Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I really wanted to enjoy this book - it has all the makings of a fine women's literature novel. But I just couldn't, for several reasons. 1. It's a "Beaches" redux. Two lifelong friends, seperated by a life-changing dispute, reconnected by calamity. Honestly, if you've ever read Beaches, you'll recognize every single plotline. Barely suppressed jealousy over each character's life choices (the SAHM desires the glam lifestyle, the successful journalist yearns for the SAHM's love and security), second-choice love interest, excruciatingly painful reunion... I had the "been there, done that" feeling for much of the second half of the book. 2. Epic length. Tully's rise to fame in NYC is covered in a few short chapters, followed by several excruciatingly long chapters detailing day-to-day life of a stay-at-home mom. Kate's daughter goes from 0 to 3 in a few chapters, while Tully's escapades with her English lover are related in great detail for several long chapters. 3. Product/era placement. Several times throughout the novel, the author goes to great lengths to identify with the era, describing clothing, music (lyrics, too!), hairstyles, trends, you name it. One or two mentions would've sufficed, but really, who needs a decade-by-decade synopsis of popularity? Stirrup pants, Madonna songs, velour bathrobes, menthol cigarettes - the mood being initially set, the author might've better served just giving us a few fleetin reminders instead of a constant barrage of pop genre. Again, I really wanted to like this story, but was so bogged down by the details that I found myself bored about halfway through. I thought I knew the "big thing" that separated Tully & Kate, and turned out to be wrong - the actual "big thing" that makes them not talk to each other is sad but not really earth-shattering - but, to be honest, by then I just didn't care. I wanted more depth of character. I wanted Kate to *want* her life choices, not just have a feeble idea of what she wanted. When Tully's character is told that she just wants too much, I was reminded of Bette Midler's mother's character in Beaches saying, "You just want too much." I never liked Johnny - seriously, guy, grow a pair - and, having been a volatile teenager myself, found Marah over the top. The novel plays out like an overly-long Lifetime movie of the week, with a predictable ending and far too much exposition. By the time we see Kate's mom indulging in marijuana and claiming that's how she got through the turbulent teen years of her own daughter, I found myself wishing for the end. And, even though I've sobbed through my 5+ showings of Beaches over the years, there were no hankies on this one. You see the emotional blackmail coming, and that just takes something away from the entire story.