The author was gifted, I had read him before. The subject interesting, I am a Latina immigrant after all. The reviews outstanding, how can I go wrong?

Unfortunately, this book did not quite achieve my apparently unrealistic expectations. He's a good writer of good stories. But in this case I could not stomach the dysfunction that no character wanted to improve. I couldn't stand reading about so many weak female characters. Could that many women be that desperate? Finally, I REALLY disliked the intense level of misogyny in virtually every male character. Maybe I would have enjoyed it more if there was an underlying message of perseverance, growth, or strength. But alas, I found no message if triumph. That only left me wondering....what's the point of reading this? The world is frustrating enough. I read to escape it not wallow in it.

Having little information on the subject matter, I have a lot of respect for Mike Greenberg having listened to him on ESPN. My husband has enjoyed him for years as well. My primary reason to read this book was simply to generate a common interest in something with my husband, I.e. my love of books and his love of Mike & Mike.

As soon as I received the book in the mail I was intrigued. As I researched the book my intrigue turned to fascination. I have now completed the book and I find it was a good story that kept my interest. I'm still fascinated wondering how Mike Greenberg chose this subject matter...'chicklit' in its finest form.

Ok, I generally run from the genre like the plague. I find the books typically make high drama out of frivolous topics. I typically complete a chicklit book having learned nothing and grown little and wonder how ill ever get that time back. So my expectations dropped significantly. To my surprise, with Greenberg's book, I did walk away with something. The stories were entertaining and the characters were believable. The overall flow of narration was smooth.

I cannot say that Greenberg has a mastery for the written word, nor does he require the reader to work at all (I.e. think new thoughts, consider a world of new experiences, reach emotions not typically exposed, etc). I like when a book pushes me like that and think Greenberg's book would have been better if he had succeeded at it. However, the book was entertaining and I did walk away appreciating the value of a best friend and realizing the importance of figuring out what your life is meant to be for you.

Bottom line, I would say it fits squarely in the chicklit genre which isn't my favorite, but he scores points for telling very entertaining stories and reminding us of what is important.

I am the mother of a downs syndrome child who has significant health issues so I recognize that my perspective might be a bit different than others. I was hoping for some inspiration or life lessons that I could apply to my own life. I was hoping to find a connection in this sisterhood of being a mother of a DS child. Unfortunately, I did not connect with the author or her experience really at all. The books tone felt heavy on melodrama and seemed really self-centered. I cannot believe that the full first half of this book was focused on her own disappointment with Nelle's DS. So much grief and pain. So many people had to come to her rescue. So many pages and words dedicated to her self-pity. I never felt that level of disappointment. I always felt DS was the least of my worries, we would work with that, just keep him alive and healthy! Maybe it is because I know the real threat of not having your child at all, but I can't help but feel she should be ashamed for acting so selfishly. Ultimately, it was hard for me to complete the book because I found myself not learning anything, completely lacking empathy for her, and wanting to admonish her behavior. Liked her blog...not the book.