My Best Friend's Girl in Multiculturalism in YA,Fantasy, Sci FI,Paranormal and fun books ;p

Oct 26, 2011 Sasha rated it really liked it

Shelves: drama-romance, poc

Kamryn is a work-driven woman who has seen her fair share of heartbreaks. Her ex-fiancé cheated on her with her also ex-best friend, so Kamryn decided to leave them both behind, regardless of how much she loved them both. But when her best friend writes her a letter and tells her that she’s dying from cancer, Kam has to choose how to proceed, especially since Adele drops yet another bombshell: she wants Kam to adopt her young daughter, Tegan. This sets into motion a series of events in which Kam Kamryn is a work-driven woman who has seen her fair share of heartbreaks. Her ex-fiancé cheated on her with her also ex-best friend, so Kamryn decided to leave them both behind, regardless of how much she loved them both. But when her best friend writes her a letter and tells her that she’s dying from cancer, Kam has to choose how to proceed, especially since Adele drops yet another bombshell: she wants Kam to adopt her young daughter, Tegan. This sets into motion a series of events in which Kam’s perfectly constructed life slowly becomes undone.

My Best Friend’s Girl has a wonderfully intriguing plot premise. I’ll be the first to admit that I shy away from contemporary general fiction, namely because I don’t find it all that interesting and because I find that television does it better in half the time. However, Ms. Dorothy Koomson may have persuaded me otherwise with this charming, heartfelt piece of fiction about a woman whose life is shattered and then put back together, all with the help of a wonderful little girl. Each relationship that was crafted in the story was complex and realistic, from the relationship between Kamryn and young Tegan, to the loathe-at-first-sight relationship between Kam and her new boss.

The characters themselves were likeable and relatable. Kam is in no way perfect—in fact, at several points in the book I found myself quite annoyed with her actions. Kam is cranky and ornery at times, and holds grudges against people forever (although, I suppose, with good reason, given her past experiences). She also thinks and acts impulsively on her immediate feelings, rather than trying not to relapse back into her old, unhealthy relationships… which is something I couldn’t really respect. However, that being said, I found Kam to be a very three-dimensional character with lots of heart, whose change over the course of the book is realistic and enjoyable to read about. Little Miss Tegan was absolutely adorable, and the bonding between Tegan and Kam is so heartwarming.

The subject of race comes up quite a bit in this book. A major factor in the plot is that Kam is black and Tegan is white. For example, in one part of the book, Kam is shopping with Tegan and another customer assumes that Kam is Tegan’s nanny because she’s black. Things like this happen all the time, and I’ve had personal experience with it. I think that the book touched on this subject in a tactful and meaningful way that gets the reader thinking. The romance, while by no means taking a backseat, is still an afterthought to a plot that focuses more on the relationship between Tegan and Kam. I think it serves the book best that way. Kam finds herself caught between two men and two different lives—the past, and the future—and the decision isn’t nearly as easy as you’d think.

The message in this book was really a sweet one—about finding love in all forms when you least expect it (and least want it!). The characters were realistic, flaws and all, and the book ended on an uplifting note. Funny and heart-wrenching all in one, I recommend My Best Friend’s Girl to those who like complicated love stories and happy—and realistic—endings.
____

For more book reviews, visit my blog The Bookshelf! ...more

Like · see review