Jennifer Weiner

4.5 stars

Either Jennifer Weiner's writing has evolved, or I have a very faulty recollection of the impressiveness of her earlier work.

I read a few of Weiner's books year ago, and in my mind I had lumped them into the "chick lit" category -- enjoyable, but not necessarily profound or memorable. "Mrs. Everything" delivers a thoughtful and emotional punch as it shares the stories of several women -- and in particular, two sisters -- over the course of several decades. Weiner's characters have show more depth and are believable as she uses them to explore what it means to be a woman -- the love, the heartbreak, the compromises, the disappointment, and the redemption.

If you're looking for a page-turner with substance, look no further.

Thank you to Atria Books for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. show less

All the feels. Seriously, a full gamut, emotions I can't even name. And some rage. I hate that our society rewards so few with so much and makes life so fucking hard for everyone else. There is some progress for some people, but, damn, I really thought it would be better by now. It's not some Star Trek future utopia that I am expecting, and disappointed not to have, it's basic stuff like actual voting rights for everyone, and the right not to be randomly murdered by the police, the right to show more clean drinking water, and not being continually subjected to harassment and assault.

In contrast to the rage, I am also hopeful, because clearly I am not the only one feeling this way. Weiner is kind to her characters, and compassionate towards them all, which is a lovely blessing. We could all use more kindness.

Library copy show less

I won't lie, at first, reading this was a bit of a roller coaster. I'm a size 20 and I hate my body. So at first, I was excited. A plus size woman as a protagonist! One who I could relate to...until I found out her size. Somewhere along the line I stopped considering anything under a size 18 plus size. But as I kept reading, I was entranced. I really could relate to her! On some level at least. I'm married, and I was at my heaviest on my wedding day. But I remember looking in the mirror and show more thinking, how can he love this? Look at me. I'm so FAT. I'd tried the weight loss programs. I'd had problems at work because of my weight. It was so refreshing to read about Cannie and her internal struggles with her weight and love and life in general. Cannie is a heroine that all girls and women, no matter their size, should and can look up to... This book is revolutionary for me, and I plan on sharing it with my friends and family!

I received a free copy in exchange for a fair and honest review. And if I'm being totally honest, had I stopped after learning Cannie's dress size, I probably would have given this book 2 stars because I felt so much fatter. But I'm glad I kept reading, or I would have missed out on an amazing story. show less

If I had read this when I was younger, I probably wouldn't have liked it. Actually, I probably would have gotten mad and thrown it across the room because I would never have believed in the possibility of such a happy ending for someone like Cannie--a woman in a weight loss program, "a larger woman," a woman who wears size 16 (and someone like me). But reading it now, in my late 30s, it's incredibly striking, humbling, and satisfying to see a life like mine on the page.
Despite its title and show more pink cover, Good in Bed is more than "chit lit."

The semi-autobiographical recollections Jennifer Weiner writes of the character's father gave me pause. Particularly these lines:

I had no explanation, no answers. When you're on a battleground, you don't have the luxury of time to dwell on the various historical factors and sociopolitical influences that caused the war. You just try to keep your head down and survive it...

What might living like that do to a person? How might being told all your life by society, your peers, and your own father, that you're not good enough and you're not worthy of love, affect a person?
And then there was the pregnancy:

But it was my situation. I saw it then... This was going to happen--I was going to have this baby... It felt like the right choice. More than that, it almost felt like my destiny--the way my life was supposed to unfold.

Like Cannie, when I found myself single and pregnant, I felt exactly the same way. And then, when I held my baby for the first time, everything felt right in the world. It was the way my life was supposed to unfold.
And although I didn't miss my ex the way she did, I understood it. I know how it feels to think that, no matter how underwhelming the guy is, maybe no one else will want you, and how that makes you feel like a failure to your child.

The depression, anxiety, or maybe even PTSD that she felt was also very real to me. Worry doesn't seem like a strong enough word when applied to your child's life. It's a different kind of worry because it's a different kind of love.

I look forward to seeing this story unfold on screen. Cannie deserves it, and so do we.
Representation matters. show less