Tears at bedtime (My Best Friend's Girl - Dorothy Koomson)

Member Name: abbadabbado

Product:	My Best Friend's Girl - Dorothy Koomson
Date:	29/12/07 (93 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: a gripping read

Disadvantages: might make you cry

I received My Best friend's Girl as part of a swap I did with a friend. Having already read Marshmallows for Breakfast, I had high hopes for this book, also by Dorothy Koomson.

We are greeted in the beginning of the book by a lady named Lucinda (better known as Adele). She has a four year old daughter, Tegan.
Adele is a single mother, and we learn very quickly that she is terminally ill. Having only a rocky relationship with her dad and stepmother, and no other friends as such to hear about, Adele tries to resurrect a past friendship with Kamryn, whom she met in college.

Both ladies are now in their early thirties, and fell out a couple of years previously due to Adele sleeping with Kamryn's fiancé at the time. The end result was Tegan, and as always these things have a habit of outing themselves eventually don't they!

As this isn't the twist or ending to the plot, and we learn this very early on in the book, I haven't given anything away by explaining this to you.

Adele is based in London and Adele in Leeds. They are both very different people personality wise, however when they were friends, their friendship was extremely strong as the book explains.
Adele is very much live for the moment, and don't worry about the consequences of not having any money etc. This of course is until she has her baby and then becomes a bit more responsible.
Kamryn (known mainly as Ryn during the book) is a deeper character, having many self esteem issues, and never wanting children.

As Adele is dying, she ultimately wants Ryn to adopt her daughter. Obviously with Ryn not in contact, nor wanting contact with Adele this wasn't going to be easy for Adele.

The book centres around Ryn and Tegan mainly as Adele does get her wish for Tegan to be looked after by Ryn, but exits very early on in the book. We quickly start to learn how Ryn will cope with a very bright four year old, who has been through an awful lot for her young years, losing her mother, never knowing a father and having to live with the grandfather from hell for a few months as well whilst her mother was in hospital.

Ryn has always been very career minded, and obviously things change rapidly with a child in tow. A new boss at work also manages to throw a spanner in the works.

There appears to be few twists or turns to surprise you through the book, but it does open your eyes to what life could be like, and how would you cope with certain things being thrown at you.
Of course there is the token male characters in the plot, and this book is no different. A boyfriend will arrive eventually, and of course the father of Tegan will appear. How Tegan and Ryn cope with all of this is what makes the book a good read.

I was captured by Ryn's life straight away, how she had to change her values, personality, temper, and everything else that you have to keep in check when you have a child to care for. There is a tug of love to make sure you are doing the best for the child, whilst only doing the best you possibly can.

A few tears were brought to my eyes when reading this book, especially towards the end when I wasn't sure which way it was going to end.
Dorothy Koomson had done a great job dragging me right into the character's lives, wanting, needing to know what they were thinking and how they were going to deal with various aspects of their lives.

This was indeed a great swap on my part, and I will be looking out for many other books by her should there be any more.

ISBN number = 0751537071
Price = £6.99 but obviously can be found a lot cheaper.
Published = 2006

Summary: a weepy