Addie Downs and Valerie Adler grew up across the street from each other in the Chicago faux-suburb of Pleasant Ridge, and were, indeed, BFFs until differing high school fates pulled them apart. Whereas Val turned her latchkey childhood into vivacious cheerleaderdom, Addie was surviving her brother’s brain-damaging car accident, the death of both parents, and compulsive overeating.
Ten years later, Addie’s got it together, if not quite got it going on. She’s a successful greeting card illustrator, avid swimmer, and is generally happy. But she’s lonely. So lonely. Imagine Addie’s surprise when Val--now a weather girl/local celebrity--shows up on her doorstep covered in blood after a mishap at the high school reunion. Imagine your surprise when Addie decides to help her former friend conceal her crime by fleecing the hunky, brooding detective and going on a road trip to Florida.
The two reconnect rather seamlessly and with little drama, quickly resolving misunderstandings and bonding over man problems.The weird vigilante subplot then takes over, and you better believe that the detective's interest in the case is not entirely professional. In fact, he’s so smitten with Addie that he chants her name (“Addie...Addie...Addie...”) throughout. Can you handle it? (I could not.)
I listened to this on audiobook, which generally doesn’t work for me in between being cut off by large trucks, avoiding potholes, and berating humanity; but the combination of Weiner’s earnest style and soapy plot made for a good time. Recommended.
-Megan
