Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This book was NOT poorly written. I did finish the book with no problem. I actually got to a place in the book where I couldn't put it down. You would think that not wanting to put this book down would be a good thing. It wasn't. This book had me so angry that I had to keep reading. The more I read, the more angry I got. The ending made me so monumentally furious that I had to write my first bad review on Amazon. The book is full of so many gratuitous female stereotypical situations that I wanted to scream. Whew! Ok, here's the review and you judge for yourself. Tully and Kate grew up in the seventies. Tully is cool. Kate is not. (stereotype #1) Tully's lives with her Grandmom because her mom is a hippie druggie/alcoholic (stereotype #2) who comes in and out of her life. Sometimes Tully's mom, when she shows up, takes Tully with her. One time when Tully's mom takes Tully with her, they end up across the street from Kate's family. Tully suffers a tragedy because she is so desperate for love and acceptance that she makes some bad decisions. (stereotype #3) Kate provides Tully with the affection that she needs and they become lifelong friends. (stereotype #4) Here's the part where I couldn't put the book down. A guy enters the picture who adores Tully and who Tully doesn't have the time of day for. Meanwhile, Kate is crazy for the guy. You would think that Kristen Hannah would write smartly and sensitively about Kate, a character who has been established as the product of a strong mother and happy family, a character who is bright, intelligent and attractive. Thus, however, is not the case. Instead Hannah takes the reader down an unbelievable road. A road where Kate makes ridiculous, insecure, stereotypical decisions that the reader has to swallow, dare I say, choke through. (all Kate had to do is ask for help. Really. Who is kidding who here?) In the interest of not spoiling the whole story, let me just say that the reader is expected to believe that Kate stays in her marriage, her friendship, and her miserable out of control and depressing life and that in the end her self-absorbed, selfish, shallow-as-a-puddle friend, Tully ends up with everything. Spare me. For the record, Tully's character was the most interesting while she was living with her grandmother and her character completely changes to a gal who has absolutely no redeeming qualities. Also, let me say that pandering to an audience for the sake of an ending is down-right criminal. On the other hand, writing a book that evinces so much emotion is an accomplishment all by itself, it's true. I have been thinking about this book since I finished it. My advice to the author - use that emotion to write something a bit deeper and more realistic next time, Kate deserves so much better.