Reviews for Best of friends

The average rating for Best of friends based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2018-11-04 00:00:00 Robert Stansell 4.5 stars It’s been quite a while since I read a book by Cathy Kelly, a blogger I’m following suggested I work one into a reading challenge which I thought was a grand idea as I desperately needed a book to fit the bingo square ‘a book more than 500 pages,’ and as I have a few of Ms Kelly’s books on my shelf the suggestion was perfect and so was Best of Friends. There are no two ways about it this was a chunky monkey of a book and took me over a week to read, which is understandable in a book of this size, and it definitely didn’t prevent me from enjoying it, after all it was chic lit, a genre I LOVE. This had everything I adore in a novel - a good amount of drama, uplifting romance, fantastic supporting characters and heart. I was totally drawn into the lives of the four protagonists - they were interesting and charming and kept the story moving at a great pace. There is a section that is sad so the reader might want a box of tissues nearby. A hugely enjoyable and entertaining read. #Book Bingo 2018: ‘A book more than 500 pages’ - Best of Friends by Cathy Kelly

Review # 2 was written on 2013-08-09 00:00:00 Putinica Antal I decided to read this book because my cousin recommended it to me (and when I say recommended I really mean she half shoved it down my throat). To be completely honest I wasn't entirely pleased. 'Best of Friends' seemed such a cheesy title and it didn't seem like the type of book I would enjoy at all. However as soon as I got over my prejudice and opened the book I realised that I liked the style of writing immensely and discovered it was exactly 'my kind of book'. It was near addictive. 'Best of Friends' fills the category 'A book recommended to you by a member of your family' on my bingo board. This book follows the lives of four women, Abby, Jess, Lizzie and Erin. Abby has a famous TV career and everything she has ever dreamed of, but now the one person she always believed would be there for her, seems to be taking her for granted and when someone from her past makes her feel wanted, she is tempted to stray away from her marriage. Jess hates being a teenager. She is painfully shy and feels she will never be able to catch up to her peers as they blossom into confident young women. Erin loves her present and her future with her lovely husband, but she is constantly haunted by the past she left behind and wonders if she will ever be able to face the family who chased her away. Lizzie is caring and gentle and has time for everybody. Her grown children, neighbours, friends and even her ex-husband. At 60 she wonders if she will ever find someone who truly cares for her. One of the many things I enjoyed about this book was the many different point of views. It was extremely interesting to see the world from an older persons view (most of the books I read tell the story of naïve, lovesick teenagers and though many of these books are good, it does get rather tiring!. The different point of views also rather frustrated me because everytime we, the reader, reached a climax in one of our characters lives, the P.O.V. would change and we were left to leaf desperately through someone elses life before finding out what happens. It was really hard for me to choose my favourite character, as they are all so complex and had so much personality (it was rather like having to choose between best friends. I would have to say Jess, because she was the one I could relate to the most. She has just made the dreadful change from child to something else. That awful stage when you're not a child but you're not an adult either. She is constantly searching for her niche, in life and is always finding herself lost and no knowing what to do. I love her character, because she is a thinker and not a talker, but we get to see her thoughts and they are the most beautiful, wise things I have ever read or heard. I also loved living her transformation, from the beginning of the book, when she was fragile and sensitive, to the end when she becomes stronger and more confident in herself. My favourite quote from 'Best of Friends' is naturally from Jess. " It was like watching the hundredth sheep baaing about how original it was before trotting off to join the other sheep in the barn." I think this really portrayed how Jess felt about high school pupils. Jess also felt very 'strongly' about high school itself. I gathered this when she said "high school is where dreams go to die". I admire how Jess can carry on and have a positive attitude about her life even when she is being bullied. I can also relate a little to what she was feeling, because I myself didn't very much enjoy the transition between intermediate to high school. Something new I learned from this book was a how it would feel to be older. As a fourteen year, I do feel that I have a lot of problems in my life, but the problems that my characters have are so different and they have so much more to lose if it is not solved. To me 60 seems so old, but when I read from Lizzies perspective she doesn't feel old at all. I guess it really does establish the point that you are only as old as you feel. I really enjoyed 'Best of Friends'. I think it was a really fun, easy book to read, with beautiful, melancholy moments as well as the funny, witty moments nearly all books have.