Certain Girls: A Novel (Cannie Shapiro Book 2) Kindle Edition

Cannie's personality seems different than what was in the previous book. This one felt like we were supposed to hate the protagonist, rather than want to stand behind her. It just seemed disingenuous. The first book made me feel for the main character and brought me to tears. This one just frustrated the heck out of me. It's a disappointing sequel.

I re-read GOOD IN BED first, to keep all the people and events fresh in my memory. Now I am not sure that was the best idea. I think that reading GOOD IN BED only days before left me with certain expectations for CERTAIN GIRLS. There were a couple of times when I wondered if this novel had been rushed-- I certainly thought the ending was rushed. Grief is a heavy, complicated thing, and it was run through in a few chapters. I wanted to know and understand more about how she made it through that time. I was also annoyed that it took so long to explain that "Aunt Elle" was actually Lucy, or that Nifkin had passed away. I was certainly looking for both of them from the very beginning. No one who read GOOD IN BED could NOT look for Nifkin!And while I thoroughly enjoyed CERTAIN GIRLS, I must admit that it was not what I expected. I was so touched by the romance between Peter and Cannie that I think that I really thought that the sequel would be more about their relationship, more about her learning to love herself. But it skipped right to her understanding motherhood, and to Joy learning to lover herself, and to appreciate her family. I am not 13, and I don't have a 13 year old daughter, so, admittedly, perhaps I just didn't identify with that story as much as Cannie's struggle to love and appreciate herself.Reading about the backlash from the Cannie's first novel was very interesting, and I suppose that I could have read a whole book about how she dealt with that. Overall, the family and identity store was interesting, and reading about Cannie's past though Joy's eyes was a nice touch. CERTAIN GIRLS feels both juicy and heartwarming, and for me was a real page-turner. On the downside, at times, Joy's voice seemed much too mature for a 13 year old, and if not for the difference in POV, I am not sure I would have discerned the difference between Joy's voice and Cannie's voice.I still love Mrs. Weiner's writing and her characters, and I look forward to reading more from her. (Though I will skip anything written under a pseudonym.)

Let me start this review out with a warning--I read Certain Girls immediately after finishing Good in Bed, and I guess I was expecting more of the witty, strong Cannie that had filled Weiner's first novel. That is not what I got.Certain Girls picks up 12 years after Good in Bed ends--and I have to mention that this timing doesn't work since Good in Bed was supposed to end in 2000 and this book is obviously set in 2007/2008 (WAY too many pop culture references for it be set in the future). Cannie and Joy are still in Philadelphia, and she's still with Dr. K (who is still perfect). Cannie made it big with her book "Big Girls Don't Cry" and has spent the past 12 years raising her daughter.And that's where the book started to unravel for me. Cannie is WAY mellowed out, almost to a point where its unbelievable that she is the same character we knew in Good in Bed. After I wrapped my brain around the fact that this character that I had loved so much had changed so much, and I read the book not so much as a sequel, but as a stand alone, I started to enjoy it more. The mother-daughter interaction between Cannie and Joy is good and Joy's adventures nicely mirror those of her mother. And the story moves and keeps you engaged. But it just wasn't the story I was hoping for, with the characters I had loved intact.Like I said at the beginning, I loved Good in Bed, and I still think it's Weiner's best work. Certain Girls is good on its own, but if you are hoping for a book to recapture the spunk of Weiner's first book, this is not it.

I love Jennifer Weiner's books, but the last two (Goodnight Nobody and The Guy Not Taken) were in my opinion big stinkers. I was looking forward to the sequel to Good in Bed as it is my most favorite book of all time. However, while I realize Cannie is older and has greater responsbility, I think she has lost some of her sassy luster I loved so much in the first book. I also really hate her daughter. I know that at 13 being seen with your mom is supposed to be super uncool but I guess I missed that phase.To be completely honest, I have not yet finished the book, but the fact that when I have to put it down to go to work I find myself looking forward to coming home and finding out what happens is a good sign. This book appears to be the comeback from the slump she seemed to settle into after Little Earthquakes.I recommend this book if you like Jennifer Weiner enough to plonk down the hardcover price, but don't expect follow along the same lines as Good in Bed.

The last time we saw Cannie Shapiro in Good in Bed she had just had baby Joy and was getting to know her former diet doctor Peter.It is now 13 years later and Joy is a teenager. The book alternates between Cannie and Joy, each telling about their lives.Cannie is now married to Peter and he wants to try to have a baby. After what happened when she had Joy Cannie can no longer have a baby so they look into surrogacy. Cannie also tells us about what happened between when we last saw her and the present. When Joy was an infant she wrote a book about her life and it was a huge hit. Afterwards she wrote books under an assumed name, and three years after Joy was born married Peter.Joy has become curious about the book that her mother wrote about her life, but does not want to let her mother know she has read the book. During Joy's investigation she learns more about her biological father Bruce Gruberman and her grandfather Leonard Shapiro whom she goes to visit in California (stealing her mothers credit card). Also during this time she is studying for her Bat Mitzvah, and doing a project associated with it and spending time with her friends.With an ending that is truly shocking Certain Girls is a very great book.

All I can say is that this author can tell a story. Sometimes you just come across a book or in this case two books and wow. I loved it. Both of them. I will remember these books forever.

I loved Good in Bed, which this is the follow up book.I supposed time changes and matures us. But the main character (Cannie) has changed beyond recognition. Where is her humour and vitality?Quite a depressing book actually.

Great follow up to good in bed.

Was waiting to read this

シングルマーザー、娘に障害がある、密かに昔大ヒットした本を書いたライターの主人公。かなり特殊な環境ではあるけど、主人公の母としての悩み、娘の思春期の戸惑いぶりは、私たちのそれらととても近く共感できます。私自身、母として、ちゃんと子供をしつけたいけど、自分が子供の頃を思い出すと、「そんなにちゃんとしてなかったよね~。」「人（子供）に言えた立場じゃないよね~。」と思ったりします。同じように、主人公自身も、若い頃いろいろやらかしたんだけど、それは置いておいて、子供には（心配しすぎて）むちゃくちゃ厳しくしつける、というこのギャップがリアルです。娘の思うことや、やることは、またリアルで、私たちが思春期のときに「ああ、わかる、わかる。」「やってた。やってた。」と共感できる部分が満載です。作者は映画にもなったIn her shoesを書いていますが、In her shoes よりも、ずっと繊細な話で、私たちが一般的にイメージするアメリカ人とはちょっと違う（個人的な感想です。）、母と娘の気持ちを丁寧につづった物語です。繊細な話ではありますが、英語として難易度も高くなく、さらさらっと読めます。ちなみに私はMarian Keys, Sophie Kinsellaの本をよく読みます。（それくらいのレベル、という目安として書きました。）