Jennifer Weiner's fifth novel revisits her first. Good in Bed put Weiner on the map as a "chick-lit" superstar, but her books are something more than that, which is one of the reasons I really like her. Certain Girls picks up the story of Candace "Cannie" Shapiro and her daughter Joy, whose unexpected conception and premature birth were pivotal events in Good in Bed, twelve years later...

Weiner has chosen to use dual first-person narration, with alternating chapters told by Cannie and Joy, and I think it works really well. Each of the characters has a distinctive voice, and getting both of their perspectives on significant events in the story is enlightening; I thought that letting the reader see both sides was a particularly effective way of illustrating some of Cannie and Joy's frustrations and difficulties in communicating with each other. Having been a parent of teens (and not done yet), I could relate to both Cannie's blind spots about her daughter and Joy's self-centeredness - but by the end of the book, they've both made some progress.

I enjoyed Certain Girls, and Jennifer Weiner remains on my "author's I've got to read" list. She's a sharp and observant writer who creates characters that are smart, funny, flawed and human. Some parts of the story seemed a little far-fetched to me, but Weiner makes it all work, including the emotional connection.

READ MORE: http://www.3rsblog.com/2009/07/thursd... ( )

Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner is a sequel to her popular book Good in Bed. We get a return of heroine Cannie Shapiro, who is now married (to the lovely doctor from the first book), has a bestselling novel (based loosely on her own life), and a teenage daughter, Joy.

I was pumped up to read this sequel ever since I read Good in Bed and was able to find it at my public library after trying a few times. I was sucked right back in to the story, which was easy because I had just read the first of the series not too long ago. The book has a lot of flashbacks to describe things that had happened in Good in Bed, and also developed Cannie's character. At first I was disappointed that the gap between the books was so large (more than ten years), but it ended up filling in enough information that I was satisfied in the end. For having such high expectations about a book, I wasn't let down, and feel closer about the series. (I still wouldn't mind reading another book about Joy or Cannie if one happens to be written, though.) There was one event in the book that I could have done without, but I won't mention it here in case you are planning on reading it - it is possible you will feel the same after you finish. ( )

A lot of people told me they didn't like this book compared to "Good In Bed" because it was a more serious tone. I think that helped me go into it with the knowledge of what to expect. Yes it was more of a serious book than a "chic lit" book but I think it was a very very good story.

The story was easy to read, even though it did change back and forth from Joy and Cannie. The ending was bittersweet, definitely didnt see that coming. But I loved this book and I definitely think anyone who read "Good In Bed" should read it to find out what happens but just go into it knowing that its a serious read so you're not disappointed with the style. ( )

From the outset, I was put outside of my comfort zone by the style in this book. Each chapter changes perspective, from mother to daughter and back again. While it became clear very early on in each chapter whose perspective I was reading. That was one of my main complaints about the story, however: it was easy to forget that the perspective was going to change, and I spent the first few sentences of most of the chapters slightly puzzled until I remembered the style.

Otherwise, I really enjoyed the story. It flowed well, and I liked the amount of description throughout. The characters were interesting, and I really got a sense that Cannie had moved on from the part of her life that Good in Bed had described.

My only other complaint about the story was that Joy's inner monologue was incredibly well-spoken, and that it was so similar in style to her mother's. Obviously, since both characters were written by the same person, this is something to expect, but I felt that some of Joy's vocabulary was perhaps beyond her years, particularly for someone who is said to be much better at math than at English. This minor complaint aside, I found the book touching and emotional, and it has definitely earned a permanent spot on my shelf. ( )

I was excited to pick this book up because I had quite liked the majority of Weiner's other books, and especially because I was eager to read more about Cannie Shapiro as the first novel she appeared in, Good in Bed, was fantastic.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed. This book was split into two voices, Cannie's and her daughter's, Joy. Cannie's story told of her struggle with having another baby, her relationship with her husband, and her angst over and love for her daughter. Joy's story was filled with typical teenage anxiety - boys, popularity, old and new friends, and hating her mother. Mixed throughout all this is the issue of Joy's bat mitzvah - how to organize, how much money to spend, how to make it meaningful rather than a spectacle, and who to invite - and a lot of issues about dysfunctional families.

I preferred Cannie's story to her daughter's, but only by a little. I just wasn't very interested in this version of Cannie's life. I loved Good in Bed and am a little sad that I found this one so disappointing. ( )