Best Friends Forever: A Novel [Paperback]

Jennifer Weiner (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 4, 2010

Addie Downs and Valerie Adler will be best friends forever. That’s what Addie believes after Valerie moves across the street when they’re both nine years old. But in the wake of betrayal during their teenage years, Val is swept into the popular crowd, while mousy, sullen Addie becomes her school’s scapegoat.

Flash-forward fifteen years. Valerie Adler has found a measure of fame and fortune working as the weathergirl at the local TV station. Addie Downs lives alone in her parents’ house in their small hometown of Pleasant Ridge, Illinois, caring for a troubled brother and trying to meet Prince Charming on the Internet. She’s just returned from Bad Date #6 when she opens her door to find her long-gone best friend standing there, a terrified look on her face and blood on the sleeve of her coat. "Something horrible has happened," Val tells Addie, "and you’re the only one who can help."

Best Friends Forever is a grand, hilarious, edge-of-your-seat adventure; a story about betrayal and loyalty, family history and small-town secrets. It’s about living through tragedy, finding love where you least expect it, and the ties that keep best friends together.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Reclusive 33-year-old illustrator Addie Downs opens her front door late one night to reveal her childhood best friend, Valerie Adler, whom she hasn't seen since high school. Valerie is in trouble, and Addie drops everything to bail out her friend despite her own rather serious problems. Although the novel isn't up to Weiner's usual standards, the audio abridgment is watertight and the narration strong: Kate Baldwin reads the portions told in the first person from Addie's perspective, while Rick Holmes reads the third-person sections that focus on police chief Jordan Novick and Valerie's high school boyfriend Dan Swansea. At just six hours, this would make for excellent diversion on a girlfriends' road trip to the beach. An Atria hardcover (Reviews, June 15). (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

From Bookmarks Magazine

Weiner is an unabashed fan and writer of chick lit, but critics generally agreed that Best Friends Forever rises above the genre. Sure, it touches on familiar themes of friendship, love, family dysfunction, physical appearance—all touchstones of the genre—but Weiner delves beyond these issues to explore the growing pains of adolescence—as well as those of adulthood. The novel contains her usual wit, comedy, and emotional wisdom; Addie is an especially compelling "nice girl" creation. Only the Washington Post cited a preposterous plot and far-fetched characters, but even that critic admitted that Weiner's novel hits close to home on many levels. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Washington Square Press; Reprint edition (May 4, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743294300
• ISBN-13: 978-0743294300
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (253 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #78,246 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

JENNIFER WEINER is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of ten books, including Good in Bed, In Her Shoes, which was made into a major motion picture, and The Next Best Thing. A graduate of Princeton University, Weiner lives in Philadelphia with her family. To learn more, find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or at JenniferWeiner.com.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

(What's this?)

#44 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Literary Fiction

#56 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Literary

#69 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary

#44 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Literary Fiction

#56 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Literary

#69 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 59 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars I miss the charm of the first book July 17, 2009

By Tina

Format:Hardcover

I have been a fan of Jennifer Weiner since her first book. However, in the last few years, I have felt as though she has walked away from her "chick lit" writing and has created more contemporary fiction for women and although I have seen Best Friends Forever referred to as chick lit, I would have to disagree.

Best Friends Forever is the newest book by Weiner and features Addie and Valerie who were best friends in primary school and ended up at opposite ends of the popularity chain in high school, which pretty much separated them until they meet up again as adults. Although they haven't kept in touch at all, Valerie will show up on the other's doorstep, in full bloom trouble - asking for help in this whoddunnit type of mini-mystery, intertwined with the two women trying to find themselves and each other throughout the storyline. There is a message here - which basically is that you never know what will happen in your life and looks and appearance can be deceiving and that, in your life, friendship and support are extremely important and worth fighting for.

While there are some cute episodes and some actually touching moments, I did not find this book all that interesting. The premise is kind of usual and I feel as though I have read this story, in different installments, throughout the years. The main characters are okay and the writing is fine, but I just did not find myself getting all involved and committed to this book and I certainly would not qualify this one as chick litty at all.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars What a disappointment September 25, 2009

By Linda M. H. Seed

Format:Hardcover

I'm about halfway through this book, and it's unlikely that I'll finish it. My problems with it include:
1) The story is not at all believable. I can't imagine, even for a second, that a chief of police, even in a small town, would launch an extensive investigation into a puddle of blood. No body, no injured party filing a complaint, no witness who saw someone get hurt. Just a puddle of blood. And it wasn't even a big puddle. How much time has this guy got on his hands? I also don't believe that Addie would go along with Val's wacky road trip. Nothing we know about her suggests that she would. So, basically, the whole premise is ridiculous.
2) I'm irritated about all of the key plot points that are strategically held back until some later moment in the book. I know it's supposed to create tension, but it was just irritating. It also made it hard to get to know the characters.
3) I don't really care about anyone in the book. Sorry, but they're all so bland, it's difficult.
4) Where's the humor? Jennifer Weiner's strong point is humor. Nobody in this book is funny, or even seems to have much of a personality.
5) It's very predictable. I can't be the only one who knew what the strange abdominal growth was the moment it was first mentioned.
I loved "Good in Bed," but it seems to me that Ms. Weiner's books are getting progressively less entertaining. They mostly have the same themes - there's always a traumatized overweight girl, and a friend (or sister) who is ditzy but has a heart of gold. Honestly, it's getting old. I'm glad I got this book from the library instead of buying it. I doubt I'll even bother to check out the next one.

71 of 82 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I think this just made tops as my favorite summer read...it has it all! July 14, 2009

By Chandler #1 HALL OF FAMETOP 10 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

When Addie and Valerie became neighbors as children, Addie was certain they would remain BFFs forever. However a negative high school incident left Addie (the overweight and loyal friend) hurt--and tore the two into two directions where they remained until, 15 years later, Valerie (high school cheerleader, now weather girl) entered Addie's life again...and with blood on her sleeve and in need of help.

Best Friends Forever is a story of suspense, friendship, adventure and secrets and is told via 1st person and 3rd person from two different characters and also weaves tales of the past into the present via flashbacks. Where these elements could be awkward if not done well, it actually not only flows perfectly, but adds great interest for the reader.

In spite of having read several great books recently I hadn't realized that the range of emotion (humor, suspense, love, tears, revenge...) within "Best Friends Forever" was just what I needed til I read it.

The character development is so deep that I felt certain the author must "know" pieces of these characters somehow in real life or experienced some of what she described within her own--Great depths to their personalities and interactions. You truly read into their souls and she captures details in her words that make for deep insight.

I also felt I was taken from childhood to adulthood in great detail (some will feel as though they are right back in highschool with her descriptions. ) and I both cried and laughed...it's actually a very deep story and nothing felt forced or contrived to me.

You'll want to go through the adventure of Addie and Val so much that you may need to grab your booklight for this one...I found it to be a true "page turner".

I felt empathy for Addie's struggles and adored Jordan and was captured by a roller coaster of emotions for Valerie.

And...I'm typically not a person you can surprise with a twist at the end of a book; I always see it coming it seems. But this one was a surprise.

To wrap up a tale and include such a range of emotion...suspense, heartbreak, humor, romance, and surprise all intertwined made for a truly great summer read.

Afterall, what more is left?!

Conclusion: excellent read...includes great characters, descriptions, adventure and a range of emotions spliced with some humor. A+