Best Friends Forever
By Jennifer Weiner
A bold attempt by Weiner as she pens down the story of two friends that stand through thick and thin during school years but the moment they land up in high school they stand on the extremes of the popularity scale.
Addie Downs, fat and unpopular while Valerie Adler, amongst the most popular cheer leader and “eyed” girls of high school fall apart when Addie reveals that Valerie is raped by Dan Swansea (high school football team quarterback), leaving scars in the heart and minds of both.
Fifteen years down the line, Addie is seen living in her parent’s house taking care of her disabled brother while Valerie is a weather girl on the local Fox news station. On the night of their high school reunion Valerie takes her revenge on Dan and leaves him almost dead (or so she thinks) and goes seeking Addie’s help.
What follows next are light-hearted twists and turns and Thelma and Louise-style road trip, being chased by a cop who has quirky issues of his own. Long flashbacks, tragic events, heartbreaks, put the reader on a wondering spree to see if the long-lost friendship will be re-discovered in times of crisis and will their hearts rekindle love once again in their hearts.
A fun chick-lit is what this book is. The characters are typical, real and relatable. The events though sometimes come across as contrived and predictable – making it a bit boring, overall the book is a light read that takes you through a myriad of human emotions like grief, humor, suspense, regret, revenge, redemption, bonds, sometimes leaving you hysterical.
What lies beneath is the central theme of love and support that the bond of friendship provides.
