Getting to Happy

July 5, 2010
Fifteen years after Waiting to Exhale, McMillan brings back Savannah, Gloria, Bernadine, and Robin—now in their 50s—for a disappointing and uninspired outing. As the story opens, Gloria is very happy, Savannah believes she might be happy, Bernadine is fighting addiction and losing ground, and single mother Robin is trying to resign herself to being alone while things at her job begin to unravel. Within the first few chapters, Gloria and Savannah are struck by disaster, and things go rapidly downhill from there for everyone. Most of the misery has to do with men who lie, steal, cheat, or disappear, or with adult children who face similar problems. Unfortunately, the beloved cast isn't given a story worthy of them; instead, this reunion reads like a catalogue of personal catastrophes annotated with very long, rambling discussions, with more emphasis on simple drama than character.

The young women from Terry McMillan's WAITING TO EXHALE--Savannah, Robin, Gloria, and Bernadine--are now middle-aged and still searching for their princes charming in this sequel. But life isn't a fairy tale, and we find the friends' lives in Phoenix mired in heartache and grief, drug addiction, unemployment, and the seedy side of the Internet. The voices of actresses Merkerson, Reuben, LaChanze, and author McMillan infuse fiery emotion into the main characters. However, they fail to differentiate the overwhelming number of other characters in this lengthy book, sowing confusion for the hapless listener. Still, this captivating chick-lit sequel is laced with humor and gritty jargon that offers entertaining listening. K.P. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine