In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner

ISBN:   9780743418201

Grade:   B-

This was exactly what I needed to read during the holiday season.  Thank you Jennifer Weiner for allowing my to turn off the open sign above my brain while reading In Her Shoes.  While the book was predictable at times it still was a fun read.  And I hate to say it but I was blubbering like an idiot during the last chapter. 

This is a story about sisters, sibling rivalry and growing up in a dysfunctional family.  It's all that and so much more.  We start out with Rose, our chubby heroine who has her shit together in a very type A manner.  She works as an associate for a law firm, makes good money and buys fantastic shoes.  Her fashion sense, taste in music and men leaves much to be desired.  She's seeing a partner at the law firm who seems to only be into Rose when it's convenient.  Enter her sister Maggie who has always been a screwup and has recently found herself evicted from her apartment and desperately needing a home.  The only thing Rose and Maggie have in common is their shoe size.  Rose allows Maggie to stay with her and finds that Maggie is still the same screwup, stealing money, makeup, shoes and in an act of ultimate betrayal steals a man.  Rose comes home to find Maggie in her bed wearing nothing more than a pair of Rose's expensive designer boots and Rose's man Jim.  

After that lovely display of sisterhood, Rose does what any rational woman in the same situation would do.  She kicks Maggie and Douchebag Jim out and tries to bring some semblance of normalcy back into her life.  Meanwhile Maggie, once again homeless, finds her way to Priceton and squats in the library until she gets a bit of her just desserts.  Maggie then turns to her estranged grandmother to bail her out of another jam.  The pupa stage begins for both women.  Rose starts a dog walking service while trying to gather her wits and Maggie heads to a senior community in Florida.  Both ladies end up back together by the end, and too many more specific details would be spoilers.     

Rose could be any one of us ladies.  She's not a size 2, she doesn't have the best fashion sense, her taste in men and music needs refining.  Oh and she has a sister who couldn't be more opposite...skinny, fake boobs, irresponsible, lacking direction in life and not the brightest bulb in the lamp.  After about 100 pages, it becomes clear that Rose is deserving of something good to happen to her to offset her sister Maggie dumping her drama in Rose's life.   

As for the body image issue, what chubby girl can't identify with Rose?!  If I looked like Maggie, you better believe I'd use my body as a weapon.  In fact I'm pretty sure if I looked like Maggie I would be the Devil Herself.  Consider yourselves lucky that the only WMD I possess is my mouth.

Ah the dodgeball scene...how that scene broke my heart!  If there is one person among us who doesn't have a godawful traumatic childhood experience like Rose getting humiliated via a dodgeball to the head and a pair of split pants...well frankly I think you're in some serious denial.  

A secondary character deserving a mention is Mrs. Lefkowitz.  She's a sassy retiree with a mouth on her!  She walks around calling people asshats after she heard Margaret Cho standup.  Mrs. Lefkowitz is as blunt and surly as one could expect, but way deep inside there's a pinch of heart.  She more than makes up for the grandmother being a total wet noodle.  

Overall In Her Shoes was an enjoyable read, especially since the last third of it was read while wrapped in my monkey Snuggie.  The book is chicklit, but good chicklit.  Will I read more by Jennifer Weiner...you betcha!  Anyone have a favorite Jennifer Weiner book that they would recommend?