Review: Getting to Happy

Getting to Happy Author: Terry McMillan Genre: Contemporary Fiction Series:  The sequel to Waiting To Exhale (Book 2) Publisher:  Viking Adult Release Date:September 7, 2010 Hardcover: 400 pages Source: Purchased from Borders Bookstore

Book Description

An exuberant return to the four unforgettable heroines of Waiting to Exhale—the novel that changed African American fiction forever.

Terry McMillan's Waiting to Exhale was more than just a bestselling novel—its publication was a watershed moment in literary history. McMillan's sassy and vibrant story about four African American women struggling to find love and their place in the world touched a cultural nerve, inspired a blockbuster film, and generated a devoted audience.

Now, McMillan revisits Savannah, Gloria, Bernadine, and Robin fifteen years later. Each is at her own midlife crossroads: Savannah has awakened to the fact that she's made too many concessions in her marriage, and decides to face life single again—at fifty-one. Bernadine has watched her megadivorce settlement dwindle, been swindled by her husband number two, and conned herself into thinking that a few pills will help distract her from her pain. Robin has an all-American case of shopaholism, while the big dream of her life—to wear a wedding dress— has gone unrealized. And for years, Gloria has taken happiness and security for granted. But being at the wrong place at the wrong time can change everything. All four are learning to heal past hurts and to reclaim their joy and their dreams; but they return to us full of spirit, sass, and faith in one another. They've exhaled: now they are learning to breathe.

Review

This book was purchased years ago and has done nothing but collect dust on my bookshelf.  I am pleased to say that it has been read and I kinda liked it.  But I have to say that I didn't realize it was a sequel to Waiting to Exhale.  I am not sure if I was aware of this at the time of purchase but when I picked it up again I saw the title on the cover and was surprised.  I know!  I am the last person on the planet to realize it but...anyways.  I read Waiting to Exhale decades ago (22 years ago to be exact) and I didn't refresh my memory on the first book with a re-read or a quick look at the movie adaptation.  I just jumped in and hoped for the best.  So this review might sound like I am talking about a stand alone and not book two in a series.
Fifteen years have passed and the sisterhood of Savannah, Gloria, Bernadine and Robin has held through the thick and thin of friendship.  The women are older now and have a lot of new issues mixed in with their old ones still haunting them.
Savannah unhappy with marriage and her husband takes on a new life as a single woman.  Bernadine has become a pill popper in denial who somehow missed her daughter coming out.  Ms. Robin is a mother of a teenager and is shopping non-stop still and still single with a baby daddy in jail.  Gloria living the dream suddenly has her world turned upside down.  Now they are helping each other in this new phase of all of their lives.  
I thought this book was a good read as a stand alone.  To me this book seems to be a bit over the top with the number of characters.  Each of the four women came with an entourage of characters, husbands, ex-husbands, children and friends.  For some reason I thought there would be more involvement between the women.  And I think I was looking to have a better resolution with all of the ladies.  This was a good light read for the summer but nothing compared to the first book.  There was just something missing.  

Reviews by Other Bloggers

Goodreads 

Recommendations

I recommend this book to adults due to sexual content and occasional graphic language.

Challenges

This book is number 12 in my Diversity on the Shelf Reading Challenge
This book is number 7 in  my Rewind Reading Challenge
This book is number 3 in my TBR Pile Reading Challenge
This book is number 9 in my Off the Shelf Reading Challenge
This book is number 7 Dusty Reading Challenge
This book is number 28 in my Goodreads Reading Challenge