Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

These Girls

by Sarah Pekkanen (Goodreads Author)

3.61 of 5 stars 3.61 · rating details · 2,139 ratings · 294 reviews

In her third novel, internationally bestselling author Sarah Pekkanen examines the lives of three women working and living together in New York City and shows that family secrets may shape us all, but it’s the rich, complicated layers of friendship that can save us.

Cate, Renee, and Abby have come to New York for very different reasons, and in a bustling city of millions, t...more

Paperback, 336 pages

Published April 10th 2012 by Washington Square Press (first published April 1st 2012)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Cover Couples

378th out of 558 books — 464 voters

A Very Minor Prophet by James Bernard Frost

Best books of April, 2012

38th out of 77 books — 172 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Apr 04, 2012 Melissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Sarah Pekkanen is now three for three with amazing novels! You won't want to miss this one!!!

http://chicklitcentraltheblog.blogspo...

Amy Bromberg also reviewed it here.

like 5 likes · see review

Apr 20, 2012 Rachel Piper rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own-ebook, adult-fiction, light-lit

I love books about people working at magazines. Initially the characters voices were too similar but I soon got wrapped up in their individual dramas. I related most to Cate, with her insecurities and workaholic-ness--but not her dedication to morning running and effortless beauty.

Digression: Why do so many women in novels not wear makeup? There are always descriptions of these naturally gorgeous women who "rarely wear makeup" dusting on "one coat of mascara and the barest hint of lip gloss." Th...more

like 5 likes · see review

Apr 05, 2012 Jencey/ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit

Thank you to Book spark Pr and Washington Square Press for the copy of These Girls by Sarah Pekkanen. I have one copy to giveaway.
Synopsis:
Cate and Renee live in an apartment in New York and recently lost their roommate. They are in search of another roommate. Enter Trey the handsome writer who Renee still has a desire for a relationship. He has a little sister Abby who has suddenly come to New York looking for a safe place. She seeks solace in her brother but because of his job he is unable to...more Thank you to Book spark Pr and Washington Square Press for the copy of These Girls by Sarah Pekkanen. I have one copy to giveaway.
Synopsis:
Cate and Renee live in an apartment in New York and recently lost their roommate. They are in search of another roommate. Enter Trey the handsome writer who Renee still has a desire for a relationship. He has a little sister Abby who has suddenly come to New York looking for a safe place. She seeks solace in her brother but because of his job he is unable to care for her. Trey then turns to Renee and Cate to help with his sister and therefore solving their roommate issue as well. The solution looks great on paper but is there more to the story?
My Thoughts:
I thought this book was a great read! I like reading about the magazine world. I enjoyed the story from the beginning. I thought it was great how the author wove the conflict within these characters into the story. Sarah Pekkanen has created characters that you will want to root for. I would say that I liked this book better than her previous book Skipping a Beat.
This book focuses on the inner conflict within the three girls. The plot focused on the inner struggles that each girl had. Abby succumbs to anxiety over her nanny job. Renee struggles with the inner issue of her weight and how it affects her job and relationships. Cate has secrets of her own about her past. I felt they were woven together beautifully.
Sarah is delighted to hear from you on both facebook and twitter. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sarah-P...
http://www.sarahpekkanen@twitter.com
Rating:
4/5
I have one copy of These Girls to giveaway. This giveaway is open to US residents only. Please make sure that you leave your e-mail address to qualify. The giveaway will end April 12 at midnight eastern standard time.
Have additional entries:
1. Leave a comment
2. Leave your e-mail address
3. Follow Writer’s Corner
4. Follow on Facebook
5. Follow on Twitter @jenceyg
6. Follow Sarah on Twitter @sarahpekkanen
7. Follow Sarah on Facebook
(less)

like 1 like · see review

Feb 12, 2013 Marcie rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was an easy to read, moderately interesting story about three friends living in New York City. Two girls are involved in the magazine publishing industry, so of course the book touches on beauty, weight and glamor (three topics about which I am not very interested in reading). The third girl ran away from a nanny job, for reasons which don't get explained until very late in the book. I felt like the author was cramming too many issues in each girl's life to be believable; is it realistic fo...more

like 1 like · see review

Jul 04, 2012 Danielle Rossman rated it 5 of 5 stars

Sarah Pekkanen has impressed me in her two previous novels as being a fresh new voice in the woman's literature field. It was with great excitement that I received her new novel These Girls because I could not wait to see what secret would be revealed between its pages. These Girls is the story of three women living in New York, their jobs, their relationships and how they find friendship in what can be a mean and lonely city. I must say that it was a bit more predictable then Sarah's last novel...more Sarah Pekkanen has impressed me in her two previous novels as being a fresh new voice in the woman's literature field. It was with great excitement that I received her new novel These Girls because I could not wait to see what secret would be revealed between its pages. These Girls is the story of three women living in New York, their jobs, their relationships and how they find friendship in what can be a mean and lonely city. I must say that it was a bit more predictable then Sarah's last novel, but the voice is true and sharp as it lopes along though the streets of New York. Pekannen is a fresh voice who knows how to tell a story that could have been simplistic. Everyone has a secret and as the young female protagonists lives intertwine, so will the need and desire to reveal these secrets. It is in this manner that the story telling is never dull because these characters no matter how pretty, fashionable or smart they seem have imperfections that make them palpable to every woman on the street..And as these three women forge a bond and begin to open up about their families, their lives and what they have really been through, the weight of their secrets begins to ease and they see themselves in a more realistic light. This is the power of trust and friendship!

For Cate, New York has brought her the much sought after title of feature editor for the magazine Gloss... It is what she left behind at Ohio State that continues to haunt her. She is quite capable at her job, but she isn't quite sure if she is deserving of the position.

Renee, is in the running for the coveted position of Beauty editor of Gloss. She suffers from a lack of self confidence with her curvy figure and her two opponents for the position seem to be more with it then she is...or so she thinks! A new flirtation with diet pills seems to be giving her pep and curbing her appetite...but this energy is making her edgy and frenetic. Yes she is losing weight, but at the expense of her health and sanity.

Abby's life "seems" together. She is happy, has a man in her life and in a dream nanny job where she was able to go to school in the evenings and by day live with a Washington connected family and their adorable daughter. But the man of the house, Bob, is lonely and with his wife working for a high powered Senator, he isn't getting the attention he desires. Suddenly Abby becomes what he desires. This is a certain recipe for disaster.

It seems as if all these people would be too many people to keep straight...not to mention brothers, former lovers and friends (Count Trey as all of the above!) But Sarah Pekkanen pulls it off with aplomb. She talks to the reader with clarity and simplicity that speaks of a very mature writer. She handles multiple plots well and intertwines them with grace. She also gets to the soul of her characters and keeps them from being vague or typical of so-called chick lit. It is quite impressive to read a novel structured so well from such a new author. Her voice speaks of a much more seasoned author like Jennifer Weiner or Sophie Kinsella. I look forward to her new offerings! I do believe she is here to stay.(less)

like · see review

Jun 22, 2012 Sheila DeChantal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Welcome to New York. It's busy and fast paced and feels as though you are surrounded by a constant buzz of electricity that feels the air.

For Cate, New York has brought her the sought after title of feature editor for the magazine Gloss. It is everything that Cate had hoped for in a career, and everything she has dreaded as well.

Renee, is in the running for the coveted position of Beauty editor of Gloss. She suffers from low self-esteem to her constant battle with her weight and her two componen...more Welcome to New York. It's busy and fast paced and feels as though you are surrounded by a constant buzz of electricity that feels the air.

For Cate, New York has brought her the sought after title of feature editor for the magazine Gloss. It is everything that Cate had hoped for in a career, and everything she has dreaded as well.

Renee, is in the running for the coveted position of Beauty editor of Gloss. She suffers from low self-esteem to her constant battle with her weight and her two components for the position seem to have it far more together than she does. However, the diet pills she has started taking seem to be giving her energy and curbing her appetite and she is learning that if she takes more pills, she has more energy.... and maybe the weight will drop faster.

Abby, had her life together. She was happy and in a dream job where she was able to go to school in the evenings and by day live with a young family and take care of their darling little girl. But the man of the house, Bob, is pretty good-looking, and oh so kind, and the wife just works all the time late into the evenings.... leaving Abby alone with Bob...

As these three women connect and eventually become roommates, the secrets that can busy us... perhaps friendship can save us?

Women friendships. Why do they have to be so complicated? Cate has the job that she loves and is getting her feet wet into this new career with a flourish. Yet her friend and roommate Renee struggles through life with weight issues that seem to shadow over everything she does. If a date does not go well, it is due to her weight, if she doesn't get the position she wants.. no doubt it is contributed to her weight... and the mean comments that show up on her beauty tips blog just seal the deal that she has to do something about her weight. They Abby enters the picture and by the time Cate and Renee meet her she is a fragile broken girl with a story that they know nothing about. Abby's career as a nanny is now over - and as the pages turn we get a glimpse into what was true then....

(please see my foll review at:) http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/2012...(less)

like 1 like · see review

Jun 13, 2012 Barbara rated it 3 of 5 stars

“These Girls”
By Sarah Pekkanen

“These Girls” is the story of three young women who have all come to New York for different reasons.

Cate is the features editor of Gloss which is a high end lifestyle magazine. It was a great promotion but comes with more complications than Cate ever imagined. Cate is beautiful and thin and career driven yet her friendships with the other two girls is high on the priority list. She actually feels insecure around other women, and needs to belong in this threesome fo...more

like 1 like · see review

Jun 12, 2012 Liviania rated it 4 of 5 stars

THESE GIRLS follows three women as they try to balance their careers and personal lives. Refreshingly, that doesn't involve sacrificing ambition for romance. All three women have romantic relationships, but the book does not end with them being fulfilled by getting a man. The ideal balance for each woman is different, but it truly is a balance--not giving up one thing for another.

Cate has just been promoted to features editor at Gloss magazine and her roommate Renee is competing with two coworke...more THESE GIRLS follows three women as they try to balance their careers and personal lives. Refreshingly, that doesn't involve sacrificing ambition for romance. All three women have romantic relationships, but the book does not end with them being fulfilled by getting a man. The ideal balance for each woman is different, but it truly is a balance--not giving up one thing for another.

Cate has just been promoted to features editor at Gloss magazine and her roommate Renee is competing with two coworkers for the position of beauty editor. Meanwhile, Abby ran from her job as a live-in nanny to her brother's home in New York. That brother happens to be a reporter currently working for Cate and formerly dating Renee. Thus, Abby becomes their third roommate when he leaves the country for an assignment.

Cate doubts she can handle her new job due to a secret in her past. Most everyone in the novel considers Renee beautiful, but Renee struggles with being a curvy girl in a rail-thin magazine world. Things go off the rails when she finds her old roommate Naomi's diet pills. (Through in a bit of cyberbullying to make Renee's storyline an issues twofer.) Abby admits to having an affair with the father at her job, but keeps secret the truth which made her run from a little girl she loved.

Abby's storyline wasn't the weakest, but it fit awkwardly into THESE GIRLS structure. It was the only story told mostly through flashback, and Abby just didn't spend as much time with the other girls. I thought Sarah Pekkanen pulled off a brilliant conclusion that tied the themes of Abby's stories into the novel as a whole, but until that late-coming a-ha moment it just didn't quite work for me.

Pekkanen's verse is imminently readable. I thought THESE GIRLS might be too heavy to read on the drive to North Dakota, but I finished it far sooner than expected. There might not be explosions or car chases, but I found THESE GIRLS almost impossible to put down. (Hey, I had to eat lunch. There aren't that many places selling hot food in rural South Dakota.)

If you read chick lit, then I advise you to pick up all three of Pekkanen's novels. If you don't, then she's a great author to give a chance. She writes compelling stories about relatable, modern women. (less)

like · see review

May 29, 2012 Yuka rated it 4 of 5 stars

Do you remember how you met your best friend?

Cate is a new features editor for Gloss magazine. She’s younger than the other editors and is working hard to prove herself to her peers and her boss. Cate has a secret that could jeopardize her career. Renee is a writer for the beauty section of Gloss. Although Renee is friendly, smart and pretty, she has body esteem issue. She is applying for the position of beauty editor and will go to extreme lengths to look the part. Abby was Annabelle’s nanny. W...more

like · see review

May 16, 2012 Romancing the Book rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit

Posted on Romancing the Book's blog
Reviewed by Sabrina
Review Copy Provided by Book Spark PR

I was pretty sure I knew what I was getting into when I requested this book to review. I expected heartache, friendship going above and beyond the call of duty and maybe a small tease of romance. What I got out of it was so much more. Normally when you read books about friendships, you get people that have known each other for years. All through college or high school and that is why they are still friends...more

like · see review

Apr 21, 2012 T. Edmund rated it 3 of 5 stars

As a gent reading was is clearly intended as Chic Lit, I began These Girls with a fair dose of trepidation. Nothing in the first quarter did much to relieve this - the main characters were obnoxiously normal woman, battling diets, relationships, and career trouble.

As the book progressed, I found myself warming to the ladies, or at least their melodramas. Even speck of dark humour emerged as Renee struggled to handle the trollish personal comments that emerged when her boss directed her to write...more

like 1 like · see review

Apr 11, 2012 Angie Holtz rated it 5 of 5 stars

From Lilac Wolf and Stuff

The cover is classic chick lit - flows with Sarah's other novels too. Lone female staring out a window in New York. I'd bet on Abby - I do wish they would have put all three women on the cover.

The story does go from Cate, to Renee and then to Abby. It follows their messed up love lives, and mistakes they have to overcome. I really connected with Renee, having my own issues with weight. The fact that she's in that industry at all proves her worth. And she's not even fat,...more

like · see review

Apr 30, 2012 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, fiction

I was recommended Sarah Pekkanen by a friend of mine with similar taste in chick lit, and I'm very happy about it! This is her latest book, about three girlfriends living in NYC. Two of them work at a magazine called Gloss. The other girl is a former nanny who fled from her job to the city. Her brother is a hottie who works at an outdoors magazine in the same building as Gloss. Great premise and setup, with the classic chick lit themes of friends vs. guys; relationships with parents; someone gri...more

like · see review

May 16, 2012 Reaya rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was very happy to have the opportunity to read this third offering from Sarah Pekkanen as I enjoyed both of her previous books (Opposite of Me and Skipping a Beat). This book examines the relationship between young, single women trying to find a balance between work, self, and romantic relationships. The challenge in reading this book was that Pekkanen tried to write from all three women's perscpectives, leaving much of the book very disjointed. I think there are probably 2 compelling stories...more

like 1 like · see review

Apr 26, 2012 Samantha Robey rated it 5 of 5 stars

From Sarah Pekkanen’s debut novel, The Opposite of Me, I knew the women’s fiction world had gained a truly talented author. Not at all disappointed by her sophomore book Skipping a Beat, I was thrilled when offered the chance to review These Girls. Once again – immaculate story-telling, a build-up of memorable characters and situations, and another novel to add to my Favorites list.

The story follows the lives of three very different women. First there is Cate, newly promoted features editor for...more

like · see review

Jan 31, 2013 Kay rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a wonderfully written story of friendship and family. This book did an amazing job at approaching subjects that many don’t like to talk about in public because it makes them uncomfortable.

The setting was enjoyable and new to me. Renee and Cate work at a woman’s magazine called Gloss. I really enjoyed seeing some behind the scene happenings at a magazine. Many times I felt like I was there in New York with these three girls, and I always enjoy a novel where I get sucked into its pages.

Sim...more This is a wonderfully written story of friendship and family. This book did an amazing job at approaching subjects that many don’t like to talk about in public because it makes them uncomfortable.

The setting was enjoyable and new to me. Renee and Cate work at a woman’s magazine called Gloss. I really enjoyed seeing some behind the scene happenings at a magazine. Many times I felt like I was there in New York with these three girls, and I always enjoy a novel where I get sucked into its pages.

Simply put, this is a complex novel. Although there are many hard subject matters that are brought to light all are done well and not pushy. Some of the subjects that are artfully approached in this novel include beauty standards, gender in the workplace, the complexities of families, secrets, friendship, romantic relationships and more that I don’t want to say because it will give away some of the plot.

Each character was well crafted and full of secrets. I could relate in some degree to each character even though I don’t have personal experience with some of the subject matter. I could feel what these characters were feeling. When I first started reading the book I thought that maybe Pekkanen was revealing the character’s inner secrets too quickly, which would have been a big turn off for me, but I turned out to be wrong. There were still plenty of surprises as the novel progressed.

Lately I have been doing a lot of funny light reading. This was a big difference and I was slightly worried how I would respond to this huge jump in genre. Usually I have to be in a certain mood to read a heavy book like this, but I ended up really enjoying it. Plus, even though it hits on touchy subjects, there are still quite a few laughs from the main characters.

If the mood strikes you, or even if it doesn’t, you should read this one. It does a really good job at approaching tough subjects, and even though some of the characters make frustrating choices, I still really liked them.(less)

like · see review

Sep 10, 2012 April rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads

A tale of the ways secrets can envelope all aspects of your life just as you think you've got them all covered up. You can't escape them. They are engrained in your being and manage to escape when you least expect them...

Three women living together in New York City. Three women harboring secrets that they think they've hidden in the deepest crevices of their being; however, the secrets affect their daily actions, thoughts, and choices more than they know.

Cate: successful, driven, and independen...more A tale of the ways secrets can envelope all aspects of your life just as you think you've got them all covered up. You can't escape them. They are engrained in your being and manage to escape when you least expect them...

Three women living together in New York City. Three women harboring secrets that they think they've hidden in the deepest crevices of their being; however, the secrets affect their daily actions, thoughts, and choices more than they know.

Cate: successful, driven, and independent. Yet, she maintains a wall and distance from her roommates. She wants more but doesn't know how to go about it. She ran away from something life altering, escaping to New York City. No one knows why. She desperately longs to tell her story but fears the repercussions.

Renee: loyal and hardworking, she struggles to fit in a career built upon perfection. She wouldn't call herself fat by any means, but she certainly isn't the industry standard size four. As she pursues a job opening as a beauty editor, she finds herself secretly attempting to lose weight at all costs.

Abby: caring, nurturing, and mysterious, she comes to the roommates as the sister of a friend in need of a place to stay. Clearly disheveled and troubled, the women try to figure out what happened to Abby to cause her to drop everything and run...to New York City.

Bound by secrets they don't know exist, each woman longs for love and acceptance in her own way. The women open up and expose secrets that reveal tragedy, heartache, and raw honesty. I thought this book would be a light, chick lit read but the struggles and challenges each woman faced were so poignantly real that I still think about each of them and wonder what they are doing today. The ways in which each woman's secrets are so firmly entangled in the lives of those around them is incredibly thought provoking and makes me wonder what the secrets are of those I see as strangers on the street...you never know the battles another is facing or the burdens they carry. (less)

like · see review

Aug 13, 2012 Marla rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, womens-fiction, favorites

Sarah Pekkanen remains one of my favorite authors! I love the stories she puts together and tells. Her characters are deep and well developed, and always amazingly easy to relate to.

These Girls is a story of three young women living and working in New York (I love reading about New York because I know I could never hack actually living there). Each arrived under her own circumstances and each has a separate dream to chase.

Cate is a hard-working magazine editor. Abby is a young nanny who is going...more

like 1 like · see review

Jul 16, 2012 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, reviewed

Cate and Renee are roommates in NYC, their third is leaving though. Cate in her new job as features editor at Gloss, is trying to prove that she really does deserve the job she has and still protect her secrets. Renee's debt is piling up and she is wondering if she should go home, especially as her parents are having a crisis of their own and she is their only child. But, with the beauty editor position being open puts more pressure on her and she has to remember that beauty is more than just sk...more Cate and Renee are roommates in NYC, their third is leaving though. Cate in her new job as features editor at Gloss, is trying to prove that she really does deserve the job she has and still protect her secrets. Renee's debt is piling up and she is wondering if she should go home, especially as her parents are having a crisis of their own and she is their only child. But, with the beauty editor position being open puts more pressure on her and she has to remember that beauty is more than just skin deep.
Filling the empty spot is Abby, who's brother Trey works with Cate and Renee and is kind of the heart throb of the office. Abby has secrets of her own that she is running away from. She runs to Trey the only member of her family who she trusts and he in trusts her to Cate and Renee to help pull her out of her depression and help her move on from the past.
This book focuses on the girls secrets and how they learn to trust each other and support each other through learning to accept their secrets. And how they can each move on with their lives.

I really enjoyed this book. Really didn't want to put it down at times and keep wanting to kind of read ahead to see what was going to happened. By the end of the book I really wanted more about the characters, I wanted to know how they kept going with the growth that they each had all just accepted by the end of the book. My favorite part of this book was the charter growth that all of the main characters went through. I feel like that is one of Sarah's strengths, in establishing the characters. I personally can't say that I have a favorite of any of the Girls and I liked that since due to that I could relate to all of them.

Sarah is one of my favorite authors ever since I discovered her first books, The Opposite of Me and Skipping a Beat. I am looking forward to more of her works.

I would give this book 4 stars, just because I find it hard to give 5 stars and I wanted more from it, so there was more that could be there it wasn't perfect but very close. (less)

like · see review

Apr 11, 2012 Monica rated it 1 of 5 stars

It has been a long time since i read a chic lit book but i have read great books involving loving friendships between women. This isnt one of them. I thought i would get a strong emotional bond between women going through some grown women issues like in Saving Graces, Brothers and Sisters and most books i have read by Lisa See but what i got was an adult book that read like a ya novel. The women were weak, naive and i never felt any strong connections between them even as they started to open up...more

like 2 likes · see review

May 08, 2012 Dr. rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have read Sarah Pekkanen's 2 prior novels. I wasn't very impressed by her writing ability in the past, so I didn't expect much from THESE GIRLS.
After reading her latest novel, I am still not a huge fan of this author.
She writes fair. I am not critical of her, but I am not amazed ot excited by her writing either.
Her books are great for travel & relaxation. Her books don't require any thought. I can pick them up and read them cover to cover for pure enjoyment.
I am tired of females being prot...more

like · see review

Sep 21, 2012 Ellin Veney rated it 2 of 5 stars

This is the story of three women in their late 20s in NYC. Of course two of them (Cate and Renee) work at a magazine, because it seems all chic lit that takes place in the Big Apple has to include at least one woman working at a Vogue-like magazine. It would have been lovely to have more creativity here.

The third woman has run away suddenly from her nanny job in Maryland (20 min from where I live, outside DC, and as I was a nanny here for 10 years this story line was a little more interesting)...more This is the story of three women in their late 20s in NYC. Of course two of them (Cate and Renee) work at a magazine, because it seems all chic lit that takes place in the Big Apple has to include at least one woman working at a Vogue-like magazine. It would have been lovely to have more creativity here.

The third woman has run away suddenly from her nanny job in Maryland (20 min from where I live, outside DC, and as I was a nanny here for 10 years this story line was a little more interesting) and is living w/ her brother but stays w/ Cate and Renee.

At one point, Renee realizes she's lived with Cate for six month and is just now figuring out that Cate is shy. Really? They work two cubicles from each other and live together and it took her six months to figure this out? That just seems poorly written/thought out by the author.

The details of Abby's live-in nanny job were well developed, and seeing that the author lives here in the DC area and has a nanny (and she thanked her nanny in the acknowledgements, which is huge!) shows that this is an area with which she is familiar. It can be difficult to maintain the line between friend and employee, and when there is obvious tension in the employers' marriage, it makes it awkward and uncomfortable for any household staff members. I also related well with the panic attacks Abby had and I think anyone who's experienced a panic attack will understand how she felt. I won't spoil the ending, but the way her story wraps up was done well.

Renee is struggling with her weight. I felt that while there are thousands of women who feel the same every day, the way she chose to deal with it, the aftermath, and the way it ended were not done in such a way as to encourage the reader to be healthy. It was more of a "it wasn't really all that bad in the end and I got the results I wanted" ending.

Cate's story was the weakest in my opinion. As I sit here, and I just finished the book last night, I can't even remember the main point of her storyline, so instead of going back and looking it up, I'll let that fact speak for itself.(less)

like 1 like · see review

Jun 27, 2012 Terri Tinkel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: female-friends

This was a very quick book to read. I enjoyed it too. It involved 3 young women who meet and then share an apt. in NYC. One of them has just been named Feature Editor for a Glam magazine and believes she has to prove her worth. One is working at the same magazine in the Cosmetic Section and wants to move up in her job. She is overweight and believes that is going to hold her back. The third was a nanny and had to leave her job when she fell in love with the Daddy of the baby she cares for. All o...more

like · see review

May 22, 2012 Michelle added it

Cate and Renee each have amazing jobs at a high-end magazine but face stepping blocks to truly achieving individual happiness. Abby's demons bring them together, and together they are able to accomplish even more than they dreamed. Sarah Pekkenan's latest, These Girls, showcases each girl's struggles to find success, happiness, and self-satisfaction among the everyday stressors and captures the true meaning of friendship.

The one thing that sets Ms. Pekkanen's novels apart from other so-called "c...more

like · see review

Apr 24, 2012 Meredith Schorr rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

This is a story of three women (late twenties, early thirties) who are each struggling internally with personal issues; Renee is beautiful both inside and out but, as a size 12, she constantly compares herself to thinner women. When she competes for the position of beauty editor at a magazine, her body issues hit an all-time-low; Cate is holding back a secret that she feels threatens her new leadership position at the magazine; This secret also keeps her a bit emotionally unavailable fo...more 3.5 stars

This is a story of three women (late twenties, early thirties) who are each struggling internally with personal issues; Renee is beautiful both inside and out but, as a size 12, she constantly compares herself to thinner women. When she competes for the position of beauty editor at a magazine, her body issues hit an all-time-low; Cate is holding back a secret that she feels threatens her new leadership position at the magazine; This secret also keeps her a bit emotionally unavailable for relationships both platonic and romantic; and Abby has run away from her life in the suburbs and is starting to see the influence her childhood has had on her present choices. Renee and Cate have been roommates in their small NYC apartment for a while but never true friends, but when Abby's brother Trey asks them to take in his sister, things change.

I have mixed feelings about this book. In truth, I had difficulty putting it down because I wanted to know what would happen to each of these girls (no pun intended). In that respect, it was a great book. At the same time, I was often not happy with the author's choices and, with the exception of Renee, did not sympathize with the girls as much as I think I was supposed to. Cate, in particular, got on my nerves more than once. Each time she made a bad choice, she would internally acknowledge that she might be doing the wrong thing but then she would justify it and do it anyway. I thought she was a bit selfish, although she redeemed herself somewhat at the end. And while I understood what provoked Abby to do what she did, I still found her actions hard to swallow. Renee, on the other hand, was extremely likeable and sympathetic. She was, by far, my favorite character and the only one in whose story I felt truly vested.

*SPOILER ALERT* I really did not like the love triangle aspect of the book and was very upset that the author choose to make Cate the object of Trey's interest when Renee was such a better match and, in my opinion, a much better catch! My heart broke and my blood boiled for Renee as I watched the building chemistry between Trey and Cate - did not like the idea of them together AT ALL.

Finally, there were issues in the book that I thought could have been resolved better - for instance, the cyber-bullying of Renee by her colleague was never really addressed - that could have added more tension.

I absolutely LOVED Skipping a Beat and will certainly continue to read books by this author but this one is not a favorite.
(less)

like 1 like · see review

Jun 11, 2012 Angela Risner rated it 4 of 5 stars

This novel follows the lives of three young women in New York City.

*Cate, who has just been promoted into a features editor at Gloss magazine
*Renee, who is vying for the beauty editor job at the same magazine
*Abby, who is the younger sister of a journalist at the same publishing company

The three are all at life changing moments in their lives and it's through these trial and tribulations that they form a deep friendship.

This was another recommendation from Jen Lancaster's blog. I had not read...more

like · see review

Aug 19, 2012 Sabrina Laitinen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sarah Pekkanen's third novel, "These Girls" is as captivating and enjoyable as the previous ones! The story is about three young ladies living in New York, who share an apartment together.

Cate and Renee both work for magazine companies and Abby is recovering from a traumatic affair with her prior employer.

The unique personalities of these women are explored as they each progress with their personal and professional lives. Their diverse lives ultimately intertwine, and the meaning of sisterhood i...more

like · see review

Jun 14, 2012 Jan rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've enjoyed each book I've read by Sarah Pekkanen and this one is no exception. Cate and her roommate, Renee both work at the magazine Gloss. Renee is trying to get the job of beauty editor at the magazine. She feels she can't get the job without looking the part. And so starts her diet madness. Her quest is leading her into emotional and physical tailspin. Cate is the new features editor and finds it involves more than she expected. The third party is Abby, she is the sister of the handsome Tr...more

like · see review

Jun 30, 2012 Parismaddy rated it 3 of 5 stars

These Girls by Sarah Pekkanen

If you like Jennifer Weiner or Jodi Picoult novels, you'll probably enjoy These Girls. Cate is Features Editor and her roomie Renee is hoping to be the next beauty editor of Gloss, the high fashion NYC magazine they work at. Overweight Renee thinks her chances to net the position will be sweetened if she loses weight. Enter black market diet pills.

Hunky reporter Trey Watkins has a sister, Abby, who needs a place to live and Cate and Renee offer her a room---what bett...more

like · see review

Aug 01, 2012 Kjrstin rated it 1 of 5 stars

This book has received a good share of postive reviews. Even from Jodi Picocult. I, however, did not care for it. I couldn't even get 20 pages in. Perhaps it got better after the opening, but I just couldn't make it because it was confusing. The story is told from multiple points of view which normally wouldn't be a problem. But there was nothing separating the points of view. Typically there would be a an extra space between paragraphs, a symbol between the paragraphs or even a new chapter. But...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
what happened to the ending?	2	26	Jul 26, 2012 06:35pm

combine
Other Editions (4)

Genres

Womens Fiction > Chick Lit

64 users

Contemporary

9 users

Adult

5 users

Book Club

5 users

Drama

4 users

Womens Fiction

4 users

Romance

3 users

Adult Fiction

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Sarah Pekkanen

"Fans of Jennifer Weiner and Emily Giffin will strongly appreciate this rising star in women's fiction." - Library Journal.
Internationally bestselling author Sarah Pekkanen's newest book is THE BEST OF US (April 2013, Atria/Simon&Schuster). She is also the author of THE OPPOSITE OF ME, SKIPPING A BEAT, and THESE GIRLS. Sarah's linked 99 cent short stories, published by Simon&Schuster exclu...more

More about Sarah Pekkanen...

Books by Sarah Pekkanen

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About These Girls

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from These Girls

“She loved the way her city always sounded like it was celebrating.” — 1 person liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: These Girls
avg rating	preview: These Girls Goodreads rating: 3.61 (2139 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12360163-these-girls?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1334172766l/12360163.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12360163-these-girls?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]These Girls by Sarah Pekkanen[/url]

These Girls

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website