Author: Sarah Pekkanen
ISBN: 978-07-318-1569-2
RRP: $29.99
Sarah Pekkanen introduces us to three young women living in New York in her new novel ‘These Girls’. These Girls seem to be very different but as we get to know them a little better, and peek into their lives through Pekkanen’s words, we realise that they aren’t so different after all. More to the point, they aren’t that different from any young woman trying to find their place in their world. They have their insecurities and past experiences they would be happier if no-one ever discovered.
These Girls are realistic and believable, and the novel tells a story that you have no problem believing – there is no point where you need to suspend disbelief to get you past it. Actually, maybe there is one because I’m not sure I can believe that last chapter would ever happen.
Centred around the high fashion world of glossy magazines in New York there is a lot of emphasis on appearances so it’s understandable that Renee feels she doesn’t fit as a size 12 in a size 4 world and this is something I can understand and empathise with. I can understand the draw of diet pills, I can feel the horror of having to put yourself out there only to be shot down and humiliated by nasty and inappropriate comments. There is no reason that a size 12 shouldn’t win the coveted position of Beauty Editor at Gloss magazine but if you’re insecure about your size to begin with it would feel like a major hurdle, and how do you talk about it when your friends are all, seemingly effortlessly, the size 4 you so covet?
Cate has just landed the position of Features Editor but there are times she can’t stop herself wondering why. She started at the bottom of the ladder as a receptionist and has worked her way up but there are things in her past that will always stop her truly believing that she deserves this.
Cate and Renee have been sharing an apartment for a while now and they have a pretty easy, casual relationship but it has never progressed to the real bond of friendship that both of these girls so desperately need.
Enter Abby, the sister of the GORGEOUS guy working at another magazine in their building. She arrives in the middle of a party looking less than together. Trey is worried about her and isn’t comfortable leaving her alone while he jets off for a story, enter Cate, Renee and their newly-spare room.
Preparing the room for Abby brings Cate and Renee together a little more and sets them on the path to friendship. Renee is outgoing and friendly but Cate isn’t one to open up easily so she appears aloof and unwilling to connect when really she just doesn’t know how to open up – yet.
These Girls follows three girls who have come to New York for very different reasons and from very different backgrounds. They grow together after the initial ice is broken and become more than room-mates and as they grow closer they begin to share more of their secrets, tell a little more of their backgrounds until we have the full picture and can see how they got to where they are. Better than that we get to watch this friendship form, grow and blossom until these three damaged women find that strength and support that a close friendship offers to face their issues and move on from them.
These Girls is the beautiful tale of a friendship that saves three young women from themselves and the mistakes of their pasts, three young women that could be any one of us. Pekkanen describes the beauty and importance of friendship in a way that is totally down-to-earth and easy to read. She’s definitely an author I will be keeping my eye out for, and it was nice to get a glimpse into the way the big glossy magazines work – something to aspire to.
40 of our Beauty Chick Chat members have been reading These Girls, find out what they thought below…
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!
Thanx to Beauty & Lace for giving me the chance to read this book. I would class this book as light reading. I did enjoy it. I really liked the characters; Cate, Renee, Abby, Trey, Annabelle, Bob. Especially Renee, I think she’d make an excellent best friend. One of those girlfriends that every girl should have!
I felt the story was very relevant to todays society, with all the mention of Facebook, Twitter and blogging. And the “dropping” of names like Robert Pattinson.
The girls all struggled with their own problems and self-deprecating ways, but what each of them went through wasn’t a far-fetched scenario, they were events that I’ve either gone through myself or know someone who has. So it was very believable and relatable. Which does make a book way more enjoyable to read.
I did find that the story as a whole was very anti-climatic, I read all the different backgrounds of the characters and was waiting for everything to come together – come to a head but in the end….nothing. Nothing was mentioned again about Cate’s past (even though I didn’t understand why it was such a big problem to begin with). I would’ve loved to have spent a bit more time at the end reading about Renee and how she recovered, I have quite a soft spot for Renee, she’s such a warm person.
My favourite parts of the story were when Cate or Renee would talk about the beauty editor’s job and all the amazing perks they get. How there was a shelf sitting there holding many “holy grail” products and they were there for the taking. I wouldn’t be able to help myself if I was around that shelf, nothing would survive. It would have to be my dream job, I love beauty products and couldn’t imagine how lucky you’d have to be to get paid for getting your mitts on drool-worthy prodz every day.
It was a shame that Cate and Trey wouldn’t or couldn’t take their relationship any further, it may have been true love for them???
It was an enjoyable, light book to read.
I absoloutely loved this book, the story was so engaging and the characters so believable. A very modern and up to date read I would recommend to anyone. One of the best reads in a long time!
I LOVED this book. It has been a while since I read a light hearted chick lit book and this was the perfect break.
The cover put me off a little, with a cover picture like that I would expect a book about a troubled girl… Something a bit brighter and maybe with three girls would make a lot more sense.
The book was well written, a little hard to follow, it was not until the end that i could easily separate the three girls and their separate stories. I adored how it all linked in together at the end. I loved all the characters and wanted to give them all a MASSIVE hug.
All the girls had problems and background that are familiar and believable which made it easy to relate to them.
I will most definitely be recommending this book to others that enjoy this genre.
(I POSSIBLY went home early from a party as I was dying to know how it ended…. shameful I know!!)
Wow I absolutely loved reading this book and found it really hard to put down right from the first page. A very good quality novel! I will definately be recommending this book!
Thanks to Beauty & Lace for giving me the chance to read and review this book.
From the very first pages, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which I classify as a light hearted chick book, a combination of SATC and The Devil Wears Prada.
The girls all have their own problems, – normal everyday girls problems including careers, friendships and love, – and fitting into the social norms and expectations – which we have all have to deal with, or know somebody who has, so most readers would be able to relate to at least one of the girls, – and that made it so easy to get into the lives of the characters.
It is so easy to read, and once you start it is so hard to put down. The way the stories of the girls are interwoven makes you just want to keep reading. And I could easily see this made into a movie, the perfect chick flick.
A very enjoyable read, about the meaning of true friendship – perfect for a short break or a lazy day on the sun lounge. I can highly recommend it, and have already passed it on to a girlfriend. And I’ll be sure to check out other books by Sarah Pekkanen too. Thanks again Beauty & Lace.
Ive had a very hectic past 2 weeks but the moments when Ive been able to pick up this wonderful book have been my favorite and most relaxing times.
This is certainly a book that is more for females.
Based in New York we folow the lives of three females.
Cate whos running from a secret in her past that at times she fears people wil unearth.
Renee who is a loving and giving person but someone who under values her own worth due to her struggles with her weight.
Abby whos deepest desire is the traditional life of marriage, a couple of kids and the house with the white picket fence.
Three very differant females with very differant wants and desires from life.
I felt like i wanted to protect each and everyone of these ladies.
I have really enjoyed reading this book and felt a little sad when i reached the end.
I would certainly reccommend this book for a great fireside read this winter.
What a great read, I just couldn’t put the book down. I will certainly be recommending this to my girlfriends.
This book was an easy read, usual trashy chick lit that is good for the train/beach/plane as you don’t need to think about it.
It had a good story line for the genre and it wasn’t apparent right from page 2 what was going to happen in the end!
I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t an amazing read that would make me tell my friends about it. I did pass the book onto my Mum who thought pretty much the same.
‘These Girls’ was an engaging and light read; perfect for my travel to work and snuggling up on a lazy afternoon.
It’s a modern journey of 30 something’s Renee, Cate and Abby, living together in a tiny apartment in New York dealing with life’s challenges and battling their own internal issues.
Each character is very different but interesting. I found myself wanting to know more about them as they are so likeable and realistic. There’s Renee battling with her weight and seeing her only option to nab a fab promotion as a Fashion Editor at Gloss Mag by recklessly starving herself using dangerous diet pills. Cate although strong and feisty is tormented by a secret from her College days which has left her distrustful and alittle detached and caring Abby who has run away from her studies and job as a live in nanny, wrecked by shame and guilt.
I empathised with them all but especially felt sad for Renee battling with her body image, waaaah something and I think most women endure!!
Their friendship begins slowly when Abby arrives and as they attempt to discover and support her through her painful past start to identify and help one another.
I would highly recommend this book as I really enjoyed seeing their friendships blossom and how it helped them see themselves differently to start new beginnings.
These Girls by Sarah Pekkanen is the perfect ‘Friday night out’. With my glass of wine and roaring fire, I devoured this book like I would the cocktail list of a new bar on opening night.
This book felt like I was at home, if my home was in glamorous New York City. Abby, Cate and Renee are everyday girls, girls that I can relate to and with similarities many of my friends encompass. It was hard at times to remember that these girls are not real, as it often felt like I was vicariously sharing their lives through a reality book.
I was sad to finish reading this novel, and I will definitely be sharing positive recommendations for other young gorgeous, aspiring and delightful young women to also pick up and read ‘These Girls’.