Review: Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

Title: Firefly Lane

Author: Kristin Hannah

Series: Stand Alone

Pages: 496

Published: Available now from St. Martins

ISBN: 9780312364083

Source: Library

Description: In the turbulent summer of 1974, Kate Mularkey has accepted her place at the bottom of the eighth-grade social food chain. Then, to her amazement, the “coolest girl in the world” moves in across the street and wants to be her friend. Tully Hart seems to have it all—-beauty, brains, ambition. On the surface they are as opposite as two people can be: Kate, doomed to be forever uncool, with a loving family who mortifies her at every turn. Tully, steeped in glamour and mystery, but with a secret that is destroying her. They make a pact to be best friends forever; by summer’s end they’ve become TullyandKate. Inseparable. From the beginning, Tully is desperate to prove her worth to the world. Abandoned by her mother at an early age, she longs to be loved unconditionally. In the glittering, big-hair era of the eighties, she looks to men to fill the void in her soul. But in the buttoned-down nineties, it is television news that captivates her. She will follow her own blind ambition to New York and around the globe, finding fame and success . . . and loneliness. Kate knows early on that her life will be nothing special. Throughout college, she pretends to be driven by a need for success, but all she really wants is to fall in love and have children and live an ordinary life. In her own quiet way, Kate is as driven as Tully. What she doesn’t know is how being a wife and mother will change her . . . how she’ll lose sight of who she once was, and what she once wanted. And how much she’ll envy her famous best friend. . . . For thirty years, Tully and Kate buoy each other through life, weathering the storms of friendship—-jealousy, anger, hurt, resentment. They think they’ve survived it all until a single act of betrayal tears them apart . . . and puts their courage and friendship to the ultimate test.

I Give This ...

After reading Night Road, I immediately decided that I needed to read something else by Kristin Hannah.  This has been on my list for awhile, so I grabbed it on my next trip to the library.  While it wasn't disappointed, I didn't like it as much as I did Night Road.

I think my biggest issue was with Kate and Tully.  For the most part, I liked them.  But, there were definitely times that I wanted to smack both of them.  Some of their character traits really grated on my nerves.   I often felt like Kate didn't have a voice.  She followed along with whatever Tully wanted to do no matter what the consequences.  While she finally went her own way, I didn't feel she stood her ground to get it.  It just sort of happened that way.  I also got really tired of how jealous she could get of Tully.  

 I enjoyed Tully's character a little more.  She was vibrant and out to prove herself to the world.  All because the one person who really mattered she couldn't count on.  I felt really sorry for how many times her mother let her down.  I knew she would end up rich and famous and alone.  It was predictable from the beginning of the book.  But, I couldn't help but be proud of her ambition and loved every success she had.

At times, I felt like Tully would do anything to get the story.  She often used the excuse that she was looking out for Kate's best interest, or that she would understand.  I actually though sneaking the camera's into Kate's husband's hospital room was worse than the actual betrayal that drove them apart.   Maybe because I knew something had to give with Kate and her daughter.  Although, I do agree that Tully took it way to far and often didn't help the situation to begin with.

The last part of the book was the best part.  Although it was extremely sad, I think it brought everything together.  It proved the bridges might not always be burned.  While, it didn't move me as much as Night Road did, I'm more than willing to give Kristin Hannah another shot.