Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: June 1, 2004
Pages: 336
Source: library
Buy It: Borders / Amazon / Barnes & Noble
Rachel White is the consummate good girl. A hard-working attorney at a large Manhattan law firm and a diligent maid of honor to her charmed best friend Darcy, Rachel has always played by all the rules. Since grade school, she has watched Darcy shine, quietly accepting the sidekick role in their lopsided friendship. But that suddenly changes the night of her thirtieth birthday when Rachel finally confesses her feelings to Darcy's fiance, and is both horrified and thrilled to discover that he feels the same way. As the wedding date draws near, events spiral out of control, and Rachel knows she must make a choice between her heart and conscience. In so doing, she discovers that the lines between right and wrong can be blurry, endings aren't always neat, and sometimes you have to risk everything to be true to yourself. --Goodreads
Dexter and Rachel met in college, they’ve been friends ever since. Rachel introduced him to Darcy, her childhood friend. Rachel convinced herself that Dex would never go out with a girl like her. He went out with Darcy and after seven years, they are finally engaged and planning a wedding. On the eve of Rachel’s thirtieth birthday, she gets a bit tipsy and sleeps with Dex, her best friend from college who is marrying her childhood friend. After that, nothing is the same.

In anticipation for the upcoming movie, Something Borrowed, I decided that I needed to read the book before seeing this movie. The book was good. These are one of those books that it would be a shame to judge a book by its cover. The cover is simple, bland, and sort of boring.

The plot is anything but. There is absolutely never a dull moment, where the plot is concerned. Reading a book about an affair (because even though Dex was not married, rather engaged, it still is described as an affair) was definitely new. I was constantly wondering what would happen next—the entire mood of each scene made me constantly worry if the two were going to get caught.

Giffin created such characters that you’ll be rooting for the affair to go on, rather than the wedding. Right and wrong goes out the window. Darcy’s the kind of girl that gets everything she wants—she’s repeatedly described as a child. Rachel, Darcy’s follower, is naïve; she lets Darcy take whatever she wants. It’s a very interesting cast of characters, and they all had their flaws (especially Darcy) but I found all of them quite amusing and I could even relate to some of them.

The writing style is what let me down. The plot kept it alive but the writing took some of the effect away. It was slow at times, but by the end I kind of got used to pacing of the novel. Also the ending left me torn. I wanted everything tied up nicely in a little bow. It wasn’t that, but I was satisfied with part of the ending even though Giffin could add something more about Darcy and Rachel and their relationship—go into more detail about what happened after. I don’t think it had to end on such a somber note.

Overall, the book was great and I can’t wait to see the movie.

First Sentence:
"I was in the fifth grade the first time I thought about turning thirty."
Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin, p. 1
Rating:

Cover: 3
Characters: 5
Plot: 5
Writing Style: 4
Ending: 4
Overall:






Rated R for sexual content, nudity, and alcohol references.

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3 comments

  1. I haven't read this one, but I'm glad to hear it's so good. I really want to read it. Thanks for sharing your review!

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  2. I read this book in two sittings. I know it is a little controversial: some people adore Rachel for 'stealing' her best friend Darcy's fiance. And some others think it is just immoral.

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