best friends forever

best friends forever
jennifer weiner
fiction/chick lit
atria books
published 2009

Addie Downs and Valerie Adler were eight when they first met and decided to be best friends forever. But, in the wake of tragedy and betrayal during their teenage years, everything changed. Val went on to fame and fortune. Addie stayed behind in their small Midwestern town. Destiny, however, had more in store for these two. And when, twenty-five years later, Val shows up at Addie’s front door with blood on her coat and terror on her face, it is the beginning of a wild adventure for two women joined by love and history who find strength together that they could not find alone.

I had a hard time with this book.  I didn't like it until nearly the end.

The story has been told time and time again.  Two little girls become best friends until one grows into a beautiful, thin cheerleader and the other doesn't.  But this one starts out a little differently when the popular beauty Val comes to Addie after getting her revenge at their high school reunion.

It had lots of promise, but it was just so out there.  Valerie was just this side of delusional.  She's constantly bowling right over Addie and just as when they were kids Addie finds herself just going along with whatever Val wants.  I didn't like Val, not really ever.  She never changes, never grows.  Never sincerely apologizes to Addie for the way she treated her, how she betrayed her, abandoned her.

There were interesting characters throughout.  I ached for Addie's family.  Her broken parents who despite the trials they've endured loved each other and their children deeply.  Jon, the golden son who loses himself.  The born again, the reverend, the cop & the jock.  Everyone had a story, but we were meant to care more about Val & Addie and I just couldn't do it.