The Next Best Thing
By Jennifer Weiner
- Release Date: 2012-07-03
- Genre: Fiction & Literature
Description
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Weiner, an “utterly engaging story” (Time) about a young woman trying to make it as a writer in Hollywood.
At three years old, Ruth Saunders miraculously survives the car crash that takes her parents’ lives on the icy Massachusetts Turnpike. Her eccentric grandmother nurtures her through years of surgeries, feeding her home-cooked meals, dispensing irreverent wisdom, and telling Ruth she’s beautiful, even though her scars will stay with her forever.
After college, Ruth pursues her dream of writing to Hollywood, heading west with her grandmother in tow, hoping to make it big in the world of TV. After years of failure and a badly broken heart, Ruth gets The Call—her show has been green-lit.
But Ruth’s happy ending is only the beginning, as she struggles with how television gets made: terrified (and terrifying) executives and actresses with their eyes on bigger prizes than Ruthie’s show. Add in an unrequited crush on the man who has been her mentor. Add to that her grandmother’s impending nuptials, and Ruth’s big break might just break her.
A rollicking ride on the Hollywood roller coaster, The Next Best Thing is a heartfelt story about a young woman searching for her own happily-ever-after in the land where dreams come true.
Reviews
Ok
4By kaykaybean13OkSlow mover
3By LazySummerReadsStory line plodded along which made this read super slow. Everything about the book was lukewarm with nothing driving an urgency to finish.Exciting Read
4By laineTaylorVery entertaining. Weiner creates a world I enjoyed spending time in. Relatable characters and a good plot it kept me entertained.Just okay
3By 91234567lawI usually love Jennifer wieners books, but this one was just okay. It dragged along and there were no real surprises. Would have been better if she cut short some of the television drama and focused more on Ruth's life with Dave. The best part was the end, when it finally got interestingHorrible
1By Bgreens34Very boring! Needed to skip over the part when she wrote about the characters on her show. Loved the parts when she takes about her life with grandma and the Daves.Is there a sequel?
5By Gabster0618Excellent novel. Intelligently written, exquisite word choice, lovable characters. I didn't want the book to end. I'm hoping for a sequel.The next big thing
1By HlombarHorrible!!! It was painful to read.... I had to force myself to finish it.The next best thing
1By PamiwigleJumps around tooooo much.....tooooo much info on each character!!!!!!The Next Best Thing....hmmm not so sure about that
2By KagjdmI've read all of Weiner's books and I was disappointed after reading "The Next Best Thing". It was lackluster, predictable and didn't leave me with that I can't put this book down feeling. I'll remain hopeful that her next book exhibits the same characteristics and charm as some of her earlier work.Amazing
5By MommyshellzI fell in love with this story and found myself falling asleep gripping my iPhone. I am very pleased by the ending as well!Great!
5By NmpodoAs always another great book from Jennifer.Jennifer Weiner 10.0
5By PrincessJulieJennifer Weiner is a seasoned author that any up and coming writer should want to emulate. The Next Best Thing, in addition to her 9 other books, and short stories reside on my bookshelf or i-device. Her stories never disappoint, with characters that you want to win. The Next Best Thing holds your attention with Ruth's bumpy ride on her life's path and bumps along the way the reader can only hope work out. Her character grows immensely from beginning to end into the beautiful person the reader already knows she is. Unpredictable, with surprises and little wrinkles sprinkled through out, The Next Best Thing ended too soon. As a side note, holding a Masters degree, this reader was surprised there were about a dozen words to look up for their meaning. You go Jennifer Weiner - challenge your readers!The Next Best Thing
1By Suzette23I've always liked her work. However this book is a huge disappointment. Boring, I skipped large sections of it . Don't waste your money.So good!
5By Stephanie.plumAnother home run for Jennifer Weiner! She is a fantastic storyteller!!The next best thing
5By ShermanLLThe writing was excellent. I didn't want the book to end. I found the storyline easy to follow. On to her next book.Boring
2By Chrissi3853I wish I hadn't paid for this. The free prequel was better.Couldn't get into
1By Linda HanelineToo much jumping around from time period to time period. Hard to get into it. Sorry I paid for it.2.5 stars
2By Ranman613Feel like her books are getting worse and worse. This is better than her last but not by much. I skipped over a lot of dialog that added nothing to the story. Good base and characters but really nothing else and oh so predictable.The next best thing
5By PlgzuzCouldn't wait for this book. Read it in one sitting. Great.
