Girls Most Likely

I just finished the audio version of this book. It had some lull spots to it but for the most part I enjoyed hearing on the friendships of 4 black women that span from the 60's to the millenium. The stories went into the women individually when they were girls, their family/school/relationship lives and throughout it all they still held onto the friendship and kept in touch throughout their adulthood. With the lacking of good movies featuring All Black Casts these days I really truly believe Sheila Williams needs to STRONGLY consider getting with the right screenwriter. This movie has all of the makings of a Millenium version of Waiting to Exhale yet this spans the course of several decades!! Stories about the true friendship and ties of black womenhood are really needed out there and I WANNA SEE THIS become a movie!!!

Girls Most Likely is another great book by Sheila Williams. I have been reading it on my lunch hour and it is truly hard to put down. The characters are skillfully developed and you feel as though you know them. Reading this book is like reliving "the old days." I find it heartwarming and humorous. This book would make a great gift. Buy one for yourself, too. Enjoy! Carla Lattimer White

As Vaughn goes about her day, the mail arrives and in it is an invitation to her 30 year high school class reunion. The invitation forces her back down memory lane beginning with the fifth grade to the present. Meet the girls most likely - Vaughn, Reenie, Su and Audrey. GIRLS MOST LIKELY by Sheila Williams presents the hopes, dreams, joys, fears and failures of the foursome over several decades. Each girl has a talent that manifest itself during grammar school and beyond. Vaughn, the ultimate storyteller and analyzer, dreams of writing a spellbinding novel. Her play on words is humorous to her friends and at times, irritating. Her introduction to the world beyond is an eye opening experience. Reenie, the only daughter in a household of four brothers, is as tough as she is provocative. Su's daily home life is dysfunctional as she attempts to survive on instinct and faith; her dream is to become famous. Finally there is Audrey, the daughter of a retired military Colonel; she strives for perfection in everything she does, from the mundane to the most complicated. Vaughn opens and closes the novel with Rennie, Su and Audrey narrating their stories in between. While their relationships appear normal for girls of ten years of age, as they mature those relationships become complex. Following the girls through high school, control is established, betrayal sets in and friendships and loyalties are tested. High school graduation brings about another set of challenges as the girls muddle through college, marriages, childbearing and rearing, divorces, careers and health issues. The upcoming reunion sets in motion a series of reflections and apologies. If you are of this age group or near it, the author's use of the imagery and clichés forces the reader to become a part of the story. The story is engaging, the emotions realistic and the characters, both primary and secondary, are fully developed. She highlights numerous historical issues of the time, which ask difficult questions, which to this day provide no easy answers. Reviewed by Dawn R. Reeves of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

For many people, life-long friendships transcend some of life's most profound experiences. This is true of Vaughn, Reenie, Su and Audrey. Four decades of good and bad times have created a bond none of them imagined possible when they were kids. Nicknamed the "Girls Most Likely," they became a close-knit group legendary among their peers--the kind of friendship that exists in every school, where classmates cannot imagine one girl in a room without the others. Vaughn is the Girl Most Likely to publish an unforgettable novel. Reenie is the Girl Most Likely to marry a prince. Su is the Girl Most Likely to be famous. Audrey is the Girl Most Likely to rule the world. The history of this friendship is told through the eyes of each woman, from their perspective as fifty-somethings today. Rather than alternating sections, as is increasingly common in this type of fiction, each woman tells her view of the story in one section. It begins with Vaughn's memories of how the friendship began. Reenie continues the story, relating the effects of betrayal and loneliness. Su continues with the meaning of adulthood and moving on. Audrey has her say as the group moves into the twenty-first century. Finally, and as the writer she is, Vaughn will finish out the story. The writing in this novel is moving, insightful, and often hilarious. While it is ultimately about the importance and significance of lifelong relationships, it also addresses very real issues--issues that MUST be addressed in the course of a person's life if they intend to truly live it. Race, loyalty, faith, love, health, family, and more are lovingly woven into an extraordinary look at a seemingly ordinary phenomenon. Friendship on this level is a sacred thing, as it should be. Sheila Williams has captured its essence in a novel that will embrace the reader with its depth of spirit. This is a "must read" for anyone who can appreciate the power of friendship. Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer 7/28/2006 (** A very unprofessional, but enthusiastic, shout-out to my closest friends: my "Girl Most Likely," Jenn from NHS, class of 1995; Katie & Sarah and Barb & Lori from SMWC, class of 1999; Makiko & Wakako, and Amy, Cheryl, Maria & Heather, SMWC, class of 1998! **)

Vaughn, Reenie, Susan, and Audrey are life-long friends who are more like sisters than friends. A friendship started in the 5th grade that has lasted over 5 decades. Despite the different directions that life has taken them, they find an opportunity to reconnect at their high school reunion. Vaughn is the bookworm. She is the glue that holds everyone together. Longing to be a successful writer one day, she is the one everyone depends on to be levelheaded in a crisis. But when life throws a curve-ball at Vaughn, will she be able to hold it together? Reenie is the girl that every boy wants and every girl wants to be like. She is keeping a secret that will not only forever change her life but create a betrayal that will cause a rift between the girls. Susan is the determined one. She is determined to be better than the ones who laughed or talked behind her back. She will rise to fame but will she ever be able to forgive her alcoholic mother who abandoned her? Last but least is Audrey. Audrey is the perfectionist. The one who is determined to succeed no matter who (her family) or what (her health) it affects. But when the price of success becomes too much to pay, Audrey will be forced to determine what's more important: her career or her sanity? Girls Most Likely is a heartwarming, touching, yet humorous story about the bonds of friendship and sisterhood. Ms. Williams has written characters that are so realistic, they could be your friend, sister, or maybe even you. An entertaining story that will make you laugh and cry as you join Vaughn, Reenie, Susan, and Audrey on their journey of self-discovery and womanhood. It is the essential book club read. Reviewed by Shay C of PeoplewholoveGoodBooks.