Rating: 
Summary: Great Read
Review: I absolutely loved this book. I couldn't put it down. I haven't been able to say that since the Shopaholic series! This book had great insight to trials of the modern family. I laughed, I cried, I was inspired. I highly recommend this book. As I see other reviewers think her other books is better, I will be reading it as soon as I get my hands on it.
Rating: 
Summary: had it's flaws...
Review: This book wasn't the best by Weiner. I liked Maggie and Ella, but Rose was a little too stuck-up to be likeable. The story was a good idea, and it had it's moments, but overall I wasn't too impressed. I just read that this book is going to be made into a moving starring Cameron Diaz as Maggie, which should be interesting.
I think Jennifer Weiner has great talent and humor, but this book just didn't do it for me.
Rating: 
Summary: Come on now....
Review: You have to take this book for what it is. Weiner isn't trying to write the world's greatest novel here. I too loved Good In Bed, and was struck by the similarities between the books. However truth be told the author managed again to create an enjoyable read, with likeable characters.
Rating:
Summary: Sister relationships--paradoxically, a bane and a blessing
Review: I disagree with some of the previous reviewers who have complained that this novel was either unrealistic and with flat characters, or that the characterization of the younger pretty sister was a bitter "literary assault" by an obese and viciously jealous person. This is a story of the sibling rivalry, and conflicted and messy love between two very different sisters, and their grandmother, lost to them for most of their childhood and early adulthood. The author tells the story with wit and style. There are moments where I chuckled out-loud and others that brought tears to my eyes. Weiner, using the voices of these three characters, interweaves the story of each woman with the other two, and brings the sibling rivalry and the characters' self-destructive behavior to, what was for me, an all too real climax and a satisfying resolution.
I resonated with these characters. As a younger sister who was the overachiever, but also more irresponsible one, I saw bits of myself and my beautiful and dyslexic sister in both characters. Moreover, the contrast between Weiner's sisters was similar to the differences between my daughters, one overachieving and serious like the character Rose, aghast at her "irresponsible" younger sister's escapades, which, like Weiner's Maggie, includes narrowly escaping sexual assault and being fired from jobs for outrageous behavior. A few reviewers criticized Maggie's character as being, unrealistically, too mean. Maggie's behavior was not intended to be mean, but the result of her negative self-view. Maggie believed herself to be of low intelligence and common sense, and that her only asset was her body. Her monstrous crime against her sister was a result of her own despair over her own future. Rose's character has been criticized as too unflattering and uninteresting. Her behavior was the result of others' expectations that she take care of her little sister and of being rewarded for academics and her achievements. The irony was that Rose was supposedly the competent achiever, but she was as much at a loss as her sister was at pulling herself out of bad patterns. Most confusing to me was that one reviewer criticized the grandmother for taking care of all her granddaughters' problems. She did not, in fact, do much of anything beyond what another character described as the role of grandparents, which is to love unconditionally and provide an occasional respite from the demands of parents and the outside world. More important, these characters grew to be more healthy and well-rounded individuals when they got to a place where others' expectations could not exert their powerful pull.Additionally, the relationship between the two sisters especially rang true. Both sisters were jealous over the attention one's sister gets for her traits and abilities, and were stinging from old hurts and past betrayals. Paradoxically, the sisters were also admiring, proud, and hoping for her sister's success. Most of all, the sisters wished they could bridge the gap those past hurts and betrayals had created to get to a more healthy and easy-going relationship where they could express the real love each feels for her sister. Some reviewers have criticized the author for a resolution that is "too pat" or "formulaic." As a mother and professor, I have seen my daughters and my students stretch and grow, develop skills and abilities and discover they can do things they never thought possible, land jobs and acceptance to graduate schools they thought would always be beyond their reach, leave unhealthy relationships, and develop healthy relationship skills. In other words, I have seen happy resolutions with my own eyes; thus I know it is possible, and quite realistic! I'm praying and believe my daughters and my sister and I can bridge the gap as Weiner's characters did! When we do, I'd love to be able to tell the tale with even a fraction of the flair, insight, and craft as Weiner did in _In Her Shoes_.
Rating: 
Summary: Good in Bed was GREAT, I fell out of In Her Shoes!
Review: I loved Weiner's Good In Bed. I was excited to read her next book In Her Shoes. What a disappointment! It has taken me forever to read and I haven't even finished the book. I began reading it in September 2003 and have not picked it up since. I have about thirty pages remaining but I just do not have the motivation to complete the book. It is very unrealistic. The writing is good but the characters are not appealing and interesting. I just was really disappointed with the book and am sorry that I wasted my time reading most of it.
Rating:
Summary: Loved It!
Review: From the first to last page I loved it. I don't like to give anything away in my reviews b/c I hate when people do that. But if you like family drama and sister rivialary you will love this book.
There are some unexpected things that occur that will keep you wanting to keep turning the page and not put the book down. If you are looking for a really good read this is it. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Not a Must Read, but a N ice Read
Review: In Her Shoes, by Jennifer Weiner kept me laughing or crying through out the whole book, (I'm somewhat emotional). This book was a combination of unpredictable twists and events that you knew were coming, events that had to come. It was the type of book that you didn't have to read all the time but when you were reading it you didn't want to put it down. It wasn't the best book I've ever read but it was in the top 20.
There were a lot of aspects I liked about this book. I think that since this book is written by a female author and one who has had many experiences this book really appeals to women more than men. In fact if you are a man I think it would be unlikely that you would actually enjoy this book. I loved that I could relate to almost all the emotions the characters were going through; the loss of a loved one, betrayal and regret. This book focused on tow completely different and conflicting female individuals, which gave different perspectives on every topic. The thing I loved about this book was how in the end you realize that this book really was about two main characters, Rose and Maggie. I was surprised to read the last line "She, Maggie Feller, had gotten it just right." The end didn't just focus on one character at all it gave the shinning moment to Maggie, I really enjoyed that twist at the end.
The theme of this book is one must forgive past offenses in order to enjoy future happiness. I don't necessarily agree with the idea of this book that in life we must forgive and make up for things that we have done in the past in order to find happiness. In my opinion some things are just unforgivable and I know I would never have forgiven my sister as quickly as Rose did if my sister had hurt me the way Maggie did. This relates dot my life and also everyone's life, because every one had been hurt and has to learn to forgive at some times but I don't know if it's quite as easy as Weiner makes it seem.
I would recommend this book to women on vacation who are just looking for something to make their troubles look miniscule but to someone with a busy schedule or someone who isn't into chick books because I don't know if this book is compelling enough to keep you interested. In Her Shoes, is not a must
Rating:
Summary: Formulaic, at best
Review: "Good in Bed" was decent escapism, but this book is formulaic, at best. Maybe I am looking for too much in a beach book, but neither sister is this dramedy is likable, the run-in with the main character from "Good in Bed" is completely self-indulgent, and the story lines are predictable and tedious. You can find my copy of the book in the nightstand at the Maui Marriott next to the Gideon Bible and the Book of Mormon if you are looking for something to put you right to sleep.
Rating:
Summary: A satisfying "chick" book!
Review: I really enjoyed this book and was pleasantly surprised. I picked it randomly off the shelf and bought it out of curiosity. I enjoy the "chick" novels, but also am never quite satisfied by them due to immaturity and lack of reality. This book was quite different. I felt the characters were developed quite well, even though they each changed quite a bit over the course of the book. The story was written from the perspective of three different characters. Most books I read that are written in this way are confusing in their transitions, but this author handles it flawlessly. The ending is also very satisfying (extremely important to me!). I would highly recommend this book to my friends!
Rating:
Summary: A Great Read -- not what I expected!
Review: I expected a light-hearted book when I began reading In Her Shoes but that is not necessarily what I got. There are some humorous aspects to the novel but in general it's a dramatic novel that takes a second look at the lives of two sisters with opposite personalities. Weiner spins a tale of two sisters that could be friends or neighbors and the remarkable thing is she gets the details just right. Weiner's message is pretty clear throughout the entire book. Success cannot be achieved unless self-acceptance and love are acquired first. The two girls eventually have happy lives only before they take breaks from each other and figure out what each of them really wants in life first. In her Shoes is a great sophomore novel. A good purchase!
Also suggested: Good In Bed by Weiner, The Losers' Club by Richard Perez
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