Frenemies

June 4, 2007
Augusta "Gus" Curtis is happy-she has one of the busiest social calendars in Boston, loves her job as a librarian, and is looking forward to turning 30-until she discovers that her boyfriend Nate is cheating on her with one of her oldest friends. Although angry with Nate, Gus feels even more betrayed by Helen, who doesn't seem to get Gus's indignation. The remainder of the novel is the minute-by-minute account of Gus's obsessive thoughts on the love triangle, which irritates her sidekicks, Amy Lee and Georgia, in all probability as much as it will the reader. Crane (English as a Second Language) tries to make a statement about the complications of mature relationships (whereby Gus must face the facts that maybe she hasn't been the best friend she could be, either), but ends up delivering a clunky story that's as shallow as its lead.

May 21, 2007
Augusta "Gus" Curtis is happy-she has one of the busiest social calendars in Boston, loves her job as a librarian, and is looking forward to turning 30-until she discovers that her boyfriend Nate is cheating on her with one of her oldest friends. Although angry with Nate, Gus feels even more betrayed by Helen, who doesn't seem to get Gus's indignation. The remainder of the novel is the minute-by-minute account of Gus's obsessive thoughts on the love triangle, which irritates her sidekicks, Amy Lee and Georgia, in all probability as much as it will the reader. Crane (English as a Second Language) tries to make a statement about the complications of mature relationships (whereby Gus must face the facts that maybe she hasn't been the best friend she could be, either), but ends up delivering a clunky story that's as shallow as its lead.

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