a chick lit read, but i remember enjoying it.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Girls R Us book, in the tradition of Sisterhood of the Traveling pants. But not as good. They grow, get their hearts broken, laugh, cry, cook. Not a waste of time, but nothing overly special either.

[Julie]

Ah, smooshy teenage fun. I realize I'm not the target audience for this book, but neither are many of the other reviewers! :)

Bits of the plot were rather formulaic, but I really liked the characters and their ideas about life & themselves. A fun read.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very good. It was a quick, feel-good read, and I really enjoyed it. I liked that the central plot wasn't boys, or a love triangle. The story was really about friendship. I liked all the characters.

[Denait · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, funny and interesting.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

okay chicklit, but problems with characters and plot

[isabelb · Rating 5 out of 5]

i read half so it kinda counts
so i may read it !!!!!!!!!!!

[FangFang]

this book is so!!!!perverted!!!!!!ok!!!!!!

[Bree Pepiot · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was really good

[Shanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous story of friendship. very cute! Can't wait to read anything else by Jessie Elliot. She isn't afraid to have the sex topic in books, which i like, being an older fan of YA books.

[Isabella Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book about friendship, relationships and family. I very strongly recomend it.

[Sarah Tilatitsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

THis book is really good. It's also sorta sad. It makes you laugh and cry, and want to eat, too. Jessie Elliot is a great writer. I particularly like Celia the most. I don't know why, though.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book but meant for teenagers, so I will pass it on to one.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was a good book