What My Best Friend Did

Jul 14, 2011 karen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

this book is fine. i feel bad giving it 2-stars instead of my default "well, i didn't hate reading it" three stars, especially since the author is here on goodreads.com (hi, sorry!), and i'm not here to ruin anyone's day. but there was a lot about it that just flat-out disappointed me.

first of all - the overuse of the word "random" is unforgivable.

-my coffee was accompanied by two teaspoons balanced on the saucer and a completely random blueberry muffin

-i'd have been lying on the sofa crying at...more

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Apr 06, 2011 Holly rated it 3 of 5 stars

Firstly, the positives. This book is very well written, and the characters are believable and relatable - we've all been in the Alice/Bailey/new love scenario - and that made the book easy and enjoyable to read.

However, I expected this book to be much better than it was, and was disappointed to find that it wasn't the dark and creepy thriller it was made out to be. I felt that the more 'psychotic' side of Gretchen could have really been exploited, and that none of the things she did in the book...more

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Nov 08, 2010 Cheryl rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Alice Johnston is a free lance photographer. Alice receives the change of a lifetime…an all expenses paid trip to LA. Alice ’s task is to photograph children’s television host Gretchen Bartholomew turned aspiring model. At first Alice wants to hate Gretchen but once she gets to know her, she finds herself with a new friend. Gretchen starts to slowly corrupt sweet Alice into becoming more outgoing. Alice starts noticing slight changes in Gretchen. When Alice realizes what Gretchen is really all a...more

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Sep 25, 2011 Cathe Olson rated it 2 of 5 stars

The book opens with Alice calling 911 because her best friend Gretchen has attempted to commit suicide by swallowing pills. As the book progresses, we alternate between the present and the past to find out what happened between Alice and Gretchen up to get to this point, and wait to find out if Gretchen will make it.

While the premise of friends not always being who we think they are is intriguing and the author did well meting out the information to keep the reader in suspense, the dialogue was...more

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Jan 27, 2011 Tara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-in-2011

For Alice, life's a bit too boringly grown-up lately—weekends at weddings and baby showers; celebrating friends' transitions to a life she isn't quite up for yet; and a sweet, stable boyfriend she suspects she's outgrown. So when she meets Gretchen for the first time, it feels a bit like falling in love. Gretchen, with her air of impulsiveness and intuitive style, is that rarest of treasures: a true friend who knows how to have fun. Plus there's Gretchen's gorgeous brother, Bailey, who might tur...more

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Feb 18, 2011 Elvia rated it 1 of 5 stars

This story was horrible. I don't usually put it out there like that. I'm usually very optimistic about everything I read. That's just the kind of person I am but this was not good at all. I think what disappointed me the most was that it had so much incredible potential to be a brilliant novel. It had intrigue. It had a like-able and relatable protagonist. The novel's antagonist was a character that I would have loved to have hated. The situation was set up for a great plot base. So what was the...more

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Dec 08, 2010 Mara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: british, fiction, friendship, relationships, attempted-suicide

If there is a textbook for "How to Write a Suspenseful Novel," then Lucy Dawson has surely read it. Her book opens on a suspenseful scene of Alice calling an ambulance for Gretchen, who has apparently tried to commit suicide by drinking and taking pills. But the reader is clearly not getting all the information. After a couple of chapters that build the suspense of what really happened and whether the truth will out, the action jumps back to when the main characters met. Chapters describing how...more

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Jan 01, 2011 Ashleigh rated it 4 of 5 stars

What My Best Friend Did was NOT what I expected. It far exceeded my expectations and I finished the book in less than two days. Dawson's book started off with a bang, and I thought that was very refreshing since I find that many books seem to begin rather slowly. It wasn't an emotionally deep novel by any means and it is the perfect example of an ideal engaging read to spice up a boring flight or car ride. What My Best Friend Did wasn't terribly long and as a result, there wasn't a huge amount o...more

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Jan 02, 2011 Jael rated it 3 of 5 stars

Happy New Year. The first review of 2011. I could have started off the new year reviewing a joyful tale, but I don't really have anything like that on my TBR pile. We're starting off the year with What My Best Friend Did by Lucy Dawson. The description on the back compares it to the movie Single White Female. While a path of death and destruction doesn't follow best friends Gretchen and Alice in this book, but it will make you take a closer look at your own friendships.

When the book opens, Alice...more Happy New Year. The first review of 2011. I could have started off the new year reviewing a joyful tale, but I don't really have anything like that on my TBR pile. We're starting off the year with What My Best Friend Did by Lucy Dawson. The description on the back compares it to the movie Single White Female. While a path of death and destruction doesn't follow best friends Gretchen and Alice in this book, but it will make you take a closer look at your own friendships.

When the book opens, Alice is in an ambulance rushing Gretchen to the hospital. There is an air of mystery as to the reason why they are rushing to the hospital. My first thought was a suicide attempt, which is partially true. Dawson's writing alludes to something more. Alice is feeling guilty. She is also full of remorse for not doing something for Gretchen. But what was it? Why didn't she help her friend? Several hints are dropped along the way, until the big reveal at the end.

The book flashes back about a year, a time when Alice was feeling down about her life. Alice is a bored London-based travel photographer. She has a boyfriend, Tom, who has marriage and mortgages on the brain. Alice wants something more, and finds it while on assignment in Los Angeles. She's been tasked to photograph Gretchen, a London TV host, looking to make it big in America. Gretchen is full of energy and has to be the center of attention, everyone is drawn to her. When she walks in the room there's more excitement, more life. Alice is drawn to her, but feels the only way Gretchen will like her is if she's more interesting. She lies about her relationship with Tom and claims to be happier than she actually is. I'm thinking why lie? If a person wants to be your friend, they will like you for who you are. Lies on top of lies won't help.

Before you know it, Alice's livelihood is all about Gretchen. They go out socially at every chance. Soon Alice's thoughts and relationships are dominated by Gretchen. What will Gretchen think? Is Gretchen mad at me? Gretchen this! Gretchen that!

Alice's lies catch up to her when she gives into an attraction to Gretchen's brother Bailey. Gretchen claims to be OK with the potential relationship. But Alice and Bailey being together means that is one less person paying attention to Gretchen. Why does she crave so much attention? Why is her happiness more important than her best friend? Tom and Alice's relationship is also ruined because of Gretchen. Is it intentional? Is it by accident? The clues to her behavior are there, but I looked past them initially. Gretchen has manic depression. Suddenly her up and down behavior makes sense, but she uses it to manipulate people and situations to her advantage.

Because of her behavior it's hard to know what's real and what isn't. So, ultimately what did she do? I can't tell you, read the book. I do wish the transitions between the past and the present were a little more clear, however this is still a worthwhile read. You will ask yourself, how far are you willing to go for a friend? Would you do anything for them? At what cost? Alice and Gretchen are destructive in their own ways. They both do things to sabotage the friendship and their own lives. Other people become less important because of their friendship. In the beginning they both sound like people you would want to be friends with, but by the end I hated them both.

Rating: Give it a try

Notes: I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. For more information on author Lucy Dawson, visit http://www.lucydawsonbooks.co.uk/ (less)

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Dec 13, 2010 Veleda rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, mental-illness-psychology, first-reads

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 30, 2010 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars

WHAT MY BEST FRIEND DID, by Lucy Dawson, is roller coaster of ups and downs in the friendship between Alice and Gretchen. They both meet on the job and become fast best friends. They have much in common and they have a blast together...for a while.

I can't remember the last book I read that made me as angry as this book did. Angry, in a good way (is that possible?). Dawson threw me into this seemingly perfect friendship between Alice and Gretchen and then she truly tortured her protagonist. This...more

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Apr 24, 2011 Cleverly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Who: You would think Alice would take front stage being she is the main character but Gretchen steals the show. She is in a world of her own.

What: What makes a best friend? Does it include sticking through it all or are there boundries?

Where: What My Best Friend did took place so many places but I'd say the hospital is the most memorable.

When: Book read in current times. I'd say this is a goodnight stand read and also a great beach read.

Why: Why you should read this.....Deception, Manipulation,...more

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Dec 31, 2010 Glenda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-in-2010, first-reads-win

I won this from Goodreads giveaway and I am glad I did.
The book opens on a suspenseful scene with Alice calling an ambulance for Gretchen, who has apparently tried to commit suicide by drinking and taking pills. But the reader is clearly not getting all the information. After a couple of chapters that build the suspense of what really happened and whether the truth will come out, the action jumps back to when the main characters met. Chapters describing how the relationships among the various ch...more

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Nov 15, 2010 Kelly Hager rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Alice and Gretchen are best friends. Gretchen’s actually everything that Alice isn’t–fun, outgoing, carefree–so when they meet and become friends, it’s like Alice gets to reinvent herself. But Gretchen also has a dark side (and a huge secret).

So you read that description and you probably think you know exactly how the book is going to go…but you don’t. This book is amazing and sad at the same time.

I don’t think this book is for everyone, but I’m so glad I won a copy of it because it’s definitely...more

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Oct 04, 2012 Jeanet rated it 2 of 5 stars

I really liked this book right up to the end. I don't mind having to use my imagination to figure out what happened next but the book ended so abruptly that I was sure there had to be some pages missing. Too many things were left unsaid and too much attention were used on what seems like unneeded details at the ending. One simple sentence would have saved the book for me in the end - and that was that despite everything he finally understood her. Nothing leading up to it indicates that he would...more

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Dec 01, 2012 Traci rated it 3 of 5 stars

***SPOILER ALERT***
I intend to discuss this book as if all readers have read it. If you have NOT read this book and think you will sometime down the road, I would stop here. SERIOUSLY.

This was a rough read, folks. The book has some issues, the characters have issues, the editing has issues... I'm reminded of a line I once heard by a comedian, something along the lines of "Let's get them a magazine rack - they've got a lot of issues." That would definitely apply to this book.

OK, the book/plot fir...more ***SPOILER ALERT***
I intend to discuss this book as if all readers have read it. If you have NOT read this book and think you will sometime down the road, I would stop here. SERIOUSLY.

This was a rough read, folks. The book has some issues, the characters have issues, the editing has issues... I'm reminded of a line I once heard by a comedian, something along the lines of "Let's get them a magazine rack - they've got a lot of issues." That would definitely apply to this book.

OK, the book/plot first. I am not a fan of the present story framing the past story. Dawson does a good enough job of making it clear what time period we're in, which is good. However, it still feels "jumpy" overall, leading to some of my displeasure. Also, the book starts off with Alice at the hospital, the emergency with Gretchen, the angst of trying to reach others (Tom, Bailey) - then goes back to when Alice first met Gretchen. We, the reader, don't even know what exactly has happened to Gretchen when the flashbacks begin, only that it must be something terrible, possibly life-threatening, for the opening to be so dramatic. Once we go back in time to that fateful meeting, the story starts dragging, becoming the typical "I'm comfortable with my life but boy I wish something would happen" sort of tale. We're properly introduced to Alice and Tom, and immediately we find out that Tom sees their relationship as long-term: buying a place together, getting married, possibly even having children. Alice freezes up, realizing that while she loves Tom, she's not ready for that sort of commitment, and why, oh why, must he try to have this sort of conversation right before she leaves for the States?

The back and forth continues as we see Alice's friendship with Gretchen blossom at a rapid pace. Perhaps the only thing I did like was the reaction of Vic, Alice's best friend who moved to Paris to be with her handsome love, Luc; Vic is naturally a bit jealous of Alice's "new best friend", feeling a bit off herself in a foreign land with no new best friend herself. Of all the characters in this limp moral tale, I liked Vic - and she's the only one. That's problem #2 - character development. Honestly, these people are rather harsh, almost none of them likeable, and often not what I would consider to be fully-developed. I will grant the author that there are a lot of characters on the canvas, but still, wouldn't it have been more interesting if Paolo, flatmate to Tom and Alice, has been fleshed out a bit? As it stands, he's merely the hot roommate who happens to have sex with Gretchen at crucial moments. Also, I thought Bailey needed to be more than the guy that lured Alice away from Tom (not hard to do, grant you, but still...). There is some back story given by him during a scene with Alice, one where he describes the first time Gretchen goes off the meds and tries to hurt herself. I knew I was supposed to pick up on the fact that he feels responsible for her, but wouldn't it have been better to have him tell me that? And to see it more than once? Again, I would have been much more invested in his blossoming love affair with Alice with more development of his character, or at least, I think I would have.

Then there's Alice herself. This novel is told from the first-person perspective, so everything we know is from Alice's POV. That is, until chapter twenty-nine, when the author suddenly shifts and has different scenes from a third-person POV. Here's Gretchen's doctor coming in to work, amazed that the "overdose girl" is still alive. Suddenly we go back to Alice's first-person POV, then we're watching Bailey as he wakes and gets ready to go to the hospital (everyone had left to get some rest, reassured that they had time before Gretchen "woke up"). Then we see Tom, then it's back to Alice, and oh my - I'm getting dizzy. Anyway, back to Alice. Even while she was getting to know Gretchen and gushing to Vic about how wonderful it is to have someone to hang out with again, I didn't like her. There's just something off about her; maybe it's the way she doesn't want to take responsibility for anything that's happening to her (her wanting to lie to Tom about being attracted to and kissing Bailey, for instance, even though it's clear she sees no future with Tom), maybe it's because it's obvious from the start that she's hiding something major from everyone at the hospital. In any case, at one point I was really hoping she'd get her comeuppance, and I don't know that that's what the author was going for.

I also had a hard time with how mental illness was portrayed in this book. What could have been a very touching, yet difficult subject comes across more as a simple plot device. Yes, Gretchen and her brother both explain to Alice what it's like for Gretchen, how scary it is to be "ill", and I thought the author did a great job in the scenes where Gretchen tells Alice how she feels when she's on her lithium, and off it. There could have been much more said on this subject. What really bothered me was Dawson's decision to have Gretchen be a completely manipulative witch, one who seems to blame her illness for her actions. Instead of a frank look at manic depression, we get something more along the lines of a bad movie plot. I think it would have been brilliant if Gretchen had explained why she pretty much stole/destroyed Alice's life; was Gretchen doing it because she couldn't stand to see someone be happy? Or did she do it because she wants that sort of life so badly herself?

Finally, there are some editing issues that will seem nitpicky to a lot of readers. But keep in mind, anything that basically pops you out of the story is bad, be it editing or character development or whatever. In this case, it was quote marks - specifically the use of double quotes within double quotes. I would have written it off as some British thing, or perhaps a peculiarity of the publisher, but half-way through the book, the correct way to quote someone within dialog started showing up, the old single quotes within double quotes. To this reader, it was like nails on a chalkboard. And it had me wondering - with tighter editing (which not only includes basic grammar and such, but also spotting plot holes, character weakness, etc) would this have been a better book? Possibly. We'll probably never know.

Now, having said all this, here's the weird thing: I found myself racing through the last 50 pages or so to find out how this would end. Not in a skimming-so-I-don't-have-to-read-it-all way, but in a biting-my-nails-because-I-can't-wait-to-see-how-this-ends kind of way. I know, right? How did that happen? I honestly don't know. I can say that when I finished the last page, I was sort of glad at how it ended, and also a bit disappointed as well. It's one of those books that leaves you hanging, as you'll never really know what happens. Sigh.
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Apr 17, 2012 Coleen rated it 4 of 5 stars

11/26/10 - This may not have been the first book of its type, but it was somewhat different & fresh to me, and I liked it. Girl meets new friend, they become close, and then new friend turns out to be not quite what she seems. The way the author switched back & forth in time -- alluding to things, but not quite giving it all away... it worked for me. It was a quick read, not only because of its length, but because it was gripping. There were little things in the writing that weren't perf...more

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Jan 17, 2011 Danielle rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-read, 2011

As I read the synopsis of this novel I was drawn into it's exploration of the darker side of female friendship, as well as mental illness and the web of destruction it can weave over everyone it touches . The reader is swept right into the drama as Alice discovers her friend has tried to commit suicide by overdose. However Alice's strange behavior reveals there is more to the story. As Alice waits to see if her friend will live the story switches between the present and the past tracing her path...more As I read the synopsis of this novel I was drawn into it's exploration of the darker side of female friendship, as well as mental illness and the web of destruction it can weave over everyone it touches . The reader is swept right into the drama as Alice discovers her friend has tried to commit suicide by overdose. However Alice's strange behavior reveals there is more to the story. As Alice waits to see if her friend will live the story switches between the present and the past tracing her path up to the crisis she now finds herself within.

Alice has an idyllic if not boring life in London with her perfect boyfriend Tom, and a successful career now venturing out on her own as a free lance photographer. Yet the commercial work she gets doesn't satisfy her dreams of being a travel photographer and her predictable relationship lacks the excitement of passion. With her best girlfriend Vic living out her dreams with her love the frenchman in Paris the grass just seems greener on the other side for Alice and her lackluster life. Dreading another commercial job capturing up and coming children's T.V host Gretchen in glitzy Los Angeles, Alice can only imagine the self centered behavior this Gretchen will make her endure. However as her time in LA progresses, Alice realizes she actually enjoys being around Gretchen and the two form a fast friendship that continues when they return to London.

Alice's life then becomes all she had dreamed, living an exciting life of party's, Laboutin shoes, and lusting after Gretchen's sexy older brother, her career rising with the excitement of her new life.
But just as Alice thinks her life is finally going in the right direction it all begins to spin out of control right along with Gretchen who has hidden her manic depression from Alice. As Gretchen falls apart she brings Alice down with her. But is it just coincidence? As Alice learns who the real Gretchen is she falls further into a chaotic mixed up world that shatters her reality and makes her realize the darkness that lies in Gretchen's hidden motives.

What My Best Friend Did is an easy read that keeps you wanting more right up until the end. Yet I was disappointed that I did want more when the end finally came. Most of the plot was predictable but the underlying secret and mysterious circumstances surrounding Gretchen's overdose kept me interested in the final twist to the tale. Most of the characters, save Gretchen were boring and forgettable. Although I did find the dark characterization of mental illness a little disturbing. I definitely found myself wanting more character development. Alice herself seems pathetic and whiney and I found myself not really caring too much about her predicament as I didn't relate to her. I love the bare bones plot laid out in this novel but feel like a lot more interesting things could have been done with it. As for the ending it was just too abrupt, leaving you with an unfinished feeling. It wasn't the actual ending I did not like but how it was written.

Overall I enjoyed this novel as a quick, suspenseful read perfect for travel to pass the time, however if your looking for anything deeper this book is not for you. I look forward to seeing what Lucy Dawson will offer in the future as she hones her skills as a writer. A great plot that will keep you intrigued right up until the end.
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Aug 22, 2010 Leah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-2010

When Alice goes off to LA for a photo-shoot the last thing she expects is to come home with a new best friend. Her life has gotten fairly mundane of late and so when Alice meets Gretchen it’s like a breath of fresh air has opened her eyes to fantastic new possibilities. Gretchen is like no one Alice has ever met before; she’s beautiful and impulsive and Alice’s life is suddenly sparkling again. But Gretchen isn’t all she seems and there are ticking time bombs hidden below the surface just waitin...more When Alice goes off to LA for a photo-shoot the last thing she expects is to come home with a new best friend. Her life has gotten fairly mundane of late and so when Alice meets Gretchen it’s like a breath of fresh air has opened her eyes to fantastic new possibilities. Gretchen is like no one Alice has ever met before; she’s beautiful and impulsive and Alice’s life is suddenly sparkling again. But Gretchen isn’t all she seems and there are ticking time bombs hidden below the surface just waiting to explode. When one of Gretchen’s bombs do explode, it teaches Alice a lesson she will never forget about just how explosive female friendships can be.

A couple of years ago, I came across a book called His Other Lover, which is Lucy’s debut novel. The blurb sounded incredibly intriguing but I wasn’t too sure what I would think of it. I did however give it a read and I thought it was mind-blowing. It was a fairly short book but it managed to pack a lot into it’s pages. It was a truly fantastic debut novel and it wasn’t like anything I’d ever read before. It wasn’t chick lit as I’d ever read before. It was dark, it was compulsive and and I just plain old couldn’t put it down. Of course, after reading His Other Lover I set about seeing if Lucy had any more books in the works and her second book What My Best Friend Did was released in 2009. It shocks me it’s taken until 2010 to finally read it but I always worry that it won’t match up to the previous book!

What My Best Friend Did starts off in quite shocking fashion. Alice is talking to an ambulance operator because something has happened to Gretchen, who we learn is Alice’s best friend. Alice is frantic with worry over Gretchen and it immediately got me hooked. We then, as the book progresses, learn how it got to the point where Alice was in Gretchen’s living room waiting for an ambulance to arrive. It’s a very clever way of telling the story. We get a few chapters of the present and then a few chapters leading up to the event of the present with no indicators to tell you it’s changing, not that it’s hard to tell the difference, I must say! It also means that instead of having everything come out all at once, it’s as if it’s building to this big massive event and I just couldn’t wait to get there to find out what it was.

I thought What My Best Friend Did was a little slow-going to start with (after the pacey opening chapters) but I was soon gripped and it got to the point where I just couldn’t put it down. I think that’s mainly down to how fantastic Lucy Dawson is at creating her characters. What My Best Friend Did is very character driven, it’s the characters that drive the entire thing rather than the plot which is unusual but it works. Alice and Gretchen are like rubber and glue and yet somehow their friendship not only takes off on the pages but comes across incredibly realistically too to me, the reader. In Gretchen, Lucy has created a stunning character, she’s hugely flawed but it’s also so easy to see why Alice falls under her spell. Gretchen was, for me, the most realistic character of the bunch and she was fleshed out really really well. A lot is revealed about Gretchen as the book progresses and it all makes her more and more real in my mind. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t like her, not at all, but she is the type of character who will stay with you long after you’ve finished the book.

In actual fact, none of the characters in What My Best Friend Did are in any way likeable. Not even Alice, our protagonist. Not really. And yet I still liked her; I can’t explain it. She was a bit mean at points, downright nasty in others, but somehow she pulled me in and I did like her. Usually when I dislike a character, it feels as if I’m just tolerating them for the rest of the book. Not so with Alice. If you’ve read the book, you can probably see where I’m coming from. It’s hard to explain in a review, it’s more of a ‘you have to read it to understand it’. Apart from Alice and Gretchen the only other two main main characters are Tom and Bailey, Tom who is Alice’s ex and Bailey, Gretchen’s brother. I don’t feel we really got to know either men well enough for me to judge accurately but they both have their flaws, too. A lot goes on between Alice, Gretchen, Tom and Bailey and not all of it is particularly nice but I thought it was all unravelled and explained very well.

The ending of What My Best Friend Did is shocking. I saw a few of the revelations coming, but not the most important one of all. It made me re-evaluate everything I’d already learned about the characters and my opinions of them certainly changed. It was definitely a satisfactory revelation. It wasn’t as if it was all built up and then fell flat, I thought it matched the rest of the book very well. My only problem was the actual ending itself, the last page in fact. I was expecting an epilogue of some sort because it just ended. I know that sometimes endings are a bit more open-ended but with such a strong book with such a dark undercurrent, there were lots of things left unfinished which is a shame.

Overall What My Best Friend Did is well worth reading. It truly was a stunning read despite my feelings over the last page of the book. Lucy Dawson is a fantastic writer and the quote from Louise Candlish saying that Lucy’s style of chick lit is much darker than the norm is spot-on. I highly recommend both of Lucy’s books and I eagerly await her third novel, due out later this year!(less)

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Dec 06, 2009 Chloe rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Photographer Alice is plodding along in her career and with live-in boyfriend Tom, but all that is about to change. When she goes on a photoshoot to LA, she meets TV presenter turned model Gretchen and is quickly swept up in the whirlwind that is Gretchen’s life.

The pair become close very quickly, but soon things start to change and Alice isn’t too happy. Gretchen’s secret is becoming more of a problem and she knows it isn’t going to stay secret for much longer.

How far will the pair go before th...more Photographer Alice is plodding along in her career and with live-in boyfriend Tom, but all that is about to change. When she goes on a photoshoot to LA, she meets TV presenter turned model Gretchen and is quickly swept up in the whirlwind that is Gretchen’s life.

The pair become close very quickly, but soon things start to change and Alice isn’t too happy. Gretchen’s secret is becoming more of a problem and she knows it isn’t going to stay secret for much longer.

How far will the pair go before there are devastating results that affect not only them but their loved ones too? And is Alice going to be able to stop Gretchen before its too late?

I really was not at all impressed with Dawson’s first novel “His Other Lover” – she had written weak characters, an unsatisfying story and a dreadful ending so I was hoping that things could only get better with her second offering. The plot was again a look at the darker side of relationships, this time a platonic friendship between 2 women who meet on a whim and form a friendship without really knowing each other. It had similarities with Dawson’s first book in that there is a bit of a mystery running throughout, but luckily for me and Dawson’s other readers, the writing, characters and story are far better and makes a really good read!

The book starts off with a pretty explosive start and left me totally hooked, eager to find out what had caused the circumstances that the book began in. I think this was a good device by Dawson, leaving us desperate to read more and I was also intrigued to read the background to the characters as well, especially Alice who was quite interesting. I really liked the lead character of Alice who started off as quite a normal woman happy with her boyfriend and business, but is changed a lot by her new friend. As the reader, we can see how Alice changes and the effect it has on all her relationships but she herself can’t see it which makes the dynamic of the book interesting. I disliked Gretchen from the off, I can’t put my finger on why but she just seemed very unlikeable and this worked well with likeable Alice, making the readers emotion stir up enough to keep reading.

There were really only 2 male characters in the book, Alice’s boyfriend Tom who wasn’t actually present in a lot of the book, and Gretchen’s brother Bailey, a bit more a presence than Tom and another likeable person. Dawson has definitely improved with her character writing because all the characters were believable as people and helped the story develop in a good way which worked well in the scope of the story. The issues covered by the author regarding the characters are well tackled, and the relationships chop and change well with these problems, adapting as necessary and this was really well done by Dawson. Gretchen and Bailey’s relationship is particular was quite touching and written with a real sensitivity of the situation and for this, Dawson deserves real praise.

The thing I enjoyed most about the book was the way the author has approached the telling of this story. It starts off with a shocking start, and this is slowly revealed as the book progresses through alternate chapter flashbacks and eventually leading up to the present. When Dawson took me back to the past, I was sometimes wishing she would hurry up a little and get to the crux of the issue so I could find out why it was all happening as it seemed to drag in parts but it soon picked up pace again when we sent back to the present time and Alice’s dilemmas were being uncovered. Dawson really did keep me guessing, and there were quite a few twists and turns along the way that surprised me and I liked that Dawson was able to do that. I thought it was going to be predictable, but it certainly wasn’t, and I really was guessing right up until the last few pages.

If you like “chick-lit” with a bit of a difference, then ‘What My Best Friend Did’ just might be the book for you. It is a vast improvement on the author’s debut novel and I thoroughly enjoyed the read. For a novel, it is quite short at just under 300 pages but it is a packed book full of twists, turns and a really good story. I didn’t want to put it down of an evening because I was desperate to find out what was going to happen next, and I think all credit is due to the author for this. I am pleased Lucy Dawson made such an improvement in this book, and it really is such a good read I would most definitely recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the genre, you’ll be gripped! (less)

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May 13, 2012 Mel rated it 3 of 5 stars

What My Best Fried did held my interest... The characters are typical. Golden, fun loving Gretchen (who we later find out may not be so "perfect") meets more serious, staid Alice. Their ensuing friendship seems fast, and too good to be true. My only qualm with the book was everyone else's refusal to see that Gretchen could possibly be capable of doing anything manipulative,or even slightly wrong.

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Jun 09, 2011 Ari rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle-books-i-own, read-in-2011

Was a toss up between 3 and 4 stars... I think I'd rather have given it 3 and a half. Was a quick read, and I was really interested in finding out what the best friend did already.. and by the time it was all figured out, the book was over. I would've liked more of a conclusion. Good read, nonetheless.

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May 24, 2011 Vicki rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, womens-fiction

Although I was really interested in the book and couldn't put it down, I was really disappointed with the ending. I wanted to know more about what happened between the characters. I wanted to see what the consequences would be for Gretchen and what Alice's life and love life turned out to be afterwards.

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Dec 30, 2012 Kim M rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was so, so good! It is completely different than any book I have read in years. I don't want to say too much as it will spoil the many surprises the reader will encounter....It is an excellent book and very hard to put down. I hope all of my friends will read it, I have it if anyone needs to borrow it!

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Dec 28, 2010 Dara Leitner rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: tried-to-read-but-couldn-t-get-int

I read a few chapters of this book. I think it's good, but I'm just not into it right now. It starts out with a young woman finding her best friend unconscious due to an drug overdose and she rushed to the hosptial. There's a bit of mystery of what really happened and how the two best friends are connected in all of it..

I'm going to keep it on my "to read" shelf and give it another shot. I think I'm just not in the mood to read a sad story right now. I'll most likely come back to it. I'm intrig...more

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Sep 01, 2012 Lianna rated it 1 of 5 stars

Didn't enjoy reading this at all. Tom really Gretch? For real.. It was like everything just went downhill and I didn't care. Tom seemed to move on real quick and out of all the people, that person. Whatever. He didn't see how sketchy that was. Psh.

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Jan 08, 2011 Patty rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not sure I liked this book...it was sort of predictable...I felt as though I had read it before...I thought I was going to love it but I did not...I hurried through because I wanted it over with and I did not like the ending at all...it was frustrating.

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Dec 12, 2010 Erika rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book! I won it as a free giveaway, and received it super quickly. I started it that first day and I was hooked from the beginning. The characters are all flawed and real, the drama unfolds so quickly it makes this book difficult to put down. I would recommend this to those of you who enjoy a good read full of complicated characters and psychological suspense.

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Mar 07, 2012 Julia Beagan rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read this book very quickly...
Ii's a book that I put into a good 'sun-lounger' read...
Not too long and straight into the story. I could almost imagine this kind of situation happening.
Yes, I enjoyed this book.

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Jul 19, 2011 Jackie rated it 2 of 5 stars

I just didn't like it. Twisted, but not in an interesting why. Hard to follow. I picked this one off the new book shelf. I am a pretty adventurous reader. I love to pick up random books. This one didn't deliver.

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