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FindingJane
Jan 25, 2016FindingJane rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Ms. Berg takes on the high school reunion as the backdrop for a motley crew of characters. Rarely have the psyches of the Mean Girls, the Jocks, the Nerds, the Wallflowers or the Nice Kids been so thoroughly explored. Few people have their lives turn out as they envisioned in youth and Ms. Berg’s novel limns in hilarious (and sometimes gruesome) detail just how life rose from, met or fell short of expectations. It’s a real page turner of a novel as those of us who went through high school (the best/worst years of our lives) eagerly pore over the passages of people who are dreading this experience or looking forward to it. Missed opportunities, second chances, regrets, promises, anxiety, dread and romance bloom or wither as the story winds its way to its hopeful conclusion. Ms. Berg’s prose has an incisive yet light touch; while there are some obvious nasty characters in this book, she refrains from making villains out of anybody. You’ll find yourself groaning, grimacing, laughing or simply nodding in recognition as you read through this book. Whether you went to your high school reunions or avoided them like the plague, this book is one vicarious insight after another.