Sequels are indeed tricky endeavours. There is just so much
pressure to deliver the perfect blend of what the reader wants and
what they could not possibly expect. Inevitably, they do not live
up to our expectations or perhaps more accurately our desires, but
we they do allow us a moment to reunite with a favourite character
once more and to find out what happened after the final page was
turned.
Certain Girls is the sequel to Good in Bed, and we are given 384
more glorious pages to spend with the unforgettable Cannie. This
time, she is joined by her daughter Joy, who is now 13 and
preparing for her bat mitzvah, and her husband who just decided
that he wants to have a baby.
Through no fault of its own, Certain Girls was not as good as Good
in Bed. But to be fair, Good in Bed raised my expectations to near
dizzying heights. In fact it changed my entire perspective on what
chick-lit could and should be, and no book has been the same since.
Unless perhaps by some coincidence all the chick-lit written post
Good in Bed were simply of poorer quality, but somehow I doubt it.
That said, Certain Girls achieved what it set out to do. It
entertained me, and it was worth the read. Of course it goes
without saying that it was worth it just to be temporarily reunited
with the often humorous and always strong Cannie.