Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Commencement by J. Courtnay Sullivan

Book #86;

This book is about four friends who meet while attending Smith College: April, Cecilia, Bree and Sally.

April is the one that doesn't come from money and has had a rough upbringing. She is at the all girls college to study women's rights. She is the most unlike the others and is as surprised at everyone how deeply they four women bond.

Cecilia is the girl from the good Catholic family having attended Catholic schools all her life. She is good at being the peacemaker in the group and is the one that helps keep them all together.

Bree comes to college engaged, but that quickly ends when the fiance cheats on her. She is the true Southern Belle.

Sally comes to college right after her mother has passed away. She is fastidious about everything.

I guess I was disappointed in this book because it didn't really offer anything new. From the start it was exactly what you imagine. The story weaves the out of college stories and trials of the friendships with their past history in college.

In stories like this you can see the stereotypes. The only thing that threw me was which girl ended up the lesbian. There is always one in a group like this. I figured it would be April who was the tough as nails, women's rights extremist. Not to give anything away but I was wrong.

A few years after college they are gathering at the college for Sally's wedding. You can tell how each of them are nervous. After they graduated the four girls went their own way and none of them were really following the path the others believed they should. After the rehearsal dinner, they sit down to have a drunken talk and reminisce and they end up in a fight.

One year later and they have mostly made up except for April and Sally. In every group like this there are always relationships that are stronger for these four it was Cecilia and Bree and April and Sally. After April goes missing the three remaining finally put all the old hurts to rest while they search and pray for their friend.

It was a good true story of friendships, but it just wasn't anything I hadn't read before. Although I will say the ending did shock me.

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