Hi! Welcome to my first ever book review. I've always wanted to do this kind of things for a very long time but I was too lazy and I'm always busy for school and friends. And I know I'm in the middle of the school year, but I guess I just want to kill most of my time.
Quick introduction. I'm Lovella Mole. I'm seventeen and I'm in my first year of college, studying mass communications. I want to be a journalist someday. And no, not that kind of journalist you see in TV. I want to write in newspapers and magazines. I also want to be versatile, since I don't want to be tied down with only one subject. I want to be flexible, so I'm trying to write a lot of things as much as I can. English was my second language, so if I have some wrong grammars in my reviews, I apologize in advance. I've been writing some stories in Wattpad, a popular self-publishing site, and I've been told (not once, and not also twice, but many times) that I should watch out for my grammar. So if you're a real grammar Nazi, I guess you should just brace yourself.
So much for quick introductions. Huh.
Anyway, my criteria for my book reviews is:
50 % - Story Itself
30 % - Characters
20 % - Writing Technique
If you have any problem with my criteria, then that's okay. But, please, keep it to yourself. The title of this blog is "MY Book Reviews", which clearly states that I own it and I'm in charge with everything here. Oh, and by the way, to be fair, I didn't read any past reviews about the book, so I won't be biased about what others think. This is going to be about my own opinion. And do I still have to mention about spoilers?
BEST FRIENDS FOREVER BY: JENNIFER WEINER
STORY
The story was about two girls named Adelaide "Addie" Downs and Valerie "Val" Adler. They've been best friends since they were children. But everything went downhill when they became teenagers. In high school, Addie was really fat and she got bullied a lot. Val was a pretty blonde cheerleader. You know, the typical kind. Still, they were best friends. But something happened and they drifted apart. Now, in their thirties, Val went back to Addie because she needed help for something. And it was only Addie that could help her.
I guess the story was okay. It was really predictable, and really cliche. From blonde cheerleaders to the officer Jordan Novick ending up with Addie. But it was a fun-to-read book. Even though some parts it may be boring, I didn't stop reading. There were things I didn't like, but that is to be expected.
First, I didn't like how Addie got pregnant in the end. I mean, seriously? Did she really have to be pregnant? It was not necessary and I think it was just some way of the author to make a plot twist or something. Or to make the readers go "What?!" Congratulations. It really made me go "What?!" I think it's better if she was diagnosed with cancer. Not because I want her to or anything. It's just realistic. How the hell could she go on with four months not knowing she's carrying a child? Were there no morning sickness? Her period? Craving - maybe. But that's because she used to be fat, so nothing new there. I honestly don't have any idea about pregnancy, but I know enough.
Second, I didn't like how Dan Swansea turning himself in. That was very anti-climatic. I was expecting him to plan some big revenge on what Val did to him. Sure, he deserved it, but God, I want something exciting! Nothing really exciting happened in the story, and that's quite sad. The opening part with Dan waking up was good, though.
Third, I didn't like how Addie's parents died and how her brother got brain damage after the accident. I was really disappointed with this one. How in the world could Addie go through with life after what happened to her? She was fat in high school and because of this, she got bullied. A FREAKING LOT. She also has to endure the bullies she get because of her mother also being a fat woman, and her brother having a sort of mental illness. And then, when Addie was about to have fun in New York, her dad died. She returned home and took care of her mother, and then she died, too. It was all just so sad. And it's very unrealistic how Addie coped up with that really well. I mean, sure, it has been years and she moved on. And I know she has to stay strong for her brother's sake. But I was expecting her to lose her temper about something. It was bound to happen.
There were also a few things that I liked in the story. I liked Jordan Novick's past. Even though it was sad, I liked it and seemed so realistic. I liked Addie's relationship with Vijay, though he was married and was old enough to be her father. She deserved a little happiness, even though for a little while. Still didn't like he got her pregnant, though. And she even mentioned that she didn't care about the father! I also liked the one where Val and Addie went to Cape Cod with Naomi.
Overall Score - 35%
CHARACTERS
Now, this one I like! I love the characters of this book. I could relate to each one of them. They are so realistic and just... seem so real! Because this book has a lot of characters, I'm just going to the stick with the main ones.
Adelaide "Addie" Downs. The main character was the best. I could so relate to her. Not because I'm fat, but because I have trouble with talking to people. I don't get bullied like her, so I don't have any valid reasons why I talk to people just the way she does. She's an introvert, and she likes to keep to herself. That is so me. But she is also very strong - this I am not. When both of her parents died, she was left to take care of her brother who got his brain damaged because of a car accident. She took care of him on her own and she did. She's a great person, who didn't deserve the bash she received from her classmates. And the one where she told her parents Val got raped? She stuck with her conscience and didn't let anything to make her change her mind. I. Just. Love. Her. Plus, her name's really cool. "Adelaide."
Valerie "Val" Adler. She's the second protagonist. She's Addie's best friend, even though she did something to her in their high school years. She didn't have an easy life, too. With her mother being uncaring to everything, she considered Addie's family her own. Yet I didn't like the part where she was happy when Naomi kissed Addie's dad. That was way out of the line and unacceptable. It showed her selfishness. She also get peer pressured easily. When Dan raped her in high school, it made me angry when she said it was her fault for agreeing. I mean, what the hell, girl? You said no and he still kept doing what he wanted and you said it's your fault? And when Addie told everyone Dan raped Val, she told Addie that she was a liar. I mean, jeez, she's your best friend! How can you not be on her side? But in the end, Val was okay. I mean, sure, her character's really annoying but it was bearable.
Jordan Novick. Hah. I love this guy so much. I honestly don't know why. Maybe because of how he was so into Addie even just they met. And the officer cliche that they made when they were having doughnuts. I also felt bad about his past, when his ex-wife, Patti, couldn't have any baby and cheated on him with their dentist. They got divorced but he still loved Patti. Man, you couldn't just give up, could you? He may be a little uncaring towards his wife, but Patti was just way obsessed with having a child. I just wish that there was a little more Addie/Jordan moments in the book.
Daniel "Dan" Swansea. What's up with nicknames, right? And now we have arrived with the story's antagonist. Was he really? He turned himself in, though... He bullied Addie back in high school and raped Val. And in their high school reunion, Val seduced him, made him take his clothes off, took a picture of him naked and hit him accidentally with her car. Sounds like he deserves it, right? And he did. I was expecting some kind of big revenge from him against Val, and I did wait. But there was none. Instead, he got saved by Holy Mary a.k.a Meredith Armbruster. He realized that what he did was wrong and turned himself in. He also recalled how his mother was so disappointed with him. Did it really take years to make him realize what he did was wrong? Did it also have to be because he got hit by a car and was forced to walk around with a trash bags?
Overall Score - 28%
WRITING TECHNIQUE
This was my first book I've read from Jennifer Weiner. I was in the library, looking for some thing to read and I came across upon this book. Jennifer Weiner's technique of writing was okay. There is some parts that the flashbacks are kind of draggy. It may not be to some people, but it is for me. Obviously, this book's main audience are supposed to be teenagers, or young adults. And she wrote in that kind of style that appeals to them, which is a big plus. There are some minor typos, but I've only seen two. Hah. I know. I'm a bit of a grammar Nazi when it comes to published books like this. I'm weird. All in all, Jennifer Weiner's writing style is perfect for this book. I'm definitely reading another book from her.
Overall Score - 19%
SUMMARY / RECOMMENDATION
To top it all of, the whole book for me is 82%. It's not that bad, but it's also not that good. It's just in the middle. I've had fun reading it, but mostly because of Addie and her attitude towards life. It was a good read and I recommend it to every teenagers with best friends. No matter what the obstacles you're facing in life, your best friend is always going to stay with you. Friends don't leave friends. They take care of each other. When Val got raped and insisted Addie not to tell anyone, she still did. Why? Because she want the person who hurt her best friend to be responsible for his actions. And even though it's been years, they still managed to be friends again.
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