Book Review: Girls' Night Out

Girls' Night Out by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke

I had high hopes for this one, but sadly, it left me feeling very disappointed.

*After seeing all the hype it is getting, I appear to be the outsider here. But, if you give me a minute, I will explain. Also, I feel bad giving a negative review on a popular book, but I can't lie. It was so not my favorite.

This novel is about three estranged friends who travel to Mexico on a girls' trip to mend fences, but along the way, one of the girls goes missing. I purposely read this book at the end of my own girls' trip to Mexico, so I think my experience (and friendships) greatly influenced my feelings.

Ashley is the loud on the group and the one that goes missing. I hated Ashley. She came off as obnoxious and stupid, honestly. For example, she spends her time on the girls' trip with a local guy she just met talking about spiritual crystals and whatnot (she's married, by the way). And, she does not seem to understand why her friends might be upset with her.

Lauren is the most estranged from the group because her husband died from a heart attack when Ashley convinced her to leave him because he was beating her. So, she's mad at Ashley for "killing her husband." I can't even with this one. Oh, and she apparently has a sex addiction now.

Natalie is Ashley's actual BFF and company partner, but she wants out. The problem is she has zero backbone and just won't be honest and tell her friend that her family is in desperate need of the money they'd get from selling the company to Revlon. Oh, and she woke up from being blacked out on the beach the night her BFF went missing.

The novel is basically a series of whining and arguing and talking behind each other's backs. This is the stuff of high school (or college at the most), but THESE ARE FORTY-YEAR-OLD WOMEN! Um, no. I am nearing forty and my friends and I do not act anything like the women in this book.

The climax and ending were disappointing, mainly because I hated the characters so much. I didn't really care what happened to them or who did it. All I thought the whole time was that this was a very immature view of adult female friendships and women, in general.

It was unrelatable and unbelievable. But, then again, maybe it is because I have been lucky enough to have friendships based on love and respect. I say pass on this one unless grown women acting like thirteen-year-olds sounds appealing to you.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy to read and review. I wish I had liked it more!