Review: Firefly Lane, by Kristin Hannah

Firefly Lane begins as the story of two girls, one, Kate, an unpopular child from an idyllic family, the other, Tully, the daughter of drug addicted hippie. The two meet in their early teens when Tully's mother moves the two of them into the house across the street from Kate, and a horrific night brings the two girls together into a friendship that lasts through their adult years.

This story reminded me of a mishmosh of several others, Beaches and The Best of Friends (by Sara James and Ginger Mauney, very good nonfiction, you should check it out) most strongly. Fortunately, it has taken the best of those stories, making it an enjoyable read regardless.

The characters go through their ups and downs, with Tully always looking for the love and attention that she lacked as a child, and Kate finally snagging the man she loves, but even with their entirely different lives, a very strong competition for essentially the same things prevails. While each has what she has always dreamed of, reality is of course a messier picture than that they had carried in their heads, and each also years for some of what the other has. Jealousy sparks terrible fights and actions, but when SPOLIER ALERT SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT Kate is shockingly diagnosed with cancer and life is boiled down to essentials, their true connection is, as always, right there. END SPOILER ALERT
There were several things to like about this book. First, the characters were likable, even at their worst, so I had no problem rooting for either of them, and they were well-constructed enough that even at their worst, they were forgiveable. Second, when Kate and Tully had problems, either together or separately, they seemed like real issues rather than things constructed to create drama where none exists. Third, because the characters are so different, there's enough material there so that any reader could find something to relate to.

I found few drawbacks, but the most notable one was the abovementioned spoiler matter. It was so sudden, and so fast, and honestly seemed a little below the ending these characters could have had. I don't think the author had to resort to such dire, tearjerking emotional blackmail, but there it was, and even though it seemed a little out of step with the rest of the novel, it worked enough not to be a story-trasher.

All in all, it was a good light read. If you're looking for something meaty or deep, this isn't the book for you, but it's still an easy, fun, mildly-guilty-pleasure read.

Rating: four stars. Fun, moderately light, relaxing, enjoyable chick lit.