kbranfield's review against another edition
3.0
East Coast Girls by Kerry Kletter is an intriguing novel of friendship and healing.
Twelve years after a tragedy that altered their lives, Hannah, Maya, Blue and Renee have all gone their separate ways. They are still friends but they rarely see one another. When Blue's grandmother's beach house is put up for sale, Maya convinces her friends to get together to celebrate their thirtieth birthdays. Although Blue is easy enough to convince, Hannah is reluctant to return to Montauk. Finally agreeing to join her friends, the women set off for a relaxing weekend together. However, unbeknownst to Blue or Hannah, Maya invited Renee to join them. Blue is furious since she has not spoken to her former best friend over the years. But Maya and Hannah are happy to see their friend despite the tension between Renee and Blue. With each of the women keeping secrets, will the weekend together heal them and their friendships?
Hannah's life is not at all what she planned twelve years ago. She adheres to a strict schedule and relies on a plethora of medication and rituals to get through life. She and Maya are best friends but there is some friction between them over the weekend. Hannah instantly regrets agreeing to the trip and as her fears threaten to overwhelm her, will she return to the safe life she has carved out for herself?
Blue is a highly successful stockbroker whose career leaves little time for a personal life. And that is just the way she likes it since she is growing to hate spending time at home. Blue is still nursing her fury at her estranged former best friend, but she has never revealed why she stopped speaking to Renee. Not one to step out of her comfort zone, she unenthusiastically accepts an old love's invitation to spend the evening together. Will her long held insecurities ruin Blue's second chance for a relationship with the man she has never been able to forget?
Maya is impulsive, immature and self-centered. She flits from one job to another and relies on Blue to help her when she runs into trouble. Her latest problem is of her own making and she is in danger of losing something she holds very dear. Maya often fails to think about the consequences for her actions and she is prone to running away instead of facing her troubles head on. Maya is fiercely loyal and her heart is in the right place when she invites Renee to join them, but will this decision culminate with the results she desires?
Due to their various issues, their weekend away is anything but relaxing. Hannah's regrets about both joining her friends and the tragedy years earlier weigh heavily and influence her every decision. Everyone is growing weary of Maya's behavior but they are quick to forgive her poor choices. Blue is hardened and unforgiving towards Renee but she is grateful for her support. She is both excited and terrified to see her first love again but she cannot silence the negative voice inside her head. Renee is cautious but happy to see her old friends and she is tentatively hopeful the weekend together will mend the rift between her and Blue.
Alternating between different perspectives, East Coast Girls is an angsty novel that touches on several relatable topics. The characters are interesting but all of them remain stuck in the past. They are supportive of and genuinely care for each other. Over the course of their weekend, secrets are revealed and Kerry Kletter brings the novel to a hopeful conclusion.
Twelve years after a tragedy that altered their lives, Hannah, Maya, Blue and Renee have all gone their separate ways. They are still friends but they rarely see one another. When Blue's grandmother's beach house is put up for sale, Maya convinces her friends to get together to celebrate their thirtieth birthdays. Although Blue is easy enough to convince, Hannah is reluctant to return to Montauk. Finally agreeing to join her friends, the women set off for a relaxing weekend together. However, unbeknownst to Blue or Hannah, Maya invited Renee to join them. Blue is furious since she has not spoken to her former best friend over the years. But Maya and Hannah are happy to see their friend despite the tension between Renee and Blue. With each of the women keeping secrets, will the weekend together heal them and their friendships?
Hannah's life is not at all what she planned twelve years ago. She adheres to a strict schedule and relies on a plethora of medication and rituals to get through life. She and Maya are best friends but there is some friction between them over the weekend. Hannah instantly regrets agreeing to the trip and as her fears threaten to overwhelm her, will she return to the safe life she has carved out for herself?
Blue is a highly successful stockbroker whose career leaves little time for a personal life. And that is just the way she likes it since she is growing to hate spending time at home. Blue is still nursing her fury at her estranged former best friend, but she has never revealed why she stopped speaking to Renee. Not one to step out of her comfort zone, she unenthusiastically accepts an old love's invitation to spend the evening together. Will her long held insecurities ruin Blue's second chance for a relationship with the man she has never been able to forget?
Maya is impulsive, immature and self-centered. She flits from one job to another and relies on Blue to help her when she runs into trouble. Her latest problem is of her own making and she is in danger of losing something she holds very dear. Maya often fails to think about the consequences for her actions and she is prone to running away instead of facing her troubles head on. Maya is fiercely loyal and her heart is in the right place when she invites Renee to join them, but will this decision culminate with the results she desires?
Due to their various issues, their weekend away is anything but relaxing. Hannah's regrets about both joining her friends and the tragedy years earlier weigh heavily and influence her every decision. Everyone is growing weary of Maya's behavior but they are quick to forgive her poor choices. Blue is hardened and unforgiving towards Renee but she is grateful for her support. She is both excited and terrified to see her first love again but she cannot silence the negative voice inside her head. Renee is cautious but happy to see her old friends and she is tentatively hopeful the weekend together will mend the rift between her and Blue.
Alternating between different perspectives, East Coast Girls is an angsty novel that touches on several relatable topics. The characters are interesting but all of them remain stuck in the past. They are supportive of and genuinely care for each other. Over the course of their weekend, secrets are revealed and Kerry Kletter brings the novel to a hopeful conclusion.
leigh_marasco's review against another edition
2.0
This book just wasn’t for me. I had a really hard time getting into it, and debated putting it down without finishing at several points. The characters felt a little too extreme and I just couldn’t bring myself to care about their stories. Beyond that, there wasn’t much going on in the story and it felt a little dull. Just not my favorite!
tlvz721's review against another edition
4.0
There is nothing that compares to your chosen family. I was so impressed with this book. The characters were utterly real. I could picture them and hear them so clearly and I know I’ll still be wondering about them long after I’ve finished. That was one thing I loved the most about this novel: that, while the major questions were answered, it wasn’t concluded in perfectly crafted bows at the end (“they all moved into the beach house and lived happily ever after” would have been a bit too easy) because life itself doesn’t resolve that way. It’s adds to the feeling that this story is genuine. I highly recommend this book and give it a 4.5.
nicoleileen's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
I enjoyed this read. It took me a bit to decide on my star rating. Will update my thoughts and review soon.
I enjoyed this read. It took me a bit to decide on my star rating. Will update my thoughts and review soon.
michelleantunez's review against another edition
3.0
This book is meant for young teenage girls. I think if I went in with that in mind I would have liked it better. It's a book about female friendships and how they ebb and flow throughout the years. No matter how old you are you always need a good female friend on your side.
adanna_h's review against another edition
Four childhood best friends, who had been more family than friends, take a trip back to the summer house where many of their happiest memories took place. Each one is dealing with her own individual crisis. With this trip down memory lane, the four grown women must finally talk about the tragic event from twelve years ago to mend their fractured friendships and address the impact the tragedy has had on their lives.
This book features very complex friendships that are presented in an authentic way. If you have a group of close, longtime friends, you will recognize the dynamics and nuances that the author writes about so well. I loved how the author describes these types of friends as “life’s greatest first responders, rescuing one another time and again from life’s little atrocities.”
Besides being a book about friendship, the author skillfully addresses the concepts of fear, regret, and forgiveness. It will have you considering the impact of fear and regret in your own life as well as how you deal with forgiveness.
Overall, East Coast Girls was an enjoyable, intriguing read. I would definitely recommend it; book clubs, in particular, will enjoy this story as the group could easily spend hours discussing it.
I read an eARC generously provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This book features very complex friendships that are presented in an authentic way. If you have a group of close, longtime friends, you will recognize the dynamics and nuances that the author writes about so well. I loved how the author describes these types of friends as “life’s greatest first responders, rescuing one another time and again from life’s little atrocities.”
Besides being a book about friendship, the author skillfully addresses the concepts of fear, regret, and forgiveness. It will have you considering the impact of fear and regret in your own life as well as how you deal with forgiveness.
Overall, East Coast Girls was an enjoyable, intriguing read. I would definitely recommend it; book clubs, in particular, will enjoy this story as the group could easily spend hours discussing it.
I read an eARC generously provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
audreyboraski's review against another edition
2.0
Really great story about young friendships and how they change and can be rekindled over time. Initially it reminded me a lot of myself growing up with some friends as a teenage girl but about 1/2 way through the book it changes a lot. I liked the 2nd half and the 1st they just don’t seem to blend together well. Maybe it was because I was listening to it rather than reading it.
yetanothersusan's review against another edition
3.0
I really struggled with this book for two main reasons: I could not accept that these women used to be best friends and the entire story line dealing with Henry. Oh how I wish it had been left out. The women don't seem to really know each other. How could they be so close if they were so oblivious to each other? Ms. Kletter does attempt to set up the foundation of the relationships but it doesn't seem to stick. Maya is incredibly dense and self-centered. Hannah is so focused on Henry that she has no life to the point of feeling guilty for going away for a weekend. Is the book seriously saying that in twelve years she has not had a vacation or get away or anything? And that no one, including these three supposed best friends stepped in to do anything about that? I enjoy a good flawed character, but these made me grind my teeth. I also didn't like how the historical timeline was disclosed. Between bouncing back and forth in time and between people, it felt incredibly dragged out.
Thanks to NetGalley and MIRA for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
Thanks to NetGalley and MIRA for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.