In Her Shoes

by
Jennifer Weiner

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In Her Shoes

by Jennifer Weiner (Goodreads Author)

3.72 of 5 stars 3.72 · rating details · 93,330 ratings · 2,019 reviews

The Feller sisters are equal but opposite. Maggie is the good-looking, dyslexic little sister who knows how to get anything she wants--but not how to keep it. She "felt as if somewhere between the ages of fourteen and sixteen she'd walked off the edge of a cliff and had been falling ever since." Rose is the plump, practical, responsible older sister who knows about law but...more

Published (first published September 17th 2002)

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Jan 21, 2009 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was surprisingly enjoyable - a lot better than some of the other chick lit shit I've read. I would have given it another star, but the movie (which I've seen many more times than I should probably admit) did a much better job of building a story arc and tying up the various plot lines. To the point where it's like, that's so perfect and obvious, how did Jennifer Weiner not think of doing that herself? But still, thumbs up for the book.

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Jul 03, 2007 Erin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of chick flicks

Shelves: adultfiction

It's hard to believe that Rose and Maggie are sisters - it seems the only thing they have in common is their shoe size. Rose is the responsible sister; at age thirty, she's a lawyer at a successful firm, and she's finally found herself a good boyfriend. Maggie is twenty-eight; she is the attractive sister. Despite her looks, she has not held a job for very long at all. Flighty and irresponsible, she detests Rose's approach to life.

Unfortunately for the sisters, Maggie is forced to move in with R...more

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Feb 22, 2008 Alison Looney rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jennifer Weiner can write funny passages. There's the 80-something woman who uses her new computer to print fake parking permits. The fussy pug that prefers more elegant surroundings. Maggie's attempt to get into the MTV VJ auditions. I did grin a few times while reading this book.

But glimmers of situational humor aren't enough to overcome the bigger problems with this novel. It's formulaic, even for chick lit. Two sisters don't get along - one's chubby and bookish, the other a wild party girl....more

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Dec 29, 2008 Tree rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It seems Weiner must have had a terrible jerk for a father and stuck up leech for a sister, because all her books seem to dance around this.

I read Weiner hoping to find a new stronger "Good In Bed" but never do. This book was entertaining but not good. I refused to watch the movie because the main character should be at lest a tad fat. Instead, in typical Hollywood fashiong, they just made a thin girl homely.

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Jan 18, 2008 Annalisa rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: someone with a long flight

Recommended to Annalisa by: Laralee

Shelves: chick-lit, movies, romance, contemporary

Maybe there was too much sex or scandal, but I didn't find myself endeared to the characters. The story and writing are alright, about appreciating your sisters, but the inconsistencies of character, plot holes, and shock value ruined it for me. It did have good perspectives into the mind of the smart "fat" girl and the attractive "stupid" girl and how they clash. Plus, Weiner's formula for plot seem to follow to same consistent lines: fat girl who is funny and smart, incredulous twist of fate,...more

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Mar 12, 2009 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was prepared to hate this book. I hadn't heard anything about it, but I had seen the movie trailers, and it looked like some kind of silly romance story. Someone told me they loved it, and while I don't remember who it was, it is someone who's opinion I respect, so I figured I would give it a try, just to say I tried. The first few pages made me believe that I was probably going to be right, but I plodded on, figuring I would just "get through it". Well, the farther I got into it, the better i...more

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Jan 08, 2009 Gette rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Everyone knows this title because it's been made into a movie starring Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette and Shirley Maclaine. I've not seen the movie, which I intend to remedy one way or the other.[return][return]Rose Feller is a successful lawyer - 30 years old, a bit on the frumpy side and quite proper. She wishes that her sister Maggie would find herself a nice guy for once and get a steady job.[return][return]Maggie is drop dead gorgeous and irresponsible. She wishes that Rose would mind her own...more Everyone knows this title because it's been made into a movie starring Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette and Shirley Maclaine. I've not seen the movie, which I intend to remedy one way or the other.[return][return]Rose Feller is a successful lawyer - 30 years old, a bit on the frumpy side and quite proper. She wishes that her sister Maggie would find herself a nice guy for once and get a steady job.[return][return]Maggie is drop dead gorgeous and irresponsible. She wishes that Rose would mind her own business. She also has a learning disability which might explain her inability to keep a job and use what she has to get what she wants.[return][return]They share very little in common except a childhood tragedy and the same shoe size.[return][return]After the Fellers are forced to live together, Maggie proceeds to turn her sister's life upside down; making her laugh, sharing some nice sister moments, stealing her money, her shoes and eventually, Jim - the man Rose is working so hard to maintain a relationship with. Rose walks in on them and throws them both out of her apartment.[return][return]Rose wallows in her misery and finally take an indefinate leave of absence from work (and from Jim). For once in her life, she follows her impulses and does something difference, gaining a change in outlook.[return][return]Maggie stows away in a university, sneaking into classes and slowly teaching herself how to read. The reckless girl, guilty over upsetting her sister and knowing that she won't be forgiven so easily, gradually grew a conscience and a few responsible bones in her body.[return][return]An enstranged and very guilty grandmother enters the picture, with her side of the story to the childhood tragedy. [return][return]The book synopsis suggests that there are only two main characters but grandmother Ella also plays a a main part. Their stories start out separately, but by the end of the book, it all comes together.[return][return]Good 'chick lit' is hard to find, but one of the main reasons why I like Jennifer Weiner is because her characters are not limited to unbelievably gorgeous girls with the vital statistics of a toothpick. Neither are they about fat girls who miraculously lost all their weight and found happiness in the end (boy, that sends a wonderful message, doesn't it?)[return][return]At the end of the day, I'm fond of books that places me in serious danger of losing my page when I roll over laughing, and "In Her Shoes" is one of them.[return][return](2006)(less)

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Jul 24, 2012 Jeanne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Many good moments and interesting thoughts, sadly coupled with questionable drivel. The humour sometimes bordered on offensive, as seems too often the case with today's chick lit/comedy fiction.

It's the story of three women. Rose Feller is a plain, conservative, bright thirty-year-old lawyer in Philadelphia. Her younger sister Maggie is a learning-disabled, shallow, irresponsible young woman who loses one job after another and keeps a string of boyfriends. Ella Hirsh is an old widow in Florida w...more

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Apr 22, 2012 Nereia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ero indecisa se regalare a questo libro due stelle oppure essere più generosa e dargliene tre. Alla fine, considerato il fatto che non è stato scritto (o tradotto) peggio di altri libri, ho optato per tre stelline. Innanzi tutto partiamo dal numero di pagine. In questa edizione sono 459. Troppe, decisamente troppe e inutili al fine dello sviluppo della trama. Prendendo un'altra edizione sono sicuramente meno, ma sarebbero tante comunque. La trama non possiede di certo elementi considerati genial...more Ero indecisa se regalare a questo libro due stelle oppure essere più generosa e dargliene tre. Alla fine, considerato il fatto che non è stato scritto (o tradotto) peggio di altri libri, ho optato per tre stelline. Innanzi tutto partiamo dal numero di pagine. In questa edizione sono 459. Troppe, decisamente troppe e inutili al fine dello sviluppo della trama. Prendendo un'altra edizione sono sicuramente meno, ma sarebbero tante comunque. La trama non possiede di certo elementi considerati geniali, nè originali ma, tutto sommato, potrei anche lasciarla passare... Se non fosse per le parti su Ella. Ma chi se ne frega di Ella e del suo spasimante? E' utile alla trama? No. E allora che ci sta a fare? L'editor non deve essersi posto le mie stesse domande, altrimenti avrebbe certamente detto alla Weiner di darci un taglio.
I personaggi. Che dire dei personaggi?
Rose, dove hai lasciato la tua personalità? Da qualche altra parte che, chiaramente, non è il tuo corpo. Ok, va bene, vive male l'ovvietà (elemento di una trama "genialissima") che la sorella è bella e magra e lei no e, a quanto pare questo la distrugge così tanto che non si depila neanche. SERIAMENTE? Mai? E ha il coraggio di mettere le gonne?! Brava, merita tutta la mia stima per questo. La sua personalità, che credevo non esistesse, invece è tutta impiegata nell'impegno che ci mette (tantissimo, ne sono certa)a non venrgognarsi di non depilarsi mai.
Maggie. E' dislessica, ma alla dislessia si può rimediare con un percorso terapeutico. Lei invece la vive come se fosse un problema non solo insormontabile ma che le hanno inflitto ingiustamente. Come se non bastasse, agisce stupidamente per rimediare a situazioni stupide in cui si è messa DA SOLA. Ma quanti neuroni funzionanti ha? Due?! Non vede il segnale di divieto di sosta (va bene, potrebbe capitare), porta via dal deposito una macchina sequestrata senza aver pagato la multa e senza autorizzazione (questo è più difficile che accada), dimentica di avere la patente scaduta da 6 mesi, chiama una cartomante per avere un consiglio su un provino... Forse due neuroni sarebbero anche troppi.
Ella. Al posto di mandare cartoline d'auguri e 20 (UTILISSIMI!) dollari l'anno, dato che hai l'indirizzo, alza il tuo deretano e vai a casa di tuo genero! No, mandare 20 stupidi dollari, secondo la sua mente contorta, era decisamente meglio perchè suo genero non la desiderava nella vita delle sue figlie. Ma per piacere! Ora non ti redimerai mica cullando neonati altrui e facendo la spesa ad alcuni anziani sconosciuti!
Ci ho messo anche abbondanti dieci giorni per finire questo obbrobrio! Pessimo, uno dei chick lit più brutti che abbia mai letto. (less)

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Mar 31, 2012 Esther rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I give "In Her Shoes" four stars because it falls into my "if you are looking for a book in this genre, I would recommend this one" category -- as opposed to three-star indifference -- but I was disappointed with it.

Yes, I saw the movie first, and it is one of my favorite movies. But I still expected to love the book. The movie is true to the first half of the book, but from there they diverge, the movie being the winner.

The second half of the book takes on a lot of fluff. A lot of "oh, isn't th...more

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Mar 04, 2012 Victoria rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's not the kind of book I would usually read, so I am probably not the core audience it is trying to reach. There were some amusing passages, and I liked that Weiner attempted to overcome some of the cliches of chick lit, by focusing on septuagenarian romance for example, and making one of the main heroines not quite a magazine glossies idea of a woman. However, it didn't really go far enough for me to consider it a good book. The cliches remained. One of the heroines was a media stereotype of...more It's not the kind of book I would usually read, so I am probably not the core audience it is trying to reach. There were some amusing passages, and I liked that Weiner attempted to overcome some of the cliches of chick lit, by focusing on septuagenarian romance for example, and making one of the main heroines not quite a magazine glossies idea of a woman. However, it didn't really go far enough for me to consider it a good book. The cliches remained. One of the heroines was a media stereotype of the ideal women, and this was used to contrast to show why the other didn't quite match up. It would have been more interesting to turn this idea on its head and show that Maggie's problems could be as a result of adherence to media norms in this respect, instead of it being her strength or positive attribute, and conversely, this was Rose's negative. Maggie was messed up *but* she was beautiful, Maggie is clever and successful *but* she had bravely overcome being fat, was the inference and I found it annoying. Secondly, I found the exchanges Maggie had with men really odd. The opening paragraph describes a near rape scene where she just lazily looks on, and this theme is continued throughout the book. My sense was that it was normalising this, or making it ok, and inviting other women to agree that shit happens like this and we all just have to deal with it, which makes me shudder. Perhaps I was missing the point somewhere, but I found it unbearable. Lastly, I didn't quite understand the continual reference to race - cafe or shop assistants were described as "the pretty black girl came over" throughout the book, which I found quite patronising and odd. Why were they always servers, and why include the reference in that way? If Weiner wanted to show diversity then at least try and include one of the main characters as black or not at all, placing black people in the low-paid rubbish jobs in the background does nothing positive at all. The references to the best friend who wants to be black was just bizarre, especially as I felt it was shown as a negative thing. I didn't really understand why this was funny or relevant. Perhaps I am a bit too left-liberal to really get the joke!(less)

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Jan 03, 2012 Devin Mercer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

We all grow up with the weight of history on us. This family just had a lot more than most of us do, throughout life. I think this book is good for just about anyone. Even though it's kind of a chick flick in the beginning.It teaches you a lot about family. We all have family problems and this is a great way to understand a different point of view, of one of your family members.

The aspects I liked about this book were, in the beginning you thought it would be just about how messed up one of th...more

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Dec 21, 2011 Roberta rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2007

Rose e Maggie sono sorelle, ma non potrebbero essere più diverse: Maggie è una bellissima ed affascinante aspirante show-woman, Rose è una noiosa e banale avvocatessa. D’altra parte, Maggie non riesce a tenere un lavoro o un ragazzo per più di qualche ora, non ha prospettive nella vita e si caccia sempre nei guai, mentre Rose è una persona affidabile e di buon cuore che ha dedicato la sua intera vita al lavoro e soffre di solitudine.
Proprio quando Rose sembra aver trovato un ragazzo molto inter...more

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Aug 10, 2011 Candace rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ok ~ Well I almost burned the book! I was half way through it and one of the most despicable things happened and I felt like it was the last straw! I didn't burn it, even though the rage was definitely there! I just can't do that.
I decided to give the book 1 more chance after I read a few reviews on it proclaiming that it was all going to get resolved... among other things ~ yes there were a few spoilers out there, but they helped me to come back to the book, so I was grateful.
After starting th...more

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Jul 31, 2011 Sanna rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

No way I can give this more than 2/5. An easy read, and I guess a pretty ok piece of chick lit -but still, come on...

The beginning was ok, but the main characters were written to be too opposite to each other. I guess that was supposed to be the leading idea of the book but it never really worked. I just disliked Maggie from page one whereas for Rose I only felt mild sympathy. And the ending - OMG what lovey-dovey crap: They all turn their lives around and forgive everything and understand each...more

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Mar 28, 2011 Robin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fluff

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Weiner's dialogue is witty and quick, and she has some delightful minor characters. The book's pace seemed uneven, however, and a little slow in the middle. Although articulated well as a character, Maggie was very unlikeable, so I didn't enjoy the portions of the narrative that she carried. Certainly all three of the women (Rose, Maggie, and Ella) are flawed, but I found it difficult to be sympathetic toward Maggie, although I did find her transformation toward the end somewhat redeeming. Weine...more

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Mar 10, 2011 Kater Cheek rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read GOOD IN BED, which I think is an earlier novel by this author, and I enjoyed it, so I expected this to be even better. Alas, it took a small step back.

Like GOOD IN BED Weiner has a plump protagonist, which I approve of. This, perhaps, is why her work is denigrated as "women's fiction." Rose is a lawyer who has the misfortune of falling in love with one of her firm's partners. Her messed-up sister Maggie comes to visit and basically throws a hand-grenade into Rose's life. Maggie moves out,...more I read GOOD IN BED, which I think is an earlier novel by this author, and I enjoyed it, so I expected this to be even better. Alas, it took a small step back.

Like GOOD IN BED Weiner has a plump protagonist, which I approve of. This, perhaps, is why her work is denigrated as "women's fiction." Rose is a lawyer who has the misfortune of falling in love with one of her firm's partners. Her messed-up sister Maggie comes to visit and basically throws a hand-grenade into Rose's life. Maggie moves out, and the novel follows her, alternating between what Maggie does with her life and what happens to the sister she left behind.

The novel is basically a story of change, growth, and reconciliation. Of the two, Maggie's story is more elaborate. She grows the most because she has the farthest to come. However, I found some of her choices hard to comprehend; they seemed out of character for her. The person she is at the end of the book seems completely different from the one at the first of the book. Great arc, but I think she needed to have more pages to make such a drastic change.

Rose changes her life too. She takes a leave of absence from work, and then immediately starts a job as a dog walker, of all things. I'm sure that was meant to be a metaphor, but it seemed like a really dumb thing to do, like leaving a medical practice to serve coffee at a kiosk. Especially baffling was that she didn't seem to have any problem with her job prior to the event that made her want to leave. Why not just switch firms?

I think the weakness of this book is that it spends nearly equal time with Rose and Maggie, when Maggie is the only one who really needs to change. All of Rose's "changes" seemed like a step in the wrong direction. She moves from a man she adores to one she's ambivalent about. She moves from a career that challenges her intellectually to one that doesn't pay a living wage.

I'm not going to get into specifics, but I felt the conclusion, where Maggie figures out how to make it up to her sister, a little forced. There was another scene, as well, that introduced tension that didn't get resolved.

I'm not going to say this book isn't worth reading. I did like the characters, and some of their adventures amused me (Maggie at Princeton). However, this isn't Weiner's best work. (less)

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Oct 09, 2010 Jessica Lawlor rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2009

In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner tells the story of sisters who couldn’t be more different. Rose is a successful Philadelphia lawyer while Maggie is between jobs, apartments and boyfriends. When Rose walks in on Maggie and Jim, the man Rose dreamed of marrying, Rose has had enough.

Sick of taking care of her little sister, Rose throws Maggie out, quits her job at the law firm and unexpectedly starts a dog care business. Maggie, with nowhere to go runs to the one place she never thought she’d fit i...more In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner tells the story of sisters who couldn’t be more different. Rose is a successful Philadelphia lawyer while Maggie is between jobs, apartments and boyfriends. When Rose walks in on Maggie and Jim, the man Rose dreamed of marrying, Rose has had enough.

Sick of taking care of her little sister, Rose throws Maggie out, quits her job at the law firm and unexpectedly starts a dog care business. Maggie, with nowhere to go runs to the one place she never thought she’d fit in: Princeton University, Rose’s alma mater. Pretending to be a student, Maggie successfully lives in the library for a semester, until she is found out. With no one else to turn to, Maggie calls her estranged Grandmother who lives in Florida and books a one way ticket to the sunshine state.

Ella, Rose and Maggie’s grandmother hasn’t seen her grandchildren since her daughter and their mother died years before. She isn’t quite sure how to begin a relationship with them and is grateful when she has the chance to reunite with Maggie and later Rose.

Each chapter is told from the perspective of Rose, Maggie or Ella. Hearing each woman’s voice allowed me to get into their head. At times, I truly hated Maggie, but after hearing her side of the story, I was able to empathize with her.

The book has a heartwarming ending and a happy reunion between the two sisters. While the book is a little more dramatic than most sisterly arguments, having a younger sister myself, I was able to relate to some of the annoyances that Weiner describes.

Unfortunately, I saw the movie (and didn’t like it) before reading the book. After reading Weiner’s other books, I have to say, this isn’t her best. It was a bit slow to get through and I found it hard to identify with the characters.

However, if you are a fan of Good in Bed and Certain Girls, you’ll be delighted to know that Cannie Shapiro makes a cameo in this book!

The lesson I took away from this book was that no matter what, sisters are forever. People come and go, but a sister will always be a sister and will be there for you when you least expect it.(less)

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Jul 11, 2010 Susan Landry rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Big time lawyer Rose has had a screwed up past, or family i should say her sister on the wild side nothing like her at all. Her sister comes on hard times and moves in tempporary with her. Totally takes advantage of her and Roses passion is shoes and cloths she can afford cause she's a lawyer. It all comes to an end when Maggie is caught in bed with her sisters boyfriend and Rose finally has enough.Maggie tramps heself on a college campus and gets caught, Maggie with no where to go tracks her gr...more

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Jun 20, 2010 Veronica Widya rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chick-lit

Its great book!!!!
seriously!! XD
well, honestly there several book that have similar types like this book. about 2 sister that have different character. english book and indonesian. english book is named One Available Man, that the sisters seek the same man, but they married with different guy at the end. and its almost the same with this, the different just the lil sis finally have talent at gardening and interior but in this book about fashion. and the indonesian book laso the same, but the lil...more Its great book!!!!
seriously!! XD
well, honestly there several book that have similar types like this book. about 2 sister that have different character. english book and indonesian. english book is named One Available Man, that the sisters seek the same man, but they married with different guy at the end. and its almost the same with this, the different just the lil sis finally have talent at gardening and interior but in this book about fashion. and the indonesian book laso the same, but the lil sist finally died and give someone she love to her big sis.
okay, enough for the preface. :P

i love this book. why? because the book teach us about the relationship about the sisters, although sometimes they hurt one each other but they love each other, and about the problem that they survived together. like everyone have problems in this world, but after that they will conquer it and find their own happiness. this book have some intrigues, or many i can say.
but its good. many intrigues and solution. i hate intrigue with no solution.
and because that this book is different and special. its not ordinary. this book not sell dream, tell something that beautiful. but jennifer tell us about life that evryone never realize it.
its about the touching story of 2 sisters that have opposite character and their problems. and we can look, that their mom is insane, and their step-mum is not kind, and their life.
i like rose character. she so strong, humble, and nice.
she just smart, kind and helpul. she always help her sis. she not pretty, and she not married handsome and tall guy like the usual novel. they just ordinary but have strong character. and simon is a good boyfriend. rose not become thinner, and thats good. i mean, i dont like if the guy like her sfter she become thin. but its lovely if she thinner after she married. and maggie. i dunno. i dont realy like mag's character. i know that she good actually. but she just like bitch, hving sex with guys, and ruin her sis life, not appreciate that her sis already gave her everything. and she even making love with Jim. how come?!!
what her purpose? i still dont understand!!
but i pity of her honestly. she just pity and dont have intelligent.
but she going good at the end.
and i also like ella. she's totally amazing!!!

(less)

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Mar 20, 2010 Mel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Rose Feller is a plain, plump yet successful lawyer living in a luxury apartment and a closet full of expensive shoes. She has everything, except a man to tell her she's beautiful.
Maggie Feller is an irresponsible party girl who dreams of becoming a star. She's thin and beautiful, but secretly unhappy. Anytime Maggie is in trouble, her sister Rose is always there to rescue her.
Ella is the long lost grandmother, consumed with guilt and grief over her daughter's death. She follows the mundane r...more Rose Feller is a plain, plump yet successful lawyer living in a luxury apartment and a closet full of expensive shoes. She has everything, except a man to tell her she's beautiful.
Maggie Feller is an irresponsible party girl who dreams of becoming a star. She's thin and beautiful, but secretly unhappy. Anytime Maggie is in trouble, her sister Rose is always there to rescue her.
Ella is the long lost grandmother, consumed with guilt and grief over her daughter's death. She follows the mundane rituals of retirement home life, convincing herself this is what she wants. However, a wise-cracking friend and a new man helps her to feel once again.
When Rose finally scores the man she lusts for at her firm, Maggie is yet again in need of help. Rose agrees to let Maggie stay with her with disasterous results, as each sister's jealousy of the other threatens to tear them apart. When Maggie finally crosses the line by sleeping with Rose's lover, Rose throws her out, literally and emotionally. From this point, both sisters go on life-changing journeys as they struggle to make peace with themselves and each other.
Rose, heartbroken, quits her job and begins an unexpected new career that leads her to a new love, an appreciation of the outdoors and a confidence she never had before. Yet she struggles with painful memories of her mother's death, an evil stepmother and an embarrassing childhood.
Maggie, sick with regret, decides to blend in at Princeton until she can get on her feet. She isn't without her own painful memories: the discovery of a learning disorder that would transform her from the most popular girl in elementary school to the outcast by junior high. Deserted by her friends and taken advantage of by the boys, Maggie relies on her looks as she believes she has no brains. However, during her stay in Princeton, Maggie discovers she is smarter than she gave herself credit for. Unfortunately, her luck runs out and she is forced to flee. Her instinct is to have Rose bail her out but she remembers some old birthday cards from her grandmother she swiped from her stepmother's house months earlier. It's not a warm reunion but as Maggie gets to know the residents, she finally discovers she has a talent. Ella encourages Maggie to follow this talent, and helps her to start a business. For the first time, Maggie is learning responsibility.
Ella is determined to know both of her granddaughters and contacts Rose. When the sisters come face-to-face, each is stunned by the other's transformation. Together, they learn to forgive themselves and each other.
I think this is a well-written book that gives the characters so much depth, you feel as if they are real. The point of view shifts between the three main characters, giving the reader plenty of insight into their minds. The story of plain fat sister vs. thin pretty sister may be cliche, but Weiner does such a fine job that it's hardly noticeable. Even Maggie's faking being in college seems plausible with Weiner's gifted writing. An excellent book about loss, love and forgiveness.(less)

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Feb 09, 2011 Brandi Weibel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: done-reading

I ended up really enjoying this book - but it took me about 100 pages to get into it.

The book centers around dealing with family, relationship, and career choices - the good, the bad, the ugly.

Read this after you've read the book - and then send me a message with your thoughts!

Two things shocked me in this book.
Maggie - After spending time at Harvard and then moving in with Ella, I was flabergasted when she said she wanted to take money from Ella. I was totally convinced she was a changed pers...more

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Jun 24, 2010 Tori rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010

I love weiner. Jennifer weiner that is. However, this has to be my least favorite of her books. My intuition has been telling me this for years as I passed by this book on the library shelf and read all of her other novels. I just don't like the premise. Sister sleeps with sister's boyfriend and path to enlightenment ensues. Let's get one thing straight, if I was Rose, I would have kicked Maggie out as well. Only I would have made good on not wanting to see her again after all the trauma Rose ha...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Rachel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, chick-lit, fiction

From the very beginning of this book, I had a hard time liking Maggie. The way she treats Rose is just awful. Because of that I had a hard time understanding why Rose was so forgiving and patient with her. Maybe I don't understand that kind of sisterly relationship because I don't have a sister myself. Or maybe I'm just cold-hearted! I also thought both characters could have been developed a little more. They both change a lot over the course of the book but I didn't feel like the impetus for th...more

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Aug 20, 2011 Joanne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Had this in my TBR pile for a while and brought it along on a mini vacation. In the end I enjoyed the book, but in the beginning I found Maggie annoying and hard to like and kept wishing Rose would tell her to disappear. Well that finally happens, but at a price to Rose. Some things should not be shared among sister (boyfriends are off limit - shoes are fair game).

After that I found Maggie's stay at Princeton funny and ingenious. Rose went through her dark times, but came to the realization tha...more

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Jun 13, 2012 Vee Jayanti rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed reading this novel. i love the story, it's so simple but quite complex about two sisters having so many differences on their own. the super hot younger sister (Maggie) is always in trouble, she even slept with her sister's boyfriend who turned out to be a jerk. unlike the younger sister, Rose (the older one) is very smart and serious, she always helps Maggie out of trouble. the thing that they had in common is they both like shoes :)
after knowing Maggie slept with her boyfriend, Rose k...more

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Nov 23, 2009 Kolleen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was recommended to me by a friend, and I'm gonna be honest, I was a little skeptical of it. I am not one to really get into girly books: books about shopping, and dating, and partying. I usually like the more dramatic fiction, but I fell in love with this one!

The story is ultimately about two sisters: the free spirit, partying, beautiful sister, and the uptight, chunky, plain sister. The only thing these sisters have in common is the death of their mother and shoes. So begins the st

...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Lyndsay rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chick-lit, fiction, favorites

In Her Shoes sat on my bookshelf for at least five years before I finally picked it up to read last weekend. For some reason, I had the misconception in my head about what it was about and I think I convinced myself I wouldn’t enjoy it. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Rose and Maggie Feller are two sisters, who share very little aside from an undesirable childhood and shoe size. Ever since they lost their mother at a young age, Rose felt responsible to take care of Maggie. However, at age 30, Ro...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Chrystal rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

SO much better than the movie! I did enjoy the movie, and the author herself has commented that she thought that the movie did her story justice. But as usual, there is just so much more depth in the book. For me, a story cannot captivate me unless I am completely into the characters. If everyone in the story could be et by zombies and I could care less, I will typically put a book down after about 50 or so pages. This is why I have become a fan of Jennifer Weiner's novels - her character develo...more

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Mar 24, 2009 Archie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Technically, I guess people would view this as a "chick book." But hey, I picked it up, read it, and actually enjoyed it. So there is at least one heterosexual male out there who likes this book. And no, I don't listen to eat tofu, listen to Coldplay, or watch Friends.

As the title clearly indicates, it's about stepping into another person's shoes and sort of trying to see what their life is like and why life works for them a certain way. The book features two sisters that are completely opposit...more

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About Jennifer Weiner

Jennifer Weiner was born in 1970 on an army base in Louisiana. She grew up in Connecticut and graduated from Princeton University. She worked as a newspaper reporter in Central Pennsylvania, Lexington, Kentucky, and Philadelphia, before the publication of her first novel, GOOD IN BED, in 2001. She is the author of the novels IN HER SHOES (2002), which was turned into a major motion picture; LITTLE...more

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Quotes from In Her Shoes

“Hell is an Eagles game where the bleachers are always freezing, the team is always loosing, and my family is insane” — 8 people liked it

“Baby," groaned the guy-Ted? Tad?-something like that-and crushed his lips against the side of her neck, shoving her face against the wall of the toilet stall.” — 6 people liked it

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