Certain Girls

By: Jennifer Weiner

Narrated by: Julie Dretzin, Rachel Botchan

The eagerly-awaited follow-up to Jennifer Weiner's blockbuster best seller, Good in Bed

Listeners fell in love with Cannie Shapiro, the smart, sharp-tongued, bighearted heroine of Good in Bed. 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 and has settled into a life that's wonderfully predictable.

As preparations for her daughter 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 Cannie's husband surprises her by saying he wants to have a baby, the family is forced to reconsider their history, their future, and what it means to be truly happy.

Radiantly funny and 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.

©2008 Jennifer Weiner (P)2011 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

"Hilarious. Weiner offer her signature snappy observations and spot-on insights into human nature." ( Publishers Weekly)

"Heartfelt and funny...A touching examination of both the comic and tragic moments that mark the mother-daughter relationship." ( Kirkus Reviews)

"Readers will laugh and cry. Weiner is a talented writer who consistently delivers the goods. Clear your calendar and prepare to read: Cannie Shapiro is back!" ( Library Journal)

Spoiler alert

I was not prepared for the tale of loss in this book and almost stopped listening. (Insert sobbing emoji). Overall it was a good story and well written. The narrator for Joy sounded like an adult trying to talk in baby talk, which was annoying.

Jennifer Weiner is AMAZING!!!

I've read all her books and loved every single one of them! This is another great read by a great author! Don't ever stop writing JW! I live in Philadelphia and love all of the references to our city!

Awesome story!

What a perfect follow up novel! Beautifully written and superbly performed. You will love it!

Loved it!!

Cannie & now Joy are my hero’s! The performance was fantastic! Jennifer Weiner is my guilty pleasure.

A Perfect 2nd Book

After reading some. poor reviews, I was pleasantly surprised. This was an excellent Part 2 to Canny's story. A must-read.

Great

Great book, I laughed, I cried! It was a great read. A definite summer must

Eh...boring

Would you try another book from Jennifer Weiner and/or Julie Dretzin and Rachel Botchan ?

Jennifer Weiner used to be my favorite...this book, not so much.

What could Jennifer Weiner have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

It was the story line that I just couldn't get into.

Have you listened to any of Julie Dretzin and Rachel Botchan ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no

Could you see Certain Girls being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

no

Any additional comments?

no

Great book

I loved this book and was read by two women that captured the characters.

Loved it!

I'm a huge fan of the author and it was so nice to see this familiar character show up again in this story. Heartbreakingly lovely.

it was ok

I loved the first book, so had high expectations for this follow up. I struggled to see the point and correlate the title to the story. but I loved Cannie's humor and perseverance, hated the brat of thr daughter. the ending was a bummer.