I haven't read a Jennifer Weiner novel since In Her Shoes. I did read Weiner's memoir, Hungry Heart, though, and I'm glad I did, because it explains so much about the pain of growing up, which is front and center in her latest novel, Big Summer. Part mystery and part romance plus a commentary on social media, Big Summer's got a little bit of everything, making it a page turner. Fluff and intrigue aside, though, its focus is female friendships. And not just the Golden Girls-theme-song-slash-going-out-for-strawberry-milkshakes part. But the part about women building social hierarchies so that friend or foe becomes friend and foe, or, in the more popular parlance, "frenemy." Which is to say, friendship can be war.
In Big Summer, the brave warrior is Daphne Berg, a fat fashionista and social influencer who was always picked on in school. Fat is Daphne's word, not mine. She prefers it to euphemisms like plus-sized and Rubenesque, and I don't blame her. Despite promoting yoga mats and doggie treats on Instagram, what Daphne really wants is to feel less alone and to help other people feel that way too. Back in the day, Daphne became best friends with this rich, popular girl named Drue Cavanaugh. Drew made Daphne's life miserable but was, as all queen bees are, a blast. Inevitably, they had a falling out in college. They don't speak again until five years later when a desperate Drue asks Daphne to be her maid of honor. And that's when the true battle begins.
Weiner's talent for describing the social dynamics of girl world is what makes her such a powerful writer. She shares Daphne's trials in a way that's real and raw. Reading about them sent me right back to my own school cafeteria and its swirling sea of piranhas. Although I wasn't fat (just a bookworm in weird clothes), I know exactly what it feels like not to fit in, and I'm sure a lot of you do too. Reliving it isn't pleasant for any of us. But it's important that Weiner explores it in this book and others. Because if she helps even one kid -- or adult -- work through her hurt in a constructive way and feel, as Weiner says, "seen," then it's worth it.
To that point, in Big Summer, there's one woman who hasn't worked through anything. Unable to let go of her past, her anger consumes her, ruining her life and the lives of others. Which is a cautionary tale if ever there was one. Because two wrongs don't make a right, and queen bees are people too. Remember Regina George (Rachel McAdams) in Mean Girls? Bitch though she was, she had a heart underneath it all and stopped being mean once she channeled her rage through field hockey. Which is about the only time I can get behind sports, but if it makes the world a kinder and gentler place, then I wholeheartedly shout, "Go team!".
That said, Big Summer's message isn't tidy, is even, at times, contradictory. But that makes it even more relevant. Because life is messy. So to my way of thinking, the book's message goes something like this: To have a friend, you have to be a friend. But keep your friends close and your frenemies closer. Protect yourself, but don't become so suspicious that you grow bitter. Be grateful for what you have because, chances are, they're the very things that make other girls jealous of you. Most importantly, revenge is a dish best not served at all. It's better to serve yourself whatever you want, extra pounds and Internet trolls be damned.
I guess that's how you win the war. Or at least survive the mystery meat in the mess hall.
