paultypething's review
2.0
Have I read every book Myla Goldberg has ever written? Yes. Is it because The Decemberists wrote a song about her? Probably.
bxermom's review
4.0
I was a little put off by this author's writing style at first but something kept me reading.
I think we've all been part of a little 'clique' whether it be the popular kids, the jocks, the nerds or whatever. We've all been bullied, witnessed bullying or have been the bully. Don't you ever wonder where you're school age friends ended up or if you impacted their life in a good or bad way? Goldberg takes us through the journey of self-discovery using the character of Celia. A terrible childhood event remembered one way but possibly happening another. We travel with Celia as she contacts her old 'clique' and discovers, according to them, what kind of friend she really was...something we'd all like to do at some point in our life.
I enjoyed the book very much even though it wasn't something I would have picked on my own.
I think we've all been part of a little 'clique' whether it be the popular kids, the jocks, the nerds or whatever. We've all been bullied, witnessed bullying or have been the bully. Don't you ever wonder where you're school age friends ended up or if you impacted their life in a good or bad way? Goldberg takes us through the journey of self-discovery using the character of Celia. A terrible childhood event remembered one way but possibly happening another. We travel with Celia as she contacts her old 'clique' and discovers, according to them, what kind of friend she really was...something we'd all like to do at some point in our life.
I enjoyed the book very much even though it wasn't something I would have picked on my own.
janicerm79's review
3.0
While I didn't care all that much about any of the characters, maybe I would have had I been able to get to know them all better, I was intrigued by the mystery posed at the beginning of the book. I was disappointed that we didn't get to learn more about each of the girls from the former click and where they are today. I skimmed many sections and overall the plot was interesting enough to keep me reading, but it's not the best book I've ever read.
sheila_p's review
4.0
I am fascinated with memories and how they manifest themselves into our everyday lives. This book wasn't spectacular but it did foster thoughts about how people remember the same event differently. I liked this book better thank Bee Season though so if you liked that one, read this one for sure.
cook_memorial_public_library's review
5.0
Recommended by Susie
Check our catalog: http://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Sfalse%20friend%20goldberg__Orightresult__U1?lang=eng&suite=pearl
Check our catalog: http://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Sfalse%20friend%20goldberg__Orightresult__U1?lang=eng&suite=pearl
latetotheparty's review
3.0
The ending and a lot of the story left me unsettled and I'd prefer resolution and conclusion for this particular novel.
oohsarracuda's review
3.0
I don't know, y'all. I've been vacillating between two and three stars. I read it quickly because it was compelling, but once I finished, I was left thinking, "Well, what was the point of that?"
Nothing Myla Goldberg has written thus far has come even close to "Bee Season".
Nothing Myla Goldberg has written thus far has come even close to "Bee Season".
juniper00's review
3.0
I kept hoping that I would feel something for the characters, but I didn't develop a real concern for their outcomes in the story. The use of the unreliable narrator, due to repressed memory, could have been much more powerful. I was puzzled by some of the plot moments, which didn't really propel the story forward (i.e. phone sex scene). Furthermore, does the narrator call her parents "mommy" and "daddy" at 32 due to some psychological reason? We never really delve deeply enough into the character, due to limited development, to care.
renflew's review
1.0
Not what I expected from the overview I had read. Didn't really like any of the characters, and there was no real conclusion.
jessgock's review
4.0
Well, it's not [b:Bee Season|251762|Bee Season|Myla Goldberg|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173149520s/251762.jpg|2482870]. Myla Goldberg is a phenomenal writer, but I'm afraid I'm always going to want everything else she's written to be Bee Season - that perfect mix of psychology and philosophy and religion and wonder. The False Friend is all psychology, but is nevertheless truly fascinating in its milieu.
The False Friend deals with an adult remembering a long-repressed memory that changes the way she views herself and her childhood. Celia Durst's best friend Djuna got into a stranger's car one day in fifth grade and was never seen again - but Celia, now in her early 30s, suddenly realizes that all along she'd been repeating a lie and that what really happened was that Djuna fell in a well and Celia turned around and walked away, creating the story about the stranger as she went. Remembering this, Celia feels compelled to reconnect with her childhood friends - and to confront the fact that she and Djuna had been truly mean and awful to the people around them.
I'd say this is worth a read if you loved Bee Season, but if you haven't read that, don't start here.
The False Friend deals with an adult remembering a long-repressed memory that changes the way she views herself and her childhood. Celia Durst's best friend Djuna got into a stranger's car one day in fifth grade and was never seen again - but Celia, now in her early 30s, suddenly realizes that all along she'd been repeating a lie and that what really happened was that Djuna fell in a well and Celia turned around and walked away, creating the story about the stranger as she went. Remembering this, Celia feels compelled to reconnect with her childhood friends - and to confront the fact that she and Djuna had been truly mean and awful to the people around them.
I'd say this is worth a read if you loved Bee Season, but if you haven't read that, don't start here.