FICTION

The Most Likely Club

Berkley. Sept. 2022. 368p. ISBN 9780593199749. pap. $17. F
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The Bellport, CT, high school class of ’97 yearbook proclaimed Melissa Levin, Priya Chowdury, Tara Taylor, and Suki Hammer to be the most likely to win the White House, to cure cancer, to open a Michelin-starred restaurant, and to join the Forbes 400, respectively. But now on the cusp of their 25th high school reunion, the four best friends find they have fallen woefully short of those lofty expectations. Fearing they may have “peaked at high school,” the women decide to take stock of their lives by creating the Most Likely Girls Club and refusing to remain stagnant and unfulfilled. Friedland’s (Last Summer at the Golden Hotel) reliance on 1990s nostalgia and the bonds of feminine friendship to carry the story yields mixed results. While some of the events and pop culture references might be out of sync, the trip down memory lane is effective and fun and will certainly appeal to specific age groups.
VERDICT This book is relatively entertaining but a little flat. The characters, unfortunately, are mostly shallow or uncomfortably obsessed with weight, which is concerning. The pacing is quick though, rushing toward an abrupt but satisfying conclusion.
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