Oh, I loved this! This is a follow up to Good In Bed, only it takes place 13 years later. Main character Cannie is just as witty as she's been, and she's even more comfortable in her plus size body. Daughter Joy who was just born at the end of Good in Bed is now a pre-teen and struggling through that awkward time of life. I love that we've gotten to see these characters again.

This book is about women and family and relationships and pushing through the hard times and doing the best that you can with what you've got. Read it!

Share/Like this Review?

First, let me say that I loved "Good in Bed", "In Her Shoes", "Little Earthquakes" and "Goodnight Nobody"...so I was really looking forward to this new book! But I found "Certain Girls" to be very disappointing. It was not a page turner for me at all, though I did finish it. I didn't find the end to be very satisfying either. I found Cannie's character to be annoying and just over the top. I agree with another reader who said that the story seemed too forced. Maybe this was Weiner's attempt to ride the coat tails of "Good in Bed"...knowing that readers loved that book and would jump at the chance to read more. Unfortunately, many will be grossly disappointed.

Share/Like this Review?

I enjoyed this book a lot, but to me, it felt a little bit forced, and wasn't as enjoyable as "Good In Bed." Weiner does a good job of illustrating the difficulties that teenage girls and their mothers encounter, but I felt like Cannie's feelings weren't explored as fully as they might have been. It was a good book, but it pales when compared with "Good In Bed."

Share/Like this Review?

This was definitely an enjoyable read, however I was a bit disappointed. Since the book featured the witty & funny character Cannie from "Good in Bed" I had high expectations. Cannie's character in "Certain Girls" was almost bordering annoying, as she presented as an overprotective, neurotic, mini-van driving mom. Despite my disappoint in the characters change in personality, I would recommend this book. Also, since I read "Good in Bed" about 4 or 5 years ago, it was difficult for me to remember some of the references made in the book to the first novel...my advice, if you haven't read "Good in Bed" recently I would recommend reading that again first.

Share/Like this Review?

I love Jennifer Weiner's novels and this latest is no disappointment. I disagree with other reviews indicating that the book is predictable as I found it anything but predictable. The book did not take a conflict and tie everything up in a nice cute bow to make everyone happy. There are good times but there are a lot of difficult and incredibly tragic elements as well. I like enjoyable fun books and while this book was overall an uplifting experience, there were a lot of sad and very real elements in the book which made me connect with the characters. As a mother, I could relate to a lot of what the protagonists felt and it gave me a little heads up to raising a teenager...yikes! If you enjoy thought provoking and entertaining material, you will love this book

Share/Like this Review?

Another excellent book by Weiner! I'm not a mom but I can really get in to her characters. My sister has teenage daughers and I can still remember what it was like to be 'almost' a teen. Great book for mothers and for their daughters! I laughed out loud, I cried, and my husband now thinks I'm nuts. And what a twist at the end! Never saw THAT coming!

Share/Like this Review?

I love most of Jennifer Weiner's books and this was no exception. A great story teller and a great story.

Share/Like this Review?

I have always been a fan of Jennifer Weiner and I truly believe she is a talented writer. Some of her books were more enjoyable than others, but this does not change my opinion of her as an author. I might be wrong, but I am not sure if someone who is not of the Jewish faith could truly relate as well to this book as someone with a Jewish upbringing. "Certain Girls" was a well written book with many interesting main characters. Great book about love, loss and the determination to get through difficult situations with the support of those who truly care.

Share/Like this Review?

I enjoyed "Good in Bed" and was happy to continue the story. This book was entertaining, funny and even made me cry a little bit.

Share/Like this Review?

Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner is the sequel to Good in Bed. In this book, we meet up with Canny Shapiro when her daughter, Joy, is getting ready for her bat mitzvah. Joy is growing up and is arguing with her mother while also trying to find her place in the world. Joy reads her mother's book and begins to question everything that she held true from her childhood. Does her mom even want her? Was her grandfather such a bad man? Did Bruce care about her, or was she totally unwanted by both parents? As Joy struggles with her identity, Canny and Peter have tough decisions to make as well. Canny's publisher wants her to do another book as herself. The public wants to have another Candace Shapiro best seller. Peter also wants to have a baby. Should the two of them go through the process of getting a surrogate mother because Canny can not have any more children?

I really enjoy Jennifer Weiner. I started out reading her books with a bit of hesitation, but each story seems to catch my interest and her characters are always endearing. Joy reminds me of my students. She is questioning everything that adults tell her and finding her own way. She goes through some extremes, but she is constantly learning and reevaluating life. Her character is written beautifully. Weiner has captured the adolescent spirit perfectly. Canny is as sharp-witted as she is in the first novel, but she does not shine as brightly in this novel. She seems to be more subdued as a mother. The only part that I did not like is the ending. As things were starting to get better in the novel and I was preparing myself for a happy ending, Weiner through in a twist that shattered my heart. It was an extremely shocking ending and I can't really say that I liked it. That could just be because I like happy endings, but it through a wrench in what I expected. I'm not used to being surprised in books. I am sure that a lot of people enjoy this type of thing, it just didn't work for me.
4/5 stars

Share/Like this Review?