Goodnight Nobody

by Jennifer Weiner (Goodreads author!)

Goodnight Nobody

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6424 ratings, 3.44 average rating, 614 reviews (more data...)

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published

2006 (first published 2005) by Pocket Books

binding

Paperback, 384 pages

isbn

0743468953 (isbn13: 9780743468954)

description

Goodnight Nobody is bestselling author Jennifer Weiner's attempt at writing a mystery, with a healthy dose of the author's chick lit sensibilit...more

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All ratings | 5 stars (819) | 4 stars (2029) | 3 stars (2445) | 2 stars (718) | 1 star (132) | avg 3.44

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Rita

Rita rated it:

(review of isbn 0743470125)

07/21/08

Read in July, 2008

recommends it for: anyone who likes chick lit

I liked Goodnight Nobody. It's an easy, fun read.

Having said that, however, I am going to critique Jennifer Weiner's works in general. I have read three of them: Good in Bed, In Her Shoes and Goodnight Nobody. There are similarities between the three of them that are starting to make Weiner's work seem formulaic.

1. Each of the books features a protagonist who is very conscious of her own non-stick figure body shape.

GIB: Cannie
IHS: Rose
GN: Kate

2. Each protagonist has a friend...more

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Abby

Abby rated it:

(review of isbn 0743470125)

05/15/07

Read in April, 2007

If Kate Klein, the protagonist of GOODNIGHT NOBODY, were real, we'd be best friends. Kate struggles with her life as a stay-at-home mom in suburbia. When she finds her neighbor stabbed to death in her kitchen, Kate launches her own investigation to find the killer. The investigation gives her life purpose again.

Author Jennifer Weiner is right-on with the desperation stay-at-home moms feel, as we put our skills aside and our lives on hold to change diapers and clean up spilled Kool-Aid. ...more

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Kristen

Kristen rated it:

(review of isbn 0743470125)

09/08/07

Read in March, 2007

When I saw this in the bargain bin at Barnes & Noble - I thought I struck gold! I had really liked Good in Bed and In Her Shoes and was excited to pick up another book by Jennifer Weiner. Unfortunately, this fell flat. It was stale and I wasn't involved with the characters at all. Her protagonist was annoying (i.e...more

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Kirsten

Kirsten rated it:

(review of isbn 0743470125)

07/07/08

Read in June, 2008

I have to admit - I was disappointed by this book. I felt the heroine, whose name I have already forgotten, was not, in fact, someone I would want championing for me if I was murdered! Why does this woman have to be such a bumbling doofus? Just because she is a stay-at-home mom? The scene at the memorial service was just one example of her embarassment. She's telling everyone she is going to speak at the service, and then she is surprised when she is pushed to speak! I do like how the auth...more I have to admit - I was disappointed by this book. I felt the heroine, whose name I have already forgotten, was not, in fact, someone I would want championing for me if I was murdered! Why does this woman have to be such a bumbling doofus? Just because she is a stay-at-home mom? The scene at the memorial service was just one example of her embarassment. She's telling everyone she is going to speak at the service, and then she is surprised when she is pushed to speak! I do like how the author incorporated having to work with dealing with small children while she is trying to do her "investigating."

Also, I just about LOL when she told her husband she is good at this investigating thing! First of all, she was only doing it because she was bored and lonely. Secondly, how many people did she accuse of killing Kitty? And I'm talking about directly, to their face! And, in the end, she truly had no clue until the very end! Every theory she had turned out to be nothing at all. As a matter of fact, because she decided to dig into the situation and did it with so little ability, her children could have ended up hurt, or worse.

By the way, why was her fabulous friend from the City (excuse me, but I've forgotten her name as well) her best friend? Their initial meeting was rather ridiculous - I mean, I believe the friend did what she did, but not our heroine. And then what, neither of them had friends before each other, or did they just drop them all in favor of each other? I don't know, I don't really question that they were friends, I felt that could have been set up differently.

I did like a couple of points in the book. The super-moms and feeling left out because she was not one. I have never been a super-mom and have never tried to be - it's just not me. I would have been completely intimidated by them as well and probably wouldn't have been included by them either. Those super-moms seemed to treat their children as a kind of career, as if they were being reviewed and up for more benefits the better they were as moms!

I also like how she handled Evan. Nice guy, but an idiot. Really. Or, maybe not an idiot, but bad news. If he truly had feelings for our heroine, why didn't he ever try to get her back, at least once he and the super-model broke up? It's not like he had any trouble finding her once all hell broke loose with Kitty. I agree with the Friend, Evan is all about the chase. Our heroine should not leave her husband for this dude, as much as she may want to. I honestly think if she had just gotten the chance to sleep with him when she was single, she could have gotten him out of her system a little easier.

As for the husband, should she stay with him? That is a very tough question and I don't believe either answer is competely right. Either way, there is going to be unhappiness for her and for others. I think that is why the author ended the book without an answer to that question. Whichever road she chose, it would not be a satisfying end to the book. Maybe she has a sequel in mind. I don't think I'll read it, though....less

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CJ rated it:

(review of isbn 0743470125)

09/07/07

i didn't have a book to take on the bus/train for labor day weekend...a co-worker loaned me this...i was semi-interested b/c the author has another book i've wanted to read...anyhow, _goodnight nobody_ is a bit hackneyed. trite writing about the thin, beautiful, seemingly successful types...and i'm afraid the author didn't make me very empathetic to the more "realistic" narrator...she's supposed to be smart and not thin...looking for more stimulation than she's getting from being a st...more

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Heather

Heather rated it:

(review of isbn 0743470125)

08/30/07

Read in March, 2006

Kate Klein’s life is not what she thought it would be. Trapped in suburbia with three preschoolers, her days drone endlessly by in a never-ending parade of carpools, play dates, snooty super moms, and household chores.
Kitty Cavanaugh is the undisputed queen of the Upchurch mommies. On the surface, she’s the perfect mom with the perfect suburban life. She’s gorgeous, with not a single ounce of “baby weight” hanging around her tummy or hips. Her twins are beautiful and well behaved. ...more
Kate Klein’s life is not what she thought it would be. Trapped in suburbia with three preschoolers, her days drone endlessly by in a never-ending parade of carpools, play dates, snooty super moms, and household chores.
Kitty Cavanaugh is the undisputed queen of the Upchurch mommies. On the surface, she’s the perfect mom with the perfect suburban life. She’s gorgeous, with not a single ounce of “baby weight” hanging around her tummy or hips. Her twins are beautiful and well behaved. Her home is lovely. Her husband is devoted and attractive. She seems to have it all.
When Kitty invites Kate over for lunch, Kate is mystified. Kitty’s mention of a “mutual friend” piques her curiosity, so she reluctantly agrees. Kate arrives at Kitty’s house on the appointed day only to discover her hostess facedown in the kitchen, a huge knife stuck between her shoulder blades. Then Kate spies Evan McKenna’s phone number on a notepad by Kitty’s phone. It seems that Kate and Kitty did have a mutual friend.
Kate is horrified. And, once the initial shock wears off, more than a little intrigued. After all, Kitty’s murder is the most interesting thing that’s happened in sleepy little Upchurch since the Kleins moved to town.
Kate launches an unofficial investigation into Kitty’s murder. Armed with a hello kitty notepad, she chips away at Upchurch’s perfect veneer. Kate discovers cheating spouses, a former call girl, jealousy, unrequited love and a search for a deadbeat father lurking behind her neighbors’ closed doors.
Another Upchurch mommy goes missing and Kate finds a threatening note on her car, but Kate’s interest in the case never wavers. Against her husband’s wishes and the advice of local law enforcement, she plunges ahead. Her reporter’s instinct tells her she’s closing in on the answer as she peels back the layers of Kitty’s not-so perfect life. She doesn’t realize that Kitty’s killer is closing in on her as well.
Weiner’s strength as a writer truly lies in her ability to create believable characters. In Goodnight Nobody, she has brought to life another captivating heroine. Kate Klein is very much an “everywoman.” She’s overwhelmed by sudden motherhood. She’s sad and more than a little angry at her once attentive, now absent, husband. She’s a good mother, but she’s bored. She is struggling to hold on to her identity, but feels herself slipping further and further away from the woman she once was.
The supporting cast in this novel is great. Kate’s best friend, carpet heiress Janie Segal is a breath of fresh air in Kate’s stale existence. She’s smart, funny and more than willing to play Watson to Kate’s Sherlock.
Once again, Weiner has crafted an intimate look into the lives of modern women, this time taking on suburban moms. The Upchurch mommies represent the best and worst faces of motherhood. Their struggle to hold together the illusion of perfection despite reality is by turns funny, sad and mean-spirited. Their choices, sacrifices and compromises ring true for all women. They’re formidable and competitive. They have secrets. They harbor hopes and dreams that have absolutely nothing to do with the fall festival at playschool.
Goodnight Nobody is Weiner’s first attempt at writing a mystery. She masterfully strings just enough clues and red herrings along the path to keep her readers turning the pages without giving too much away. There are suspects aplenty and a variety of motives – I finally gave up trying to figure out “whodunit,” and let Weiner take me along for the ride.

(Review published in the Burlington Times-News, 11/6/2005)...less

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Lain

Lain rated it:

(review of isbn 0743470125)

12/01/07

I am a little confused as to why Weiner, one of the hottest writers today, felt it necessary to try her hand at a mystery. After the raucous success of "In Her Shoes," "Good In Bed," and "Little Earthquakes," I expected her to keep moving on the same vein -- and I was excited about it.

But this book doesn't make the grade set by her previous three best-sellers. The mystery is clunky, the characters annoying, and the plot disjointed. This was a strange attempt at...more

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Anna

Anna rated it:

(review of isbn 0743470125)

11/25/08

bookshelves: chick-lit, fiction

Read in November, 2008

I was hoping to like this book more than I did. I liked Good in Bed, and this one had an interesting premise. Kate is a mother of three under the age of 4 (horrors!) and has been uprooted by her overprotective husband and plunked into perfect suburban Connecticut. All the Mommies are put together, uber-groomed, and their children are over-booked and over-dressed. But then Kate discovers Kitty Cavanaugh has been murdered in her immaculate Martha-Stewart kitchen. Kate (bored as she is) deci...more

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Christina Bravo

Christina Bravo rated it:

(review of isbn 0743470125)

06/25/08

Read in June, 2008

I definitely did not like this book as much as her others. I'm not a big mystery fan so maybe that was the problem. She has an incredible knack for creating characters that you can see in your mind--but I wish she stuck to the actual story of the mother in a crazy town--instead of all the sleuthing portion. I was happy to be done this one.

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3 comments

Mary

Mary rated it:

(review of isbn 0743470125)

07/29/07

Read in July, 2007

This book was a little different from her others - a murder mystery angle thrown into chick lit. Reminded me a little of some by Susan Isaacs. A very enjoyable - and quick - read - perfect for the beach.

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Jessica

Jessica rated it:

(review of isbn 0743470125)

07/01/08

More mystery then her other books. Ok read, didn't keep me completely engaged.

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Summer

Summer rated it:

(review of isbn 0743470125)

07/27/08

I just finished reading this book in about three days. I was hooked immediately when I started to read about the stay at home mom who didn't feel like she fit in with the "mom's who do everything right and by the book" in her neighborhood. She basically feels like she's a nobody. Just a housewife. (Which her husband actually calls her in the story!) She gets caught up in trying to investigate the murder of one her neighbors, mostly because she feels bored with her life and just needs s...more I just finished reading this book in about three days. I was hooked immediately when I started to read about the stay at home mom who didn't feel like she fit in with the "mom's who do everything right and by the book" in her neighborhood. She basically feels like she's a nobody. Just a housewife. (Which her husband actually calls her in the story!) She gets caught up in trying to investigate the murder of one her neighbors, mostly because she feels bored with her life and just needs something to do. In the end, she realizes that the lives of these "perfect" moms aren't so perfect after all. I kept thinking how weird that I got hooked....it just doesn't have any relevance to my life whatsoever! ;-) Well, definitely not the murder part.

Although the book wasn't deep by any means, it still made me think about being a mom, and my role. Which I often think about anyway, since it's what I do all day every day. No matter how put together a mom may seem, we are all having issues behind closed doors. That may mean not showering but a few times a week, to something much larger. But, hey they're all issues!!!

Being a mom is amazing and wonderful, but it's also very "other" oriented, and not much about us. We don't get raises, we don't get reviews, we don't get a pat on the back for a task well done, and we don't get the satisfaction of a clean desk with the to do list all checked off when we go home. Our job begins when we wake up and ends when we go to sleep, which often times, goes right along with the times our kids wake up and also fall asleep. Can you imagine a life where every night before you tucked in your kids, they said..."Mom, you did just amazing today. I really loved how you followed through with your threats by putting me in time out the first time I disobeyed. I can really see how you are molding me into a better person. Thank you for loving me so much to say no. I adore you mom, and I can't wait for yet another day of life lessons with a beautiful, thin, and wise mommy. Oh, and just because I love you so much, I'm going to sleep till nine tomorrow. Kiss kiss."

It's been difficult for me sometimes. I miss getting dressed up all cute, and having somewhere to go. I watch Jimmy go and head to hang with his friends, have adult talk, do something useful with his time. He gets two ten minute breaks, and an hour lunch in which he can do ANYTHING he wants to. I often tease Jimmy that he gets to go to work to take a break and hang out with his friends all day. Work Schmork. Then he gets to come home to a child who has missed him and can't wait to see him. And their two hours together for the day are blissful as they walk off into the sunset. =)

*AND SCENE*

But, of course, that's not the reality. And when I really think about it, I know that. What is reality is that I get to be the one to kiss my son when he gets hurt, I get to snuggle him in my bed in the morning while we slowly wake up together. I get to run to Target for a wander-less trip for an hour, and not have to rush off to do anything other than what I have decided to plan. (Unless of course, he's throwing a fit over a toy we aren't buying...but, really, how often does that happen? ha ha) I can go to the gym three days a week, and take full advantage of the childcare. I get to plan walks with my neighbors and allow our kids to sit and babble to each other while in the joggers. I get to basically, mostly, plan our time together so that when he remembers his childhood, he'll remember that it was spent with a mommy who loved to be with him so much.

I really am blessed...and like that song I posted earlier, I know that what I am giving will all be worth it in the end. I'm changing the world by raising a child who is loved and cared for. (And by cared for, I mean, he's dressed, fed, and alive.)

My last thought is this, I think it's so important that women are honest with each other. There is nothing wrong with striving to be better, but be honest about your faults, your issues, your stuff....that's what will help encourage each other and build each other up. Not that we need to be drowning in our sorrows together, but sometimes it helps just to know that we are all human. We are not alone. And we are really more alike than a lot of us realize.

And I thought I was going to be reading a mindless novel by Jennifer Weiner....less

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Anita

Anita rated it:

(review of isbn 0743470125)

09/20/08

bookshelves: books-i-own

Read in September, 2008

I love Jennifer Weiner, and with the exception of her latest book that just came out over the summer (Certain Girls), I own and have read them all (ah, the joy of used book sale acquisitions!!!). I DID enjoy this book- it was a humorous, light, fast read, which her books are known for- and I loved the main character and the supporting characters (with the exception of her husband and her mother), and reading about the alpha female/mean girl mommy power struggles the author endured on a daily bas...more

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Amy

Amy added it (review of isbn 0743470125)

07/17/08

Read in July, 2008

This is the 4th Jennifer Weiner book I have read. Since Good In Bed I had decided to read them all in order. Depending on which book you are reading there are little sneaky things in there from Good In Bed.
Anyway, many readers are saying that the reading is light, which it is, but the story is not necessarily light.
Jennifer is a funny writer and she has pretty awesome quotes and funny situations/feelings for her characters but they also go through a lot emotionally and it gets me everytime...more

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Ellen

Ellen rated it:

(review of isbn 0743470125)

06/20/08

Read in June, 2008

recommended to Ellen by: Elyssa Andrus

I finally got this one finished up so that I could focus on my Italy books for my trip. Elyssa loaned this one to me during Spring Break for a good "beach read"...but, I didn't have as much reading time during my vacation as I had hoped. I have been keeping it in my car and reading it every time I am waiting for kids while carpooling.

It was a good book. A little trashy in parts, but not too bad. A fun little mystery with an ending I didn't expect, but also didn't love. It was ...more

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Shannon

Shannon rated it:

(review of isbn 0743470125)

06/01/08

Read in June, 2008

Definitely my least favorite of Jennifer Weiner's books (at least the ones I've read so far). There were several "comic" scenes that I found utterly ridiculous and contrived. The main character, Kate, is a SAHM who is bored with her life and her new town in CT. She quickly becomes an amateur investigator when a neighbor is murdered and she finds she really likes playing a Private Eye. However, she finds herself in a number of situations which I can best describe as bad sitcom attem...more

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Fence

Fence rated it:

05/18/08

bookshelves: 813-6, chick-lit, mystery

Read in March, 2006

recommended to Fence by: Andi

This was a good enjoyable read, chick lit, but with a little extra.
Kate Klein doesn’t fit into the world of immaculate suburban housewives. But when one is murdered, and she discovers the body, she is pulled into the investigation. And then there is the old flame back in her life, you know, the one she never really got over.

This is sort of Desperate Housewives meets the detective novel. And it is probably the first US chick lit that I’ve read, and the world seems very different than th...more

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Maggie

Maggie rated it:

(review of isbn 0743470125)

02/02/08

I found this hilariously funny in a Desparate Housewives sort of way (which I don't watch)! Off the back cover: For Kate Klein, a semi-accidental mother of 3, suburbia has been full of unpleasant surprises. Her once-loving husband is hardly ever home. The supermomies on the playground routinely snub her. Her days are spent carpooling and enduring endless games of Candy Land. . .

When a fellow mother is murdered, Kate finds that the unsolved mystery is the most exciting thing to happen i...more

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Lucy

Lucy rated it:

(review of isbn 0743470125)

04/30/08

Read in September, 2006

Jennifer Weiner ventures a bit from her norm by making this a mystery but it still contains all of her large girl humor that I find so appealing. The main character of Goodnight Nobody is a harried mother of 3 under the age of 4 and feels like she doesn't compare with the mothers in her neighborhood. Nothing earth shattering there.

The book was well written but has a very disappointing ending. Come to think of it, most of Weiner's endings are bad. It's as if she sets herself up as a comedic ...more

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Kelly

Kelly rated it:

(review of isbn 0743470125)

05/29/08

bookshelves: chick-lit, fiction

Read in May, 2008

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