In Review

08 January 2009 14:56 BST

My Best Friend's Life by Shari Low

Published by Avon, paperback, 387 pages, £6.99.

In a nutshell…

Comedic, dramatic, predictable chick lit.

What's it all about?

My Best Friend's Life tells the story of a pair of unlikely best friends in their late 20s who choose to swap lives for a month.

Small-town librarian Ginny Wallis heads for the bright lights of London, much to the chagrin of her long-term boyfriend Darren. Meanwhile, her childhood best friend Roxy Galloway, a receptionist in a high-class brothel, trades in her high heels and her love rat ex-boyfriend Felix for a slower pace of life in sleepy Farnham Hills.

Roxy is horrified to be back in her hometown, sleeping alone in a single bed with a Westlife duvet and sporting clothes made of polyester, while Ginny can't believe she's living the high life with glamorous friends, a luxury apartment and a handsome male flatmate who appears to be juggling two girlfriends at once.

In between making new friends with teenagers, prostitutes, handsome local authors and strippers, the 20-something women embark on a journey of friendship, self-discovery and steamy sex as they each seek to find a place where they belong.

Who's it by?

Shari Low is the author of What If? and its sequel Why Not?, as well as Double Trouble and, most recently, The Motherhood Walk of Fame. The Glasgow-born writer and mum of two currently has an opinion column in the Daily Record, as well as a regular book review column with the paper.

A former barmaid-turned nightclub manager-turned-saleswoman, Shari's books have been published in the UK, Germany and the US, with publication rights also sold to publishers in Italy, Russia and Indonesia.

As an example...

"There, covering her lithe frame, were... man-made fibres! She could sense the impending wrath of the gods of Dolce & Gabbana. By fishing pyjamas from Ginny's drawer in the semi-darkness the night before, Roxy Galloway had been catapulted from the House of Prada to the House of Matalan.

"It was official: her life was in ruins."

Likelihood of becoming a Hollywood blockbuster

Not very. With one-dimensional characters and an oft-recycled storyline, the novel is far less endearing than similar life-swapping tales that have made it to the big screen.

Despite the occasional zinging one-liner and traditional rom-com format, My Best Friend's Life lacks the comic continuity and relatable characters that have made other chick-lit adaptations into watchable cinema experiences (PS I Love You, The Devil Wears Prada and of course Bridget Jones' Diary).

Quite simply, even the likes of Lindsay Lohan (the 1998 re-make of The Parent Trap) and the Olsen twins (1995's It Takes Two) can pull off the classic life-swapping tale to much greater effect than a film adaptation of Shari Low's most recent effort.

What the others say

"Great fun from start to finish." - Jenny Colgan, author of West End Girls and Operation Sunshine.

"There are only two words for Shari Low: utterly hilarious!" - Carmen Reid, author of The Personal Shopper.

So is it any good?

Although funny in patches and packed with enough relationship complications to make love triangles seem straightforward, the polar-opposite lead characters are difficult to relate to.

A continued friendship between a big-city brothel receptionist and a small-town librarian who lives with her mum is tricky to comprehend before throwing in a number of one-dimensional male characters and two nearly-identical mothers to complicate the mix.

Despite a valiant effort and a writing style not unlike frothy and fun chick-lit fan favourites Jane Green and Sophie Kinsella, My Best Friend's Life falls short of the endearing characters of the Shopaholic series and tells the switcharoo story to a much lesser effect than Ms Green's most recent offering - the similarly-themed bestselling novel Life Swap.

In short, it's a light read best saved for train trips or for lounging poolside with a strawberry daiquiri.

2.5/10

Kaitlyn Critchley

"I have just read Shari Low's new book (My Best Friend's Life) and I have to say that I loved it as much as her other books. For a start, in this day and age it seems to me that it is very possible that people from different lifestyles can and do have really great friendships even if they are nothing like each other in character. Lots of time they meet up at school and develop a strong friendship which can last a lifetime, as in Shari's two main characters. People are less judgemental these days and her book reflects this thinking. There are lots of comic situations which the two friends find themselves caught up in and you honestly can't stop laughing at their attemps to either extract themselves from them, or simple to go along with the flow of the situation and to see what developes from them. After all, they are both really jaded about their own life, so jumping in feet first, realising that they may have taken on more than they bargained for and then making the best of it and being able to see the funny side, or even just being curious enough to try something new, led the girls into some hilariously funny situations. I think Shari Low is a brilliant writer with a very sunny, upbeat, theme to her books. I always look forward to hearing that a new book is on the market. My daughter and my grandaughter agree with me on this and we have all read her books with great pleasure. My grandaughter said she would love to be one of Shari's characters in her book as she says it would certainly be very enjoyable, and entertaining. I would certainly recommend this new book to anyone who enjoys a good laugh, and Shari never fails to make reading her books enjoyable for us all." - Betty Thomson, Paphos, Cyprus

"I read My Best Friend's Life By Shari Low, now I am only 13 years of age so I was quite shocked by the rudeness of it. But I absolutely loved it! Fantastic book filled with love, hurt and relationships. All topped off with comedy! And I was surpised by the ending. I thoght Roxy wa going to get married, but wow ! I was laughing so much I almost wet myself! 10/10! Best book I've ever read!" - Chloe Speke