Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner
Review by Mirah Welday (mwelday)
Jennifer Weiner’s Then Came You is a novel told through various voices. I listened to the audiobook and was quickly drawn into the lives of each character and became very curious about how all of the characters’ stories would come together.
At its essence, Then Came You is a love story that is multi-layered and multi-faceted. Characters who probably would not have ever been in the same story come together through a variety of both positive and negative decisions.
Julie is ‘discovered’ in the mall but not by a modeling agency, by an agency that provides eggs to people who are trying to have children. Her decision to donate her eggs is rooted in her love of family but will this be as simple a choice as she thinks?
Annie is married and she and her husband are struggling to make ends meet. As a mother of her own children, she knows that being pregnant is something she knows how to do. She sees the prospect of being a surrogate as a way she can make much-needed money for her family while helping another family at the same time.
But how will Julie and Annie’s decisions impact other characters in the story? Weiner gives a unique voice to each character and deftly links the lives of all of the characters together. I think listening to the audiobook was the right choice for me. The characters were funny, witty, sarcastic, condescending, and caring and their personalities were so clearly portrayed by the narrators. If you’re in the mood for some good chick lit with some scheming, backstabbing, and forgiveness, you may want to give Then Came You a listen.
