Firefly Lane
Ratings70
Average rating4.1
This book touched me! I loved it! I haven't had a book bring me to tears in a while, and this one really did. All the characters were so well developed and relatively believable (I mean, there are people who live like the people in this story do... I'm just not them. That's the reason we read books though... right? To stretch our imaginations?)
If you have seen the Netflix show before, keep in mind that there is quite a bit of divergence in their stories although they both keep the heart of the story and their friendship front and center. I actually enjoyed seeing the differences between the two.
BUT - keeping that in mind, it was really special to get a little more insight into Kate and Tully's thought processes and their dynamic. A lot of their internal thoughts from the books helped me understand some of their choices in the show.
I loved this book. When it ended, I wanted to hug the characters for all the emotional trauma they survived. I was so glad there was a follow up book (Fly Away) to this book.
I'm not big on books about sisters or girlfriends, so I was surprised I enjoyed this book as much as I did. I grew to love both Tully and Kate. I totally thought Kate was wasting her time with Johnny. What a shock!
I don't remember being as big a pain in the ass to my mom as Marah was in this story. That might have been the only stretch of the imagination for me.
Get this book. Read this book. Love this book. I hope there is something beyond FLY AWAY.
It's hard to pinpoint why this story is so much greater than the sum of its parts. There's nothing really remarkable about any of its bits. Maybe it's the timeline: the characters aren't much older than I and a lot of the references—music, TV shows, and the like—feel familiar. Maybe it's the themes of friendship and chosen family, to which most of us can probably relate to some extent. Whatever the reason, the most important mark of a good book is its unputdownability and, in that regard, Firefly Lane earns top marks: I stayed up all night and read it straight through (I foresee a nap in my future if I'm to make it through work today).
Once again I feel emotionally manipulated by Kristin Hannah, but anything that makes me cry ugly tears deserves at least a 4 star rating.
This is a great story of where friendship can sometimes take us. Ups and downs. Highs and lows. Happy and sad.
Forever friends make us take chances, risks we normally wouldn't and most of all bring a sense of belonging and home to the heart.
Kate has my heart completely. I understood and felt so much of her insecurity, her loneliness ... her frustration and pain.
Tully is a storm. Beautiful, raging, tumultuous and lonely.
Together how could they be anything less than the best of each other.
True to Kristin Hannah's style I bawled .. many times. Funny though how even though I'm crying, tearing up, or having my heart broken there is also love, friendship and lasting moments.
Give me more of this please.
Everyone talks about romantic love stories but what about the love story between two best friends? You know, the one with tremendous amounts of love and support, but also with fights and heartbreak? Firefly Lane does exactly that. This story follows Katie and Tully's ups and downs spanning their 30+ year relationship as best friends. God this book was wonderful. I loved the characters, the plot, the writing. Everything. It made me want to go hug my best friend (of over 20 years). This one gets 5 stars, no doubt.
Probably more of a 3.5 for me. Sometimes it felt predictable and it was longer than it needed to be at points. It will make you want to hug your best friends a little tighter next time you see them.
I expected to love this book because I love everything else I've read by Kristin Hannah (The Nightingale, The Great Alone, The Winter Garden). I went into it with such high hopes, but I have to admit that I found this one disappointing.
This story follows the friendship of Kate and Tully through three decades. These two women are so different, yet they become best friends. Kate, quiet and introspective, comes from a loving family while Tully, outgoing and ambitious, comes from a broken home with an addict for a mother. They experience ups and downs in their relationship, but they always come back together.
The problem I have this book is with the plot. I find it unoriginal and predictable with characters who do not have depth or development. The plot reads much like the movie Beaches. If you've watched that movie, you can pretty much predict this entire plot. I do not like when I can see everything coming. It takes the fun out of reading. I also found that the characters were extremely predictable in their behaviors. They did not grow or change much as the story progressed. I found their friendship a bit unbelievable because no one I know would remain friends with a person who treats them the way Tully treats Kate.
Now, you may be wondering why I gave this book 3 stars if there is so much I do not like. I gave it that rating because, like Hannah's other books, the writing itself is excellent. Reading a Kristin Hannah books is such an enjoyable experience because of her talent with prose. I also like the pop culture references to the 70's, 80's, and 90's.
Would I read this book again? No. Will I read Kristin Hannah's work again? Absolutely!
I loved how the story incorporated music to help set the scene. The main characters were from very different backgrounds and have very different opinions of how life should be lived yet they found common ground in caring for the other. Great read!
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah is one of the best books I've read this year. This book made me laugh, cry, and get really angry - once or twice these responses happened simultaneously. Kristin Hannah has such impeccable talent for putting her readers right there in the room with the characters in her stories. The emotions are still raw from finishing this book over an hour ago. I borrowed Firefly Lane from the library using the Libby app and I listened to the audio recording, too. The audio production is incredible! I highly recommend listening to it. I just ordered a copy of the book, because I know I'll read it multiple times - it will be my version of LOTR. ;-)
This book made me laugh and also gave me lumps in my throat. I really liked the story of Kate and Tully being friends and reading about their friendship through the years. I wanted to bang their heads together with their major fight - if only Tully could have apologised! I see there is a sequel so will have to read that now, even though it will just be Tully's story I imagine.