Glamour by name, glamour by nature.
This book has definitely been one of my favorites for the past few
years. I constantly find myself reading a book, and then thinking
about this one for some reason or another, and end up reading it
(again and again and again). There are two different versions I have
been fortunate enough to read, the one published in England and the
one published for the US. Normally I find that I like the versions of
books from England better, but the US version had one particular
scene, that was left out in the English one, that I really thought
added that extra bit of healing to one of the main characters. This
book follows three young girls, starting out when they are in high
school, and then leading them into their early adult lives. Each girl
is from a very different background, but circumstances bring them
together to be friends that stand the many tests that life throws at
each of them. There's a lot of drama, and a lot of ingenuity in each
of their lives, and I think Bagshawe (currently Mensch) does a good
job of making you believe you can do anything.
I'd like to give this book a five,
because of how much I love it. With that being said, the actual
ranking I am going to give this book is a four. The writing is very
good, in both versions. The story line is magical. The roller coaster
of ups and downs (I didn't want to use such a commonly used metaphor,
but it just worked too well) these girls face and deal with are well
written, and you want more than anything to see each girl succeed and
get everything they're looking for. I really wish we could have seen
the mean girls from high school make an appearance later on the
books, whether shown in disgrace or stirring up more trouble. There
were also a few things I didn't really like about Haya's parts. I
don't think we really got to take the time to know and love Jaber
like we did her first husband, and it left everything with him
feeling rushed and not quite as genuine. Other than that the
characters were very well written. You felt each of their pain and
all of their joy, and I can honestly say that I wish I was still
reading about them. The dialogue was also very well done. It was
stiff, and very proper in most of Haya's parts, which was perfect.
The Texas twang was also very well done for Sally. The only thing
that really annoyed me was the constant use of the word girlfriend
when speaking to other women. Other than not wanting the book to end
(and it actually ending), and the few random quirks that, while
mildly annoying in the characters, were also what made them
endearing, this book was pretty fantastic. Definitely one of my
favorite books, and not likely to change its status in that area
anytime soon.
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