bookmaineiac's review against another edition
2.0
Very quick read, the stories aren't that great, pretty shallow book, but way too easy to relate to for me not to finish and to painfully admit I kind of enjoyed it.
michromeu's review against another edition
1.0
At some points, this book did capture the feeling of the "post-grad experience." Unfortunately, the writing was so flat that I couldn't even dredge up enough nostalgia to care enough about the characters and what happened to them. Frankly, the writing style felt like something I would read in the third grade, except that it was about 20- and 30-somethings. Also, while it presented the story in the style of vignettes told from different characters' perspectives, it had a meandering plot (if any) and ended extremely abruptly. In the end, I was pretty disappointed because I wanted to enjoy the subject material, but couldn't due to the writing style.
rachnaylr's review against another edition
2.0
I did not like this book. I waited and waited for a plot and could not find one. None of the characters were relatable and they were all very negative. They were negative about careers, relationships, challenges and changes in life. They seemed to handle their struggles in unhealthy ways like drinking or being rude to others. For me, this was not a "feel good" book.
efoster's review against another edition
4.0
I wasn’t a huge fan of the writing style of this book but I LOVED the subject and loved reading about girls going through what I’m going through at this time in life - watching a lot of friends or people you know getting married and having kids. A fun book to read in your 20s.
cfreda's review against another edition
5.0
This is exactly what I needed to read. Perfect coming of age book for any female in her 20s.
athenany's review against another edition
5.0
Girls in White Dresses was one of the best books I have read in a long time. It is a sort of uniquely written book in that it is written in a somewhat fragmented way, but I think it is a good metaphor for the way life is in your twenties. A series of choppy "episodes" that sometimes link to each other and sometimes don't. The characters have very realistic inner thought processes and I found myself laughing out loud constantly. Other parts made me feel sad or nostalgic. Give it a shot -- the writing style is not necessarily for every one but you might just love it!
bak8382's review against another edition
3.0
Told in short stories mostly involving three main characters Girls in White Dresses focuses on these women as they make their way through their early twenties into their thirties. As everyone around them begins to get married and have children they struggle to figure out exactly how they got there.
I was drawn to this book because I was looking for characters and situations I could identify with, but at the same time I was afraid it would be a little too anti-chick lit for me to enjoy. I was pleasantly surprised to discover it was not what I was expecting. I did jump around a bit at first, and then finally skimmed/read the entire book because I was still intrigued. There was just enough happiness to balance out the heartache. Close manages to capture that time period in a woman's life when everything seems so up in the air, yet fraught with both hope and possibility. It almost, but not quite, makes me want to go back.
I was drawn to this book because I was looking for characters and situations I could identify with, but at the same time I was afraid it would be a little too anti-chick lit for me to enjoy. I was pleasantly surprised to discover it was not what I was expecting. I did jump around a bit at first, and then finally skimmed/read the entire book because I was still intrigued. There was just enough happiness to balance out the heartache. Close manages to capture that time period in a woman's life when everything seems so up in the air, yet fraught with both hope and possibility. It almost, but not quite, makes me want to go back.
msvenner's review against another edition
1.0
I keep telling people I have finally leaned to actually stop reading a book I don't enjoy. That said, a book has to be really bad or really slow to make me do it. I wish I had with this one. It seems to want to be part Sex in the City and part Bridesmaids but misses it on both. There are too many characters, the humour is just shy of actually funny and the women seems like caricatures. I hate dissing an author's first attempt because it know how hard it is to write well but I'm surprised this found a publisher.
sampcole21's review against another edition
1.0
This is possibly the worst piece of fiction I have ever read. It was terrible. The was absolutely no plot, I don’t remember most of the characters names because they didn’t add anything to the “story,” and literally the only thing these characters ever did was complain. Would not recommend this book to anyone ever.
donttakemybooks's review against another edition
4.0
I kind of thought I was getting into chick lit with some sort of discernible wedding-related plot. But no. This is more like a series of interrelated stories of the ordinary lives and experiences of a group of female friends in their 20s living in New York. Once I got over my expectations for the style and story, I really enjoyed this book. It was funny and sharp and the girls' experiences are so relatable as they start new jobs, meet new boys, get married, go to weddings, have babies, change careers, etc. etc. As a 29 year old, almost all of this felt familiar to me and if I haven't been there myself, I've had a friend who has. It reminded me of The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing, which I read a long time ago, but this definitely had a similar vibe. I'm really glad I pushed past my initial resistance and kept going with this book, it really resonated with me.