I didn't care for this book. It feels like a report on a survey with questions and vignettes but not much else. I did like the "Can this relationship be saved?" question, but generally, it felt light on advice. There aren't many books on the challenges of female friendships, so it's worth a read if you're going through something, but I am unlikely to recommend it.

I appreciated that this book pulled from the lived experiences of so many women and their complicated and very real relationships. However, because there were so many people’s stories that featured so heavily through the book, it felt hard to keep track of each person & each story requires the reader to once again get contextualized to this specific person’s experience.

If there were just a handful of examples (or perhaps just the final longer case study that’s featured at the end of each chapter), that would have been a lovely way to add color and context to all of the other research and insights. There were too many stories and each vignette felt a little too long and needed a little too much context to fully parse.

If you are looking for a book that dives deep into a very specific lived experience—of women’s estranged relationships with female friends—and are looking to see yourself reflected in the pages of a text, this might be a good fit.

If you are looking for an overview of the theory, literature, and research on female friendships and the psychology of estrangement, with some qualitative narrative peppered in, this is not that.

Overall, I’m glad to see that a thoughtful and detailed exploration of this slice of female friendship exists and has been so thoroughly explored and analyzed.

I don’t think this book was for me, but I do think others may enjoy the many rich vignettes!

(Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for early access to this book.)

Interesting book.
Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

In many cases we find it easier ending a romantic relationship that’s no longer beneficial or working for us than a truly toxic friendship. This book explores that outlook, looking at submitted stories of real friendships (from both sides/viewpoints) that surpassed expiration dates, withstood struggles and crashed and burned. Shapiro-Barash bares all from friendship threesomes, idolspizing, frenemies to relationship remorse and how we deserve better in both our romantic relationships and friendships.

Estranged: How Strained Female Friendships are Mended or Ended came out this week on April 1st. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Meridian Editions for this early copy.

Oh boy. Or should that be, Oh, girl?
Female friendships can be high maintenance. Mostly, they're worth it.

But what if a relationships sours or is poisoned by ghosting and spite? What do you do when a former friend responds to you with quarrels, jealousy or other conflict? Sometimes it's better not to try to resuscitate what's dead.

This practical and storied book examines how friendships develop, are shaped, paused, or terminated. Barash gives practical and personal counsel for recognizing when a female friendship is over or nearing its end.

Well worth reading, whether you've just been frozen or kicked out of a relationships - or whether you're mentoring and counseling women whose hearts are breaking, along with their trust in someone they counted on.

I found Susan's book to be a fascinating read. She has included a lot of research to explain the changes in female friendships over the years. I was reminded of past friends and how those relationships ended. This book made me examine them further. I loved it! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.