How Could She
Published June 25th 2019 by Viking, Hardcover 320 pages
An assured and savagely funny novel about three old friends as they navigate careers, husbands, an ex-fiancé, new suitors, and, most importantly, their relationships with one another
After a devastating break-up with her fiancé, Geraldine is struggling to get her life back on track in Toronto. Her two old friends, Sunny and Rachel, left ages ago for New York, where they've landed good jobs, handsome husbands, and unfairly glamorous lives (or at least so it appears to Geraldine). Sick of watching from the sidelines, Geraldine decides to force the universe to give her the big break she knows she deserves, and moves to New York City.
As she zigzags her way through the downtown art scene and rooftop party circuit, she discovers how hard it is to find her footing in a world of influencers and media darlings. Meanwhile, Sunny's life as an It Girl watercolorist is not nearly as charmed as it seemed to Geraldine from Toronto. And Rachel is trying to keep it together as a new mom, writer, and wife--how is it that she was more confident and successful at twenty-five than in her mid-thirties? Perhaps worst of all, why are Sunny and Rachel--who've always been suspicious of each other--suddenly hanging out without Geraldine?
Hilarious and fiercely observed, How Could She is an essential novel of female friendship, an insider's look into the cutthroat world of New York media--from print to podcasting--and a witty exploration of the ways we can and cannot escape our pasts.
User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
2.75*A contemporary novel about three women navigating their lives through their friendships, careers and the complexities of each of their relationships.
From the start, I had difficulty connecting with this book. The principal characters Geraldine, Sunny and Rachel were all somewhat interchangeable, leaving me unable to really become vested in any of their lives.
Not sure if it was the book or just not a good fit for me.🤷🏻♀️
There are some great reviews out there, so if this one’s on your radar I hope you enjoy.
Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways, Penguin Publishing Group-Viking and Lauren Mechling for an ARC to read and review.
Rating: really liked it
Here’s the thing...I can enjoy a book with unlikeable characters as long as it has an engaging plot. And I can enjoy a book where not much happens when it is a fascinating character study. What I apparently can’t abide is a book where the characters are shallow, unlikeable and interchangeable...and nothing happens. Well, I shouldn’t say NOTHING happens...one of the characters moves at one point. Other than that, the book is just essentially the three main characters standing around talking and arguing at restaurants and parties. I couldn’t finish this book fast enough.
Rating: really liked it
Female friendship, reality and women power are the topics written so perfectly in HOW COULD SHE by Lauren Mechling, I enjoyed every page of this incredible book, the well crafted stories were really compelling to read! The three main characters Geraldine, Rachel and Sunny are young women trying to put together the hard pieces of life! All the struggles and complicated drama were so thrilling to read!
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The book is funny and really interesting going to the end, all the unexpected things left me shocked! I love the idea that Mechling presented at the book how all the decisions were so fascinating and mindful!
I hate books writing about young girls and doing the lowest (dumbest) mistakes that none could do! So that's a huge plus to read this wonderful book!
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The background is set in Toronto & NYC, and the book is focused in these three women's life! Thr structure of the book was slow paced but the details were fantastic! Also the friendship relationship was something unique to read, so in these hot Summer days we highly recommend you to read this incredible book! This is our first book read by Mechling but for sure won't be the last!
Rating: really liked it
Somewhere between 2 and 2.5 stars....rounding down partly because who TF edited this book? There was a "here" instead of "hear." Characters' names got mixed up (e.g., Geraldine was thinking about her friends Sunny and Geraldine). Jesse - was he 34 or 33? Etc. Sloppy.
As far as the actual plot and characters: regarding the former, not too much happened, and regarding the latter, eeks, what a bunch of self-centered prigs. Geraldine was the most tolerable. Rachel and Sunny spent much of the time pitying her, ignoring her, envying her....and so on.
This got a lot of high ratings here (not "hear") and its praises have been sung. Meh. It didn't feel satirical to me, there was nobody here I wanted to be that friend who says whatever. Oddly, the characters I liked the best were Jesse and Matt (Rachel's brother and husband, respectively), which is ironic considering this was a novel about female friendships.
Rating: really liked it
I ate this novel up and didn't want it to end. It's a comedy of manners/ social satire about friendship— and also about the absurdity/perils of making art in the age of influence. How Could She has that rare combination of a generous heart + an enviably cool eye, and it's hilarious to boot. I put it alongside my Edith Wharton, Evelyn Waugh and Mary McCarthy— one of my favorite novels in a very long while.
Rating: really liked it
I almost stopped reading this book. In fact, I tried to stop about halfway through. I had checked it out from one of my library's audiobook apps, and I had loaded up a different audiobook on another app to listen to in the car on my way home. But, as is my way with technology, this one played instead, so I figured I was meant to finish it.
The reason I was willing to set aside this book was because the three main characters were all unlikeable and pretty much the same petty, jealous, oblivious to her privilege and prone to political ranting woman. If that was one of the three main characters, fine. But, it was all three. All the time. This did not improve.
I actually had to write a "cheat sheet" to keep track of which was the whining and jealous woman with the baby and the job as a writer whose professor husband studied fish brains vs. which was the whining and neurotic woman whose fiance had dumped her and she was trying to find a job so she could relocate from Toronto to NYC vs. which was the whining and entitled woman who made "art" and whose husband, I couldn't even tell what he did, he was so non-descript.
I'm not sure why I finished, other than I'm usually a book finisher, especially audiobooks from the library because I keep I checklist with all their due dates. Yes, I am a list person. And, a "work a real job" person who gets up and drives to an office every day, not hanging out at some overpriced coffee shop collaborating on something artistic and fullfilling, but rather something that pays the bills. That is a concept that wouldn't register with any of these clueless gals.
I'm not this book's target audience. Maybe for the 1%ers who dedicated half their mind space whining about politics, this book is funny. I thought it was interesting but irritating.
Rating: really liked it
Thanks you to Penguin Random House Canada for a free copy of this book to review. To be honest I struggled with this book in the beginning. There seemed to be a lot of characters to keep straight with so many acquaintances of the three main characters mentioned. Once I got past this and deeper into the story I was hooked. Geraldine, Sunny, and Rachel have known each other for years. Rachel and Sunny have made the move from Toronto to NYC and Geraldine is determined to move there too. They have all worked in the news/media industry in some form and they are now facing the rapidly changing times in media. Geraldine reinvents herself to adapt for the type of work she can get in media and this causes the two other women some envy. More importantly we learn about the different types and forms of friendship the women have with one another. This is extremely powerful as we learn the depths and feelings of each of the women’s characters and thoughts toward each other. I found their feelings to be so truthful and so real in many friendships among women. As one character bemoans - why can’t women just be? Why do we tear each other down? This was such a true statement and summed up the book for me. I loved the writing and grew to have empathy for each of the women. Overall a great read!
Rating: really liked it
im not gonna write a long review just because it honestly wasn't a great book for me. it wasnt bad though maybe in a few years it will be more enjoyable.
Rating: really liked it
This was one of those books where you kind of just get plopped down in the middle of a story that's already begun and you spend half the book just figuring out what's going on. It reminded me of Allison Pearson's books in that way (which is not a criticism, just an observation). I never really felt like I got a good handle on these characters, but that's just me. But I love a good city book, and this was definitely one of them.
Thank you to NetGalley and Viking for the advanced copy.
Rating: really liked it
This book was like sex and the city, but better. And you can't beat sex and the city.
How could she is a coming age book about three friends that are all going through challenges in their life with each one hanging on just barely at times. I found Geraldine and Rachel to be the most likeable characters because their storyline were so relatable. Geraldine with her breakup, and again trying to find her footing and Rachel a struggling writer trying adjust to motherhood. Those themes alone are immensely relatable to all coming of age women and new moms alike.
Reading this book you see yourself and your friends in these women. The friendship theme makes it a great book to reach a really big audience because as women, our friendships are such a core part of our lives.
You are sure to identify with one of these ladies.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.
Rating: really liked it
How Could She is a modern day story of the ever changing lives of three friends in an ever changing world that takes place between Toronto and New York City and how these changes affect each other. Three women, Geraldine, Rachel and Sunny, must come to terms with the changes in their careers, their relationship struggles, their living situations and how all of these dynamics affect their friendship with each other. During tough times, they support each other yet they also must deal with each others' dark sides when secrets come out involving a bit of backstabbing. Personalities get in the way but true friendship eventually prevails.
Lauren Mechling knows how to twist up some splendid written text though sometimes that word buzz doesn't always carry through as well as her wonderful ability to entertain us with her playful and imaginative use of sentences. She can be quite funny and amazingly creative with how she chooses to describe situations. Unfortunately, there were times I felt that she should have devoted a little bit more writing early on in regard to nurturing her characters. It all too easily got confusing as to who the quickly changing cast of characters were. Spending a bit more time enriching their personalities and other aspects about them would have solidified them much more in the reader's mind which would have made for an easier flow.
Similar things can be said about the two cities, Toronto and New York City. Occasionally, it was confusing as to where any given scene was taking place, especially since she often had to switch gears mid-stream because of having to refer to past history. Sometimes I just felt that I had lost my bearings for a moment and wasn't sure where we were. There was a distinct lack of mis en scene between the two cities. They could have been anywhere. I would have loved more local flavor for each to set the two apart which was actually an important part of the story. Early on in the book, the first time we visit Jeremy's loft, the characters are looking out a window watching the sunset over the Hudson. That was one of the few times I felt that we got a taste of what that particular city was like. New York City started to come alive for me there. I just wish there was more of that life of the city itself on display within the book. It would have created an anchor point so that we would have truly felt that we were reading about two completely different locations.
The story is very relevant in today's period of time with it's emphasis on podcasting and the state of flux within the publishing industry, each of which are a major part of the story. The year 2017 is noted which gives it an exact time frame if you can't figure it out on your own by some of the other current historical references. The one point of serious contention that I did have with the book was that I believe that Mechling went too far with some of her political commentary. The first couple were okay because they were more place cards within time. After that, she just went too far to the point of it being detrimental to the book because of a few ridiculously trite and absurdly uncalled for slights that were totally unnecessary. They should have been left out of the book altogether as they provided nothing to legitimize the story as a whole.
The seeds of the story and the plot line were captivating and the changes everyone goes through had some interesting juxtapositions. Even though there were a few minor aspects, as noted above, that I believe could have enhanced the story, Mechling is a true wordsmith. The passages of words and phrases between the various story points were delightful to read and I had more than a few laughs along the way. You don't have to be a city girl or involved in the Arts to find something in this novel to relate to. You just have to look back at your own loves, careers and, most importantly, friendships to find a piece of you in all three friends.
Rating: really liked it
What a complete waste of my time. Who pulled the collective shade over the entire publishing world to think that this is a good book? This is the literary equivalent of a Ed Sheeran video -- the same thing over and over again with a hint of butter. Buuuutt-urrrr.
No, really. Who read this and thought it was good? Is it because Lauren Mechling has been a columnist for renown publications for years? Is she the Sunny character? WAIT. Errmegawd. She is probably all three characters. Right? Like, SO GROUND-BREAKING. I just vomited. I work in and around publishing, and I know who she is talking about. And this book is still not funny.
What I find downright offensive is that this is categorized anywhere near satire. What Mechling has written is an elongated, cheap parody of her Vogue column. Yes, parody can be considered a form of satire, but again - Ed Sheeran has GRAMMY awards. Plural. How did that happen?
Publishing gives the same awards for naval gazing, and their embrace of this book would be a great pinnacle. Biggest takeaway: Mechling and company have spent way too much time with petty, passive aggressive, pretentious assholes in their lives. So they think making fun of them is fun? Maybe in a short story? Cause this book gets old. It's not funny. I don't care enough about these characters to think the situations they are in are interesting enough to be funny.
So if you actually have healthy adult relationships with women, men, and people who don't happen to be white and rich, bypass this book. Want something similar: I recommend
Luckiest Girl Alive You get the same basic character (in one!) AND you get a plot!
BUTTTTTTTT-URRRR, Natalia.
Rating: really liked it
A very compelling and very realistic tale of three friends (frenemies?) whose fortunes rise and fall throughout the course of the book. Loved the insidery publishing details; I gasped when one character stole another's story idea. I would love to know what each of the characters does next, even though the ending was satisfying. Liked the author's breezy writing style and completely related to the competitive female friendships depicted.
Rating: really liked it
Not for me and a bit surprised to see all of the hype and endorsements around this one. I felt like none of the characters were well developed and like the author just threw you into the story without much context. It didn’t work for me as I wasn’t invested in any of the cast of characters but liked the plot!
Rating: really liked it
I never wanna see the name Geraldine again. What a HEADACHE.
