Description:
Sometimes you have to go back before you can move forward. Meg Monahan was born to be a secret keeper. From the moment she became a peer counselor in high school, Meg has been keeping her friends secrets from sordid family drama to their sex lives that she never wanted to know. Flash forward to adulthood when Meg is a recruiter for the world’s hippest (and most paranoid) high-tech company and now Meg is a professional secret keeper. When sudden tragedy strikes before Meg hosts the wedding of her childhood BFF, Anne Calzaretta, the women are forced to face their past and their secrets in order to move on to their future. In 1978, Meg, Anne, Jennifer, and Tonya were such close friends, they were known as The Group in their hometown of Gridley, California. But in ninth grade, their lives were changed forever. Loss, lies, and secrets separated them, but could not break their bonds of friendship. Thirty years later, Meg and Anne reminisce about those days dealing with parents, school, boys, sex, love, and betrayal. Anne remembers their freshman year as an easier time, but Meg, still feeling guilty about a betrayal of Anne s trust, is haunted. Even now, Meg is keeping a secret she’s not prepared to face, let alone share. In her debut novel, based on true events, Meredith First tells a timeless story about the bonds of friendship, loss, and betrayal and the forgiveness that is within everyone. Can anyone really keep a secret forever?"
MY TAKE:
4 STARS!
Engrossing! This book grabbed me and didn’t let me go until it was over! This author’s writing was outstanding! It was so much fun to read about these four friends, Meg, who is the main character, and her three other friends Anne, Jennifer, and Tonya, who all made these four girls also known as, ‘The Group’. This started to take place during 1978, and it also happened that I was the same ages as these friends during that same time! It was ‘my era’, too, and I think this is one of the reasons why I had so much FUN while reading this! Being the same age also brought with it references to the same things I loved as much as these characters loved! There were references to people like Shaun Cassidy, Tiger Beat Magazine, going places in station wagons crammed in all together just like I did with my friends at that age! This debut author had this timeframe perfect! It was a trip down memory lane for the characters and myself! Oh, when Meg mentioned Shaun Cassidy (a star I was in LOVE with at that same time, I just about died!) He was featured so often in Tiger Beat magazine that they had so many of the center picture the full length of the magazine, and yes, those were hung on my walls! Oh! I could so relate! I believe Shaun Cassidy was my first kiss on a poster! LOL!!! I LOVED the references in this book! There were so MANY references to the late 70’s and other things, too, as these girls grew up and into women that I could relate so well to them. I just loved this! It was a trip down memory lane for me! If any of you out there grew up during this time, you are going to love this book, too! As I was reading this book, there were many times I thought it read like a memoir, so much so it made me look around to see if this truly was fiction or a memoir. I found in the description about the book that it is based on actual events. That is true of the mentions about things during that time, but I don’t know how much of the story was based on fact, and that may only truly be known by the author. I just continued to enjoy this book as it was written. So much of this story took place when the girls were in school, and again I could relate so well! I had some really good laughs, good memories of my own days back then, too, and then there were some serious issues that went on between friends, too.
This book takes us all the way into their adulthood, and it is when Meg finds her diary from that time that brings them together again as they reminisce what I just told you about. There is a lot more than what I have listed, but I can’t tell you everything because you need some things to read to make this just as enjoyable for yourself as it was for me to read, regardless of how much I want to share with you! For those of you who would enjoy this, by all means grab a copy! It was a nice revisit to my younger years as well as learning about these characters and reading this story.
I do wonder one thing, though. Since this is this author’s debut book which is fact based, I found myself wondering if this author has more great books in her to write? Will this book only be a one-hit wonder, or does she have more in her to write complete fictional books about? I only say this because it’s a LOT of fun to reminisce about our younger years, such as first kisses, groping, and more, but what does the future hold for this author besides that? This will remain to be seen! GREAT job on this book!
I received this book for FREE from the Publisher, Sparkpress, and NetGalley in exchange that I read and write a review about this book/what I read. "Free" means I was provided with ZERO MONIES to do so, but to just enjoy the sheer pleasure of reading this book and writing an honest review about what I thought about this book, regardless if my opinion is positive or negative. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the law set here: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html
The Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, 16 CFR 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising Federal Acquisition Regulation.
NEW INFO!! A few days after I posted this on Goodreads, the author contacted me to let me know Book 2 will be coming out in 2017 and is called Gridley Girls Book 2! MORE fun to come!!! I HIGHLY recommend reading THIS book now so when Book 2 comes out you can pick it right up! I truly is a GREAT joy to have such a wonderful laugh this author is so talented at writing! I can't wait!
ebook: $ 9.49
print: $15.58
When you mentioned Tiger Beat, it brought back memories of my NKOTB fan days!
ReplyDeleteDianna
Hi Diana!
DeleteI just now noticed this NEW comment! Thanks for leaving it!! YES!!! You remember Tiger Beat back in the day, too, huh!! This was GREAT!! I LOVED it!!! You might REALLY LOVE this book, then!!! It might just be the book for you!! Enjoy! Thanks for coming by, too!
Laurie
Thanks so much for the great review, Laurie! Glad you enjoyed GRIDLEY GIRLS. YAL!!
ReplyDeleteHi Meredith!
DeleteI just now noticed you left this comment! Thanks for coming by! What a pleasure to have you!!! This was one wonderful book! Thanks SO much for wanting to write it! It was such a true to culture back then, too! I LOVED that the MOST about this book! I wish you the absolute BEST!!!
Thanks again for stopping by! It means a LOT!
Laurie