Rating: 
Summary: A Page-Turner
Review: I read this book in two sittings over the course of one day. I seem to have read several books of this type in the past year, with the theme of women's friendships and their bonds with each other."Grand Avenue" was not the best of this sub-genre, nor was it the worst. If available, I would give it 3.5 stars. While the story was compelling and kept me reading all day, there were some flaws too. First of all, I really do not like the foreshadowing device used by Fielding (and many others). In this book, the reader is told in the introduction that by the end, two of the four "grand dames" will be dead (one in a particularly terrible way) and one will betray another. Another flaw, to me, was that the end of the book seemed awkward, as if the author did not quite know how to bring it to a conclusion. On the other hand, the characters were interesting and very different from each other, and their lives kept me interested in knowing about them. I think Fielding did a decent job of character development of the women and of their daughters, although Tracey's motivation for what she did was vague at best. A good book for a few hours of reading pleasure.
Rating:
Summary: A Grand Read
Review: This was the first book I have read by Joy Fielding and it certainly is not going to be the last. Grand Avenue quickly grabs your attention and draws you into the story of these four women. Susan, Vicki, Barbara and Chris (or the Grand Dames as they are called) all live on the same street and all have daughters the same age. They form a very strong friendship but each one lives a completely different life. Chris lives with an abusive husband, Barbara is obsessed with her looks and will do anything to remain "young", Susan is balancing college (later in the book career) and raising a family with a very difficult daughter, and Vicki is the hot shot attorney who put work before her family.
We find out at the beginning of the book that one of these women will be murdered and one of them is not really a friend, we just don't know who. I really enjoyed reading this book and was very sorry to see it end. I loved the characters and the friendship that these women shared. I look forward to reading more books by Joy Fielding and I would highly recommend Grand Avenue to everyone.
Rating:
Summary: Great Vacation Book
Review: I picked this book up so that I would have something to read during my vacation. Little did I know that this book would become a vacation in itself. I couldn't put it down once I started and was sorry to come to the end. That, for me, is the mark of a real good book. I tend to get real involved in the storyline and with the characters when I read. I enjoy a book that spans time and especially appreciate a story about older women. Fielding addresses some issues that are all too familiar to today's woman - spousal abuse, obsession with aging, sexual identity and career vs. marriage. But mostly she is looking at friendships and setting boundaries. I envy these women their history together. The only reason this book did not get top rating from me was because I felt that the murder and ensuing trial was just a little bit contrived. I think the book could have been just as strong without this particular plotline and would have been a bit more credible. I suppose this was a convenient way to address other issues but still. It didn't really seem to fit with the flow of the rest of the novel. I look forward to Ms. Fielding's next book.
Rating: 
Summary: A Grand Read!
Review: I enjoyed visiting "Grand Avenue" and highly recommend it. It's a truly 'Grand book' that held my interest from the first to the last page. The story is about four friends, Chris, Barbara, Vicki and Susan. It follows their lives over the 20 year span from 1972-1992. It's an emotionally packed roller-coaster ride of friendships, relationships, families, suspense and murder leading to a powerful conclusion. The four friends who live on Grand Avenue and call themselves the 'Grand Dames' first meet at a playground where they bring their young children. Barbara is a vain woman obsessed with plastic surgery, Chris is an abused housewife, Vicki's a career bent lawyer married to a wealthy older man, and Susan's a Doctor's wife and homemaker determined to get her college degree.
Ms. Fielding is a gifted writer and she's very effectively brought these four friends to life in this emotional and intense page-turner. It's definitely a 'Grand Read'!!
Rating: 
Summary: maybe 3.5 stars
Review: I read this book after rave recommendations from an online book group and was very disappointed. Although the four "grand dames" were somewhat interesting, somewhat well developed characters, I found their stories and the book as a whole depressing. This is the story of four women who develop a close friendship. From there, it becomes very cliche and formulary. One of them is abused, another goes through a divorce, another cheats on her husband and the other gets a degree, becomes a career woman, and is sexually harassed. Talk about drama. On top of that, we learn from the start that two of the women die, one of them tragically. Although there is a murder mystery tied into the story, it seems unrealistic and highly contrived. In the end, the relationship between these women seems a bit overdrawn and fake too. I can see how this book would appeal to some people, but for me, it was a waste of time. I prefer stories that have better developed characters with deeper friendships and less forced drama. Not to mention less purposely disturbing.
Rating:
Summary: A Grand Time
Review: This is the only book I've read so far by Joy Fielding. It is definitely a page-turner. Joy manages to keep you interested in all 4 women who become close friends. However, there's just not enough character development to explain some of the things that happen to these women. For example, one of the women, Barbara, is a former beauty queen and obsessed with staying beautiful as she gets older. She has 1 child, a daughter, named Tracey. Tracey winds up doing something really unspeakable towards the end of the book. But long after the book is over, you're asking yourself what in the world pointed to the fact that Tracey would do it?? The answer is "nothing." All in all, I enjoyed the book. It's a fun and very interesting ride. It makes a great beach or vacation book.
Rating:
Summary: Great Way To Escape From Our Own Lives------------
Review: I picked up, by chance, an earlier novel of Fielding's: "The First Time". Really enjoyed it! So glad I read this, too. I really like her suspenseful twist she stirs into her plots.
Saw others review it as a great beach or vacation read, and I must agree. You become swept up in the characters' lives & find yourself thinking about them while you're not reading.
There's a mix of things in this novel: compassion, enduring friendships, betrayal, suspense, and ohhh.... mystery!
I also would recommend "Whispers & Lies", as it has similar twists like this one. (Also by Fielding.)
Rating:
Summary: Page turning and moving
Review: I wanted a good summer read -- little did I know I'd pick this book up and finish it in just a few days -- it was impossible to put down. I'm a first-time Fielding reader and will be back for more after this one. The four female characters are richly developed, their lives spanning more than two decades where we are taken on an emotional rollercoaster filled with family drama, career angst, personal turmoil and ultimately a horrifying twist and subsequent resolution. There is no way you will put this one down. Chris, Barbara, Vicki and Susan will jump off the pages and if you are like me and enjoy unexpected story twists, you'll find yourself shocked and even crying before it's over. A must read!
Rating:
Summary: Grand Avenue - GREAT BOOK!
Review: COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN UNTIL IT WAS FINISHED!
Rating:
Summary: Very Very Very good book
Review: This book was so awesome that I came on to give it five stars before I even finished reading it!! It is definitely a page turner.
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