Book: Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood

A few years ago, this book {and subsequent movie} was extremely popular. At the time, I was around 8 years old, much to young for the demographic the book was aimed for. Now, many years later, I read it without all the excitement and hubbub, and I'm glad it worked out that way; there was nothing to influence me before I read it, or sway my opinion afterwards. 

I watched the movie a few months ago, because I was curious. I'd even forgotten that it was a book. From there, I figured I might as well read it. So I did. 

I loved reading this book. I dove right in, and loved everything about it. The writing style is descriptive without being flowery, the characters are developed and interesting, and the setting is somewhere I'm not familiar with {the South, years 1920-1990ish}. Some of the minor characters tended to blend together for me, but for the most part, each character stood on their own. 

What appealed to me the most was the themes of love, friendship, and female connection that ran throughout the novel. Perhaps it's because most of my female friends have moved all over the world that I connect so strongly with a novel about having your closest friends around you. I would love it if all my closest friends lived within blocks of me, and we could get together on a whim. Unfortunately, that's not the case. So I lived vicariously through the characters in the novel. 

After I finished reading, I looked up some reviews online. While there were some positive reviews, there were many negative ones. Reasons ranged from dislike for "chick-lit" to anger over issues of alcoholism and child abuse. Yes, this is a serious read. I don''t enjoy reading about child abuse {I can't think of anyone who does}, I recognize that life is complicated and not everyone has perfect, loving parents. 

Overall, I would recommend this book. Be aware that it's not all rainbows and sunshine. It is a book about women who are trying to figure out who they are. It is a book about friendship, love, and family ties.