May 6, 2002
Popular British author Green (Jemima J
and Mr. Maybe) follows up her two hits with a less sparkling effort that examines the intricacies of enduring friendships. In college 10 years ago, "a small group of misfits"—dowdy Catherine, gay Simon, cute naïf Josh and his object of affection, the regally beautiful Portia—were best friends. After a messy split from Portia, the others have continued their friendship without her. While promiscuous Si and celibate Cath have lousy luck with men, Josh is happily married to earthy Lucy. The members of the tightly knit quartet commiserate about extra body weight, job dissatisfaction and the search for love, but are basically content—until Portia reenters their lives and threatens their stability. Green touts her return as almost sinister, but the forecasted tornado ends up a mere zephyr. The novel opens with a promising bang, only to peter out before fulfilling its potential. Green has a knack for creating both atmosphere and characters that ring true, but the dialogue is sometimes strangely stilted and does little to propel the oft-meandering plot. There are some bright spots, like Cath's blossoming relationship with dreamboat James, but they are too few and far between to steady the pace. (June 11)Forecast:
Bookends was a
London Times bestseller and, based on the success of its predecessors here—including
Mr. Maybe, which appears simultaneously in paper—her audience will forgive her this miss and still pick it up for the beach. Major ad/promo; author appearances in New York and Connecticut.
February 1, 2002
Four London friends are upended when the beauteous Portia drops back into their lives. More social satire from the author of Jemima J.
Copyright 2001 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
March 15, 2002
Green's third novel to be published in the U.S. concerns the plight of four friends in their thirties. Cath, Simon, and Josh have been friends since college. Josh married Lucy, and they have a son, Max; Simon is desperately looking for Mr. Right; and Cath is shirking relationships altogether and dreaming of owning her own bookstore. When Lucy proposes that she and Cath make that dream a reality, Cath decides to take a chance: she leaves her boring but stable job, and she and Lucy find a location for the bookstore and begin to renovate it. Meanwhile, Simon has met a man, Will, but Cath finds him pretentious and condescending. Cath herself is receiving attention from James, the gorgeous real estate agent who sold her and Lucy the space for the bookstore, but she's not sure she wants to get involved. Then they find out that Portia, a gorgeous former friend of theirs who broke Josh's heart in college, may be after him again. When Cath finally gives in and goes out to dinner with James, she spots Josh and Portia together at the restaurant and fears the worst. As always, Green's characters are winning and fun and her plot entrancing. For the many fans of her previous novels, "Jemima J" [BKL Ap 1 00] and "Mr. Maybe" [BKL Mr 15 01]. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)
April 15, 2002
In her follow-up to Jemima J and Mr. Maybe, Green once again takes on the world from a youngish single woman's perspective, but this time with a slightly larger cast of characters. Though primarily Catherine's story, this novel also includes Josh, Cath's married friend; his wife and son; and Simon, Cath's (somewhat stereotypically) homosexual best friend. They all met at school, where the perfect, rich Portia was their idol. Though she eventually toppled off her pedestal, the others have maintained their broken circle. Fast-forward a few years, and Portia resurfaces. Thus, Cath must deal with the best friend whose loss she never really got over while also achieving her dream of opening a bookstore and finally availing herself of love. This novel is touted as Green's next, more mature step, but it's not that original or interesting. Cath is a frustrating character, and the dialog is uninspired and generic. The only inspired stroke is Portia; she's a much more intriguing character than any of the others. Recommended for libraries with large popular fiction collections. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 2/15/02.] Amanda Glasbrenner, New York
Copyright 2002 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.