Amber read and liked Jonniker's review of Split: A Memoir of Divorce:

"I've been a fan of Finnamore since -- well, it feels like it's been since the day I started reading books, but we all know that makes no sense, as I'm not an infant. She is by far one of the most underrated writers of our time, and her background as ...more I've been a fan of Finnamore since -- well, it feels like it's been since the day I started reading books, but we all know that makes no sense, as I'm not an infant. She is by far one of the most underrated writers of our time, and her background as an advertising copywriter is reflected in every page, every pithy sentence that is perfectly constructed to capture as much meaning as possible. Split is no exception, and brings the same concise brilliance that Otherwise Engaged and The Zygote Chronicles demonstrated so successfully. There isn't a wasted word here -- she perfectly captures entire scenes, emotions, inner monologues -- in raw, electric sentences that leap off the page.

I'll admit, I read this with a touch of melancholy, for I have always read "Otherwise Engaged" and "The Zygote Chronicles" as fictionalized memoirs, and I felt that I knew the characters already, it's just that they happened to be wearing new pseudonyms. And to watch the dissolution of the family I felt that I was privileged to see grow was an oddly personal experience for me. Although, to be frank, it would be difficult NOT to read this novel with a personal sense of sadness, for Finnamore so accurately captures every emotion -- every tortured moment of anger and frustration and sadness -- in such a universal way that it's as though you're living through it with her. It's a brilliant journey of heartbreak, sadness, and ultimately redemption, laced with Finnamore's trademark black humor. Divorce, it seems, can be deadly funny.

That being said, I don't recommend you start here if you're new to Finnamore. Although the book stands alone on its own merit, I must add that there is an extra layer of poignancy added if you've read her other two novels. By the time she emerges victorious, if battered, from her journey, you're as triumphant as she is, for you've seen not just the bad, but the good, too, that made the road that much more difficult.(less) "

Amber read and liked Karen's review of In Her Shoes:

"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 ...more 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. (less) "