Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner

My main problem with reading this was that it had been years since I read Good in Bed where Cannie Shapiro was introduced, and then all Weiner’s other books in between, that I had a lot of trouble remembering exactly where the story was picking up in Cannie’s life. Unfortunately, Weiner’s books suck me in so much that I actually couldn’t stop reading Certain Girls long enough to pick up a copy of GinB to reread. Her writing is so delicious and captivating that I always have trouble putting the books down and forcing myself not to skip ahead. I managed to piece enough together from context about Cannie’s life to make sense of the book, but unfortunately it looks like I might have to reread both books at some point in the near future.

Because the story jumps back and forth from the point of view of the now all grown up Cannie and her adolescent daughter Joy, I did have a little bit of trouble identifying 100% with either of them. Weiner effectively portrays Joy’s teenage sullenness and resentment of her mother in a way that is all too familiar, and she also evokes Cannie’s all encompassing maternal love as well as shows her having realistically progressed since the end of GinB.

I felt that Cannie dwells on her weight and appearance too much for it to be interesting. It’s definitely an issue that I can identify with, but it’s too boring to obsess about so much. There are way more interesting things in life. And by this point in Cannie’s life it doesn’t seem like it’s much of an issue to anybody but herself, save for Joy when she feels extra bitchy and embarrassed by her mother.

I felt like near the end of the novel Weiner aims kind of a low blow at the reader, but to be fair this is realistic fiction. I just wish it and life could be more sugar coated. Afterwards though, Joy becomes much more mature and the characters exhibit the human resliiency that makes them believable.

Even though the character of Joy isn’t especially likable on the outside judging by her actions, her narrated sections show her vulnerability and lack of self-awareness so that the reader can’t help but like her and sympathize with her.

Basically, I would read the back of a cereal box if Jennifer Weiner wrote it.