Firstly, this book implies the girls' book club is reading [b:Little Women|1934|Little Women|Louisa May Alcott|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388269517s/1934.jpg|3244642], but actually they are reading Little Women and the sequel ([b:Good Wives|78960|Good Wives|Louisa May Alcott|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1282713827s/78960.jpg|6582437]). I went to all the trouble to read Little Women to avoid spoilers, and three-quarters of the way through the book stumbled into major spoilers for Good Wives! This is so frustrating, as there is no warning or FYI of any kind in the beginning of the book or the ad-copy. I dropped an entire star for this reason alone.

The story itself was okay, nothing special. I was able to overlook the ridiculously unrealistic happenings because this is, after all, a children's book. I wasn't impressed with the parents much of the time, however. It apparently is acceptable for grown adults to make fun of other adults (and children!) as long as those people are "mean." Not the kind of role models I'd like for my children. ( )

Told from differing points of view, Megan, Cassiday, Jenn, and Emma are wrangled into a book club with each other and the moms to read "Little Women". Each of the girls has different interests, and though some of them have been friends, jr. high has changed those dynamics. Some of the conflicts of this first installment include Cassiday mourning the death of her father and a move to a new home where there is no girls ice hockey team. Jess' mother has gone off to be an actress and her dad is holding down the fort and the organic farm they live on. Megan is part of the popular crowd who delight in picking on Emma and Jess but she is also coping with her overbearing mother. How the girls navigate the year (which includes bullies and family drama) is pretty fun. ( )

Well, this ended way too happily and perfectly and unrealistically, which was a bit disappointing because the rest of the book had been delightfully believable with problems that felt real and some reactions that, though immature, were exactly how a real person would react. I haven't read LITTLE WOMEN (I know I'm terrible) but it was lots of fun seeing all of the characters slowly fall in love. I also adored that they learned how to fight back against bullies though I didn't approve of how that became being mean to the bully. I prefer the fight rudeness by being overly polite, and I felt that it was actually in pretty poor taste that they end up making fun of Becca for her braces. I mean, come on. And even the snotty mother with a big bum--I wish they hadn't needed to comment on her weight all the time. I guess this was a 2007 book and people weren't thinking about those things but it's a bad example to set. Despite, this was a delightful read, and I think if it had had a more sensitive reading today, it would have been excellent. ( )

I remember liking these but i think they were perhaps a bit sassy and dramatic ;) ( )

The Mother Daughter Book Club by: Heather Vogel Friedrick is an amazing series! This is a review on the first book, just fyi. It is told from the point of view of Emma Hawthorne, Jessica Delany, Megan Wong, and Cassidy Sloane. Each girl comes from a different background. Whether you are a sports star, animal lover, bookworm, or fashionista you will love this series! For each girl, starting sixth grade is hard in its own way. But one similar problem for all of them is Book Club, an idea that the moms came up with at yoga class. Each girl despises the book club. Megan would rather be somewhere shopping and Emma will be forced to reread a lot of books. Cassidy will sacrifice hockey and Jess will be left to sulk about her mother on her own. They start the book club by reading Anne of Green Gables. At school, there are problems with the queen bee, Becca Chadwick, boys (namely Zack Norton) and stolen notebooks. The girls don’t think that the book club will last but they will soon find out that maybe, book club is the answer for every problem, whether it be at school, home, or even on the rink.
I loved the Mother Daughter Book Club! I have read and reread the whole series. The first book was an amazing introduction to the girls and their book club. I enjoyed it because it was told from each girls’ point of view and I got to see the book club from their point of view. I also liked it because it was realistic fiction and similar things were going on to me at the same time! Another reason I liked it was because I am not like any of them in a particular way. It was fun to want to read from everyone’s point of view and not dislike one or the other. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is looking for a book with a little drama, lots of fun and a friendship that will last a lifetime. ( )