Jennifer Weiner, Best Friends Forever

Best Friends Forever

Jennifer Weiner

Atria, Jul 14 2009, $26.99

ISB: 9780743294294

In Pleasnt Ridge, Illinoss, Addie Downs and Valerie Adler became best friends forever when the latter moved on the same block as the former when both were nine years old. They remained BFFs until high school as Val becomes part of the in crowd while Addie becomes the school joke.

Fifteen years later, Val is the weathergirl on the local news while Addie is the caretaker of her troubled brother. Val can have any guy while Addie goes Internet dating only to find loser after loser. They have completely lost contact with each other until the day Val arrives at Addie's house with blood splattered on her. She insists she needs her BFF to help her out of a tight spot as she has enacted vengeance on her former boyfriend Dan Swansea. Police chief Jordan Novick investigates the disappearance of Dan, but he has a problem that he never anticipated with this case; love at first sight not with beautiful Val, but with homely Addie.

This is an amusing lighthearted chick lit crime thriller starring two BFFs who became BEs (best enemies) only to finally clear the air between them and return to being BFFs. The story line is jocular insanity over the top of the Sears Tower that readers will relish with every laughing yet profound moment. This is chick lit at its best.

Harriet Klausner