The Girls Weekend

\”Dont old friends owe it to each other to answer the call of the tribal drums?\” The Girls Weekend by Jody Gehrman My review: This was a fun read! The girls Weekend is another book about estranged and dysfunctional \”friends\” coming together for some time away from reality. What could go wrong right? How about if one of the friends vanishes? And EVERYONE has a motive? So, I do occasionally enjoy this type of read. Why not? It\’s light and often fun reading and some of these reads are better than others. This is one of the better ones. I\’d give it a 3.5. If GR had 1-10 ratings I\’d give it a 7. The writer here has set up a great plot, narrated by one person..June. I adored June. I also related to her. Greatly. Not so much the other characters. Especially Sadie whom I suspect was written with the intent that we the reader dislike her. Congratulations! It worked! Anyway….one other thing I loved was the descriptive writing. I\’d say this author has a gift. The way she writes about colors and flower gardens and sunlight and water and orchids and plants in bloom..I love that type of writing and the house of Sadie…..where the ladies have chosen to gather…was described so vibrantly. It really was. Some books with this plot fail to move me because they either fall victim to cliches or they just have dry writing or no character development. I can say wholeheartedly that \”The Girls Weekend\” avoids these pit falls and I am glad. Would I have changed anything? Did I not like anything? Just one thing maybe. I\’d have liked it if Sadie had at least one likeable aspect. It was hard to fell anything for her other than complete repulsion. I mean…I just wonder if there was any good to her. I know there must have been but I sure did not see it and I would have liked to. Very few people are all bad. There must have been something about her to keep so many close to her. Other than money I mean. Also I\’d have liked more in depth character development of Amy. She was a fascinating character She really was. I did not think there was a whole lot of realism to the plot I must admit. Like Ethan texting June after like an hour? Of coarse he could just be a scumbag. But still…. So I\’d recommend this book. It is not heavy duty reading but it sort of pulls you in and it is a pretty fast read too. 3.5 stars.

Several former college friends, now in their thirties, reunite for a weekend at a sprawling estate owned by the most successful of the group. Sadie MacTavish has achieved J.K. Rowling like fame through a series of middle grade novels that were optioned for the big screen. Life with her handsome Scottish husband, and beautiful teen daughter appears idyllic and perfect. By contrast, June Moodys boyfriend has just dumped her via text, and she hasnt become the great American novelist she once envisioned. The last thing she wants to do is spend a weekend with her former frenemy/rival, Sadie, and Sadies husband, Ethan, who once proposed marriage to June. But mutual friend, Amy, is expecting a baby, and Sadie is the one throwing the shower. June joins Sadie and Amy, along with their remaining friends from college–Em and Kimiko. Its obvious from the get-go Sadie is a control freak who manipulates everyone and everything in her orbit. When she turns up missing after the first night, blood splatter and a broken statue point to foul play. There are plenty of undercurrents and baggage among the characters. Amy has suffered mental problems most of her life, Kimiko has a fondness for drink and drugs, Em wants to keep something hidden, and Ethan isnt as devoted as Sadie has led everyone to believe. A landscaper who lives on the property was overheard arguing with Sadie, and her daughters boyfriend isnt well received by mom. Suspects, much? This book kept me flipping pages as the relationships between the characters become more detailed, many overlapping as the chapters progress. Watching all the pieces fall into place is a bit like a slo-mo train wreck. Im usually able to figure out whodunit before the end of most mysteries, but my initial guess was proved wrong. As the narrator, June is a relatable character, one its easy to get behind, especially when she finds herself the prime suspect due to her previous relationship with Ethan. Overall, I found the story suspenseful, but at the same time breezy and fast-paced. The writing is exquisite, with many turns of phrase and descriptions that made me stop to soak them in. Highly enjoyable and atmospheric!

As a drama involving friends of 20 years, this is first-rate. As a \”thriller\” it\’s lacking. The police procedurals are a joke. A woman goes missing, there\’s lots of blood and no crime scene techs are called in. The detective who responds \”takes a sample of the blood\”. There are no photos, no establishing an actual crime scene, all the guests are left to tamper with evidence at their leisure. And it\’s blood \”SPATTER\”, not \”SPLATTER\”.

I first learned of The Girls Weekend through a Book Bub recommendation. Because of mixed reviews, I hesitated to buy it until I read a friends review. Im glad I did. Five former college friends, now in their late thirties, decide to get together for a girls weekend at the home of Sadie MacTavish. Sadie is a highly successful author who has it allsuccess, a beautiful house, husband, daughter, wealth. It doesnt take long to realize Sadie is a manipulative and cunning person. Easy to see why everyone has a reason to dislike her, especially June Moody, the POV character. After a night of drinking, four friends wake up to find Sadie has disappeared and none of them can recall what they did the night before. Blood spatter and a missing statue lead them to believe Sadie isnt just missing, but possibly murdered. The book kept me guessing as to the killers identitySadies family, the gardener, the daughters boyfriend, the four friendseven the main character, June. I have to say I was surprised by the outcome. Several reviewers were critical of the sloppy police procedures followed in this book, but imagine an Agatha Christie type murder mystery (sans Hercule Poirot) and you have the makings of a great story. Five stars from me.

Found this a bit hard going as thought characters quite unbelievable and very much unlikeable. A group of old college friends meet up for a weekend but as the years have passed, the so called friends have moved on in different directions. Found it highly unlikely that 8 month pregnant Amy would do half the things she has supposed to have done. Wonder if the author has ever been pregnant? Not a very likable group of people and the ending was a bit over the top. A read for the beach.

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