"Good in Bed" Review

Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided this novel for free by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is the first book I read by this author and I wrote this review without seeing any other reviews or summaries online before and while reading.

Note: I see after writing my review that there are many negative reviews but I think it also depends in how you approach the story and what you expect from it. If you give it a chance, I think it can really grow on you. Obviously it won't be for everybody but no books are.

I picked up this book with no prior knowledge of the author or her works and an erroneous expectation that it would be a simple, mindless read; I expected the stereotypical heroine female figure and plot-line and I could not have been more happy to be proved wrong.

"Good in Bed" is a masterful book that takes readers on an emotional journey from the perspective of Cannie, a woman suffering from a recent relationship shake-up. As well, Cannie (or Candice) is a size sixteen woman, a reality that drives much of the story.

This novel is one of the deepest books I have ever read in the Women's Fiction category. Both comical and tragic, this book sweeps you into the pages and makes you care. I laughed at some of Candice's jokes and wise remarks and felt Candice's deep sorrow. In my experience, very few light fiction books are this complex.

"Good in Bed" proves an extended exploration into relationships - in a dramatic fashion - and how they go wrong. Alongside romantic love, this book delves into the deep relationship between a mother and a daughter and the ties between friends. The relationships feel fresh.

What I did not like was that even though Cannie was a potential target for prejudice, there is obvious evidence she herself suffers from other prejudices, against lesbian relationships for one.

This novel is complex, emotional, and real. Even though it was written in 2001, it reads as if it were written with this year in mind. It's timeless, topical fifteen years after it was written.

The characters are vivid and fun; they possess rich, detailed backgrounds; their interactions are honest, heart-breaking, and hilarious. The way the backstory is unveiled felt well-planned.

Halfway through the book I felt like it could go in any direction and so it kept me on my feet. I feel lucky in having read this book; I would compare it to finding a genuine jewel in a chest of imitations. This book always felt real.

"Good in Bed" is a delightful dissection of many problems and stereotypes that drag down people in society today: divorce, 'fat' stereotypes, trying to fix a broken relationship, the difficult path to self-acceptance, depression, the lies we all tell, and the false, hyper-glamorized face of the entertainment industry (by which many of us eventually judge ourselves and our lives).

This novel explores these themes. And yet, from the casual book cover, I would never have guessed at the wonder of the world inside it. "Good in Bed" always remains true to itself and it doesn't hold its punches.

"Good in Bed" is the kind of story that I imagine people will be reading in years to come.