Readers fell in love with Cannie Shapiro, the smart, sharp-tongued, bighearted heroine of Good in Bed who found her happy ending after her mother came out of the closet, her father fell out of her life, and her ex-boyfriend started chronicling their ex-sex life in the pages of a national magazine.
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 to the tall, charming diet doctor Peter Krushelevansky and has settled into a life that she finds wonderfully predictable -- knitting in the front row of her daughter Joy's drama rehearsals, volunteering at the library, and taking over-forty yoga classes with her best friend Samantha.
As preparations for 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 Peter surprises his wife by saying he wants to have a baby, the family is forced to reconsider its history, its future, and what it means to be truly happy.
Radiantly funny and disarmingly 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.
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"I couldn't put this book down! This is a sequel to Jennifer Weiner's Good in Bed, so if you liked that novel, you'll love this. It's written 13 years later, so it was really interesting to see how she developed the main character, Cannie Shapiro. I also loved reading her daughter's perspectives...very realistic teenage attitude! A quick great read!"
— Francesca (4 out of 5 stars)
“Weiner displays her signature wry voice and sap-free knack for capturing heartfelt moments; an unexpected plot twist gives her story emotional heft. Fans should find Girls a worthy successor.”
— People“In this smart-mouthed sequel to Good in Bed (a chick-lit classic), heroine Cannie is older but thinner, and in a terrible tussle with her soon-to-be-bat mitzvahed daughter.”
— Good Housekeeping"Hilarious. Weiner offer her signature snappy observations and spot-on insights into human nature.”
— Publishers Weekly“ 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 (starred review)“Heartfelt and funny…A touching examination of both the comic and tragic moments that mark the mother-daughter relationship.”
— Kirkus Reviews" I liked this book up until the last chapter - and then - what happened? It's like the author suddenly realized she needed to end the book and didn't have time to write a real conclusion. "
— Virginia, 2/16/2014" Not as good as some of her others. A bit slow. Still worth reading I thought. "
— Amanda, 1/30/2014" I enjoyed this once I got into it but did not see the end coming. Could've done without that ending. "
— Jen, 1/29/2014" Needed a fun read. I liked a couple of her other books better, but I did enjoy this mother / daughter story. "
— Elizabeth, 1/24/2014" Listened to this book during a long drive-sequel to "Big Girls Don't Cry". Easy listen. "
— Jamie, 1/18/2014" This book had great potential until the end. Broke my heart and wasn't expecting it at all. Up until that point, it had 5 stars and was a great follow-up to Good in Bed. Won't give out any spoilers, you'll have to judge for yourself, but I was not impressed. "
— Kelli, 1/15/2014" Honestly, I LOVED Good in Bed - it is one of those books that I read once a year to laugh, cry and laugh some more. This folllow-up to Good in Bed...had very little, if any, of the qualities that made Good in Bed such a success. I'm sorry, Jennifer Weiner, but the last 100 pages actually made me mad. "
— Francesca, 1/14/2014" Another favorite book (and not because one of the lead characters is named Joy). The chapters are written from the point of view of the mother and then her 13 year old daughter. It is witty, intelligent, thought-provoking and sometimes sad, but definitely worthwhile! "
— Joy, 1/13/2014" This book, it resonated with me like no other - a mother with a tween child, a daughter with a strange family ties, a wife with dreams, fears and hopes. I love her easy writing, her sense of humor and laughter that turns into tears, thoughts and hopes. "
— Klara, 1/8/2014" Oh my, this is a sequel that doesn't live up to the first book. I loved Cannie in Good in Bed but here she's less interesting and the plot seems to slog on. I also thought the daughter didn't quite hit the right notes - teenagers are hard to write about and Weiner didn't quite get it with this one. "
— Tara, 12/20/2013" I really used to like Jennifer Weiner's books but I'm just not loving the past couple ones. I think they are getting too predictable. "
— Maria, 12/7/2013" Wasn't sure if i would like this when I first started - but J.W. didn't disappoint. Enjoyed the Book. . "
— Patti, 11/9/2013" This is the follow up to Good in Bed. I prefer it to the first one -- but it's been so long since I read them I can't remember why! "
— Jen, 10/2/2013" Why can't I resist series books? I don't even really like Weiner! I gave this book a 2 because it made me think about parent/child relationships and I appreciated that. I didn't relate with anything specifically but it's fun enough, and I laughed out loud twice. "
— Risa, 9/18/2013" I initially struggled with having the story also told from the daughter's perspective but got used to it by the second half. the ending is certainly a twist. love it when you don't see things like this coming. wish i had read the first one more recently prior to reading this though. "
— Meredith, 9/17/2013" This was a cute story, following the first book that I really enjoyed. I loved seeing (and remembering!) the teenager-mom relationship. I liked the story, and I'm glad that Joy discovered where she came from. I was a little devastated at the end - but it was a good easy read. "
— *Laura*, 8/30/2013" I think a better book than "Good in Bed," if only because it seemed more ... real: the stress between mother and daughter, the mother's regrets and protectiveness, her relationship with her father. The twist at the end is heart-breaking and heart-felt. Overall, it rings true. "
— Slone, 5/10/2013" Typically chick-lit. A quick, easy read, but missing depth. "
— Jennifer, 3/4/2013" entertaining when you want a light read. single woman gets pregnant and boyfriend dumps her, she writes a best-selling book about it, eventually remarries happily. bulk of book is about teenage daughter-mom issues. I want to attend a Bar Mitzvah some day... "
— Krista, 1/25/2013" didn't like the ending is to =( "
— Brenda, 7/20/2012" I read her first book and I thought it was so cute. This is a sequel to Good in Bed. You don't have to have read the first to pick this one up though! "
— Heather, 6/6/2012" I really liked this read, it was fun and simple -but with substance, too. Through laughter and cries, I identified and appreciated the unique perspective of a plus-sized woman character who doesn't try to hide -or 'fix'- herself to gain reader approval. "
— Sheila, 3/11/2012" 3.5 stars. I didn't like it nearly as much as "Good in Bed," but it wasn't terrible. I wasn't a huge fan of how the narration was structured, and the perspective of a 13-year-old is a bit too painful sometimes. But an interesting, fun (and sad) story nonetheless. "
— Ellen, 2/1/2012" I really liked this book - but the ending took me by surprise. I just started reading books by Jennifer Weiner and so far I really like her style. This is an easy read and would make a great chick flick! "
— Kari, 12/10/2011" This is the sequel to "Good in Bed." This book is almost just as good as "Good in Bed." Without giving away the ending, I cried at the end. That is RARE for me to do. "
— Nancy, 5/24/2011" Had high expectations and was disappointed "
— Jennifer, 5/14/2011" Can't remember exactly when I read this - late 2010/early 2011. <br/> <br/>I liked the evolution of the mother/daugher relationship & cried at the end. "
— Denise, 5/9/2011" Should have just stopped at the first book. "
— Jessica, 5/7/2011" Amazing continuation of Good in Bed ... "
— Renee, 5/3/2011" I expected this book to follow a certain formula about mothers and teen daughters. And it did, to an degree. There is a real kicker at the end of the book which brings a deeper richness to the book. "
— Dodi, 5/1/2011" This book should probably have 4 stars, I enjoyed almost the entire thing. I took away a star because of the ending...honestly, WHY?! Is the moral here that fat people don't deserve happiness?! Oh man I so hated that ending. "
— Krissy, 4/29/2011" I think I liked this one even more than the first in this series. Cannie has her hands full with her teenaged daughter in this one. A fun read with a good theme. "
— Regina, 4/27/2011" Oh my, this is a sequel that doesn't live up to the first book. I loved Cannie in Good in Bed but here she's less interesting and the plot seems to slog on. I also thought the daughter didn't quite hit the right notes - teenagers are hard to write about and Weiner didn't quite get it with this one. "
— Tara, 4/23/2011" Got about a quarter of the way into the book during a dull day at work, but decided to give up after finding that I was not at all interested in Cannie or Joy's narratives. There was something about Good in Bed that I loved but was just missing from Certain Girls. "
— Gricel, 4/19/2011" I love the character of Cannie Sharpo. I definantly understand her character from <em>Good in Bed</em>, but there is something about how she has changed that I can no longer relate to in this book. "
— Tina, 4/19/2011" Fun, quick-read beach book. Written in Weiner's easy-going conversational style that makes you feel like your friend is telling you a story. Good entertainment. "
— Kelly, 4/19/2011" Enjoyed but wasn't as good as Good in Bed. "
— Elisa, 4/15/2011" It was good but the ending made me mad. I definatly enjoyed the first book, Good in Bed, more than this one. "
— Gabriella, 4/14/2011" This book was comical and held my attention but I felt the ending was lacking. I was disappointed in the turn the story took and am not sure why the author felt the need to go in that direction. I thought the focus in the beginning of the story should have been followed through to the end. "
— Lenn, 4/11/2011Jennifer Weiner is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-one books, including In Her Shoes, which was made into a major motion picture starring Cameron Diaz. She has appeared on many national television programs, including Today and Good Morning America, and her work has been published in the Wall Street Journal and New York Times, among other newspapers and magazines. Visit her online at JenniferWeiner.com.
Julie Dretzin, an Earphones Award–winning narrator, is an actress who has appeared in Breaking Bad and several motion pictures, including the film adaptation of Alex Flinn’s Beastly.
Rachel Botchan holds a BFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and is a member of the Pearl Theater Company in New York. She and her husband live in New York City.