Reviews “Goodnight Nobody” and “Little Earthquakes”
Today is a first, as I’ll be doing two reviews in one single post. It is both a way to save some time in reviewing the books that are waiting, and to compare two books from a same author. Here we go!
Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner
Pages : 371
Genre : Chicklit, Mystery
My Rating : 
I had read some of Jennifer Weiner’s work in the past, but only in french translation. So when the end of my winter semester happened, all I wanted was some light, refreshing reading. It seemed like the right moment to renew with Weiner, one of my friend’s favorite chicklit authors, so I went to the library and picked those two books, Goodnight Nobody being the first.
For Kate, a semi-accidental mother of three, suburbia’s been full of unpleasant surprises. Her once-loving husband is hardly ever home. The supermommies on the playground routinely snub her. Her days are spent carpooling, and at night, most of her orgasms are of the do-it-yourself variety. When a fellow mother is murdered, Kate finds that the unsolved mystery is one of the most interesting things to happen in Upchurch. She launches an unofficial investigation with the help of her hilarious best friend, carpet heiress Janie Segal, and Evan McKenna, a former flame she thought she’d left behind in New York City.
The first thing I liked about this book was the mix of the genres; despite being of the chikclit category, Goodnight Nobody’s primary subject isn’t about love relationships! And while I do enjoy, from time to time, a chicklit romance with a good storyline, it was a nice change of pace to see the character getting involved in a kind of mystery. Of course, the murder is predictable enough, but the author makes it fun to follow the characters through their research. I thought the characters were good enough. Sometimes two-dimensional, maybe, but the book is still a fun and quick read.
Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner
Pages : 414
Genre : Chicklit, Fiction
My Rating : 
Compared to Goodnight Nobody, Little Earthquakes deals more seriously with its subject, motherhood. I’m at that age when many of my friends are beginning to think about having (more) children or are currently trying to; and although we’re not financially ready now, we think about it sometimes, too. Maybe that’s why I liked this book more than Goodnight Nobody, but I think it could still appeal to women who aren’t in the “breeding phase” of their life.
Little Earthquakes is the story of 4 women. Three of them are pregnant, and one of them just lost her baby. The narration switches between the women, something I often found annoying in other books but that I loved in this one. Becky is a cook trying to balance work, family, and a horrible mother-in-law (I had one like that, once… yikes!) Kelly wants her life to be perfect, but all that changes when her husband comes home with bad news. Ayinde, wife of a basketball superstar must deals not only with her new baby, but with the consequences of her public life. Finally, there is Lia, an actress who ran away from her Hollywood life after the sudden death of her child.
I thought Weiner did a good job of making every character different, and still made believable that these women could become close friends. I had an easier time to understand and feel them than I did with the ones in Goodnight Nobody. I think this is due to the story’s point-of-view; here, we follow these four women’s life, while in Goodnight Nobody, we followed the story of a dead woman through the story of a living one.
The author also chose a realistic approach to the coming of a newborn in a house, which isn’t only rainbows and unicorns. The women go through hard times as much as good ones, but the story never feels heavy or painful; it’s light, funny, and yes, sometimes a little sad but always with a touch of hope.
Mother day is coming this weekend, and this book seems perfect for the occasion! If you planned on offering a book for the occasion – to a mother, a mother-to-be or even a daughter – I think this one is a great choice for the occasion! 🙂
