Product Description Readers fell in love with Cannie Shapiro, the smart, sharp-tongued, bighearted heroine of Good in Bed who found her happy ending after her mother came out of the closet, her father fell out of her life, and her ex-boyfriend started chronicling their ex-sex life in the pages of a national magazine.
Now Cannie's back. After her debut novel -- a fictionalized (and highly sexualized) version of her life -- became an overnight bestseller, she dropped out of the public eye and turned to writing science fiction under a pseudonym. She's happily married to the tall, charming diet doctor Peter Krushelevansky and has settled into a life that she finds wonderfully predictable -- knitting in the front row of her daughter Joy's drama rehearsals, volunteering at the library, and taking over-forty yoga classes with her best friend Samantha.
As preparations for Joy's bat mitzvah begin, everything seems right in Cannie's world. Then Joy discovers the novel Cannie wrote years before and suddenly finds herself faced with what she thinks is the truth about her own conception -- the story her mother hid from her all her life. When Peter surprises his wife by saying he wants to have a baby, the family is forced to reconsider its history, its future, and what it means to be truly happy.
Radiantly funny and disarmingly tender, with Weiner's whip-smart dialogue and sharp observations of modern life, Certain Girls is an unforgettable story about love, loss, and the enduring bonds of family.
Cruel, cruel endDecember 5, 2008 I am up right now because I just finished CERTAIN GIRLS and I'm completely unable to stop crying. I credit Jennifer Weiner to weave a good yarn and really get me going. I relate so much to Cannie and to have her go through the throws of her life in the first novel only to be run over by a truck in this one is simply heart-breaking. On top of the completely merciless end, I agree with a previous reviewer that Cannie is too out of touch from the prior Cannie. The sharp wit and merciless humor that had me laughing out loud is simply nonexistent, with the exception of some very poorly timed quips. I give it two stars as CERTAIN GIRLS pulled me in and drove me toward the ending at blinding speed, but I absolutely did not enjoy this book, and if you are a fan of GOOD IN BED, chances are you will not enjoy it either.
SLIGHT SPOILERS--Ok It Wasn't As Good as Good in Bed but...November 22, 2008 It still hits the mark. It is entertaining and light just like Good in Bed (until the last 50 pages). However, it touches on different subjects from Good in Bed, and frankly if you are looking for a book with a happy go lucky ending, this is NOT the book for you. I spent 20 minutes crying after reaching the end of this book. Twenty minutes flat out bawling.
It was a good book--not on the level of Good in Bed, but still enjoyable and heartfelt.
Certain Girls Not on Same Level as Good In BedNovember 19, 2008 I found this book to be a major letdown. Weiner writes from the perspectives of both Cannie and her daughter Joy. Although this is entertaining at first, Weiner soon loses the witty and funny Cannie of GOOD IN BED. Her humor and life attitude are not the same. I don't think this drastic personality change can be explained away by age and motherhood, because that is just too depressing a thought! Also, the ending of this book made me ask the question WHY?! What was Weiner thinking?! She essentially took away Cannie's happy ending w/10 pages left in the book and I cannot figure out why. The ending event of the book was just pointless. I love all of Weiner's other books, but CERTAIN GIRLS just does not have it! It feels like she just wrote it for a paycheck. The book was a disappointment and I truly hope I can forget it and think of Cannie and her family the way they were at the close of GOOD IN BED. Would definitely NOT recommend!
LOVED IT.November 2, 2008 1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I am surprised to see that many Good In Bed readers didn't LOVE this book. Is it because of the end? I guess I am not a happily ever after person. To me, Good in Bed is all about Mothers and Daughters and the JOY (no pun intended) that comes from that bond....even though it's a small part of the GIB story-- it's a HUGE part of Certain Girls, and furthered the relationship that I wanted to see more of.
LOVED IT. YAY CANNIE!!!!
Really?October 31, 2008 Was the ending truly necessary? She's a good writer, but the the ending ruined it for me.
