The Most Likely Club by Elyssa Friedland (2022, Berkley imprint of Penguin Random House LLC; 351 pages, $17)
The Most Likely Club is a high school 25th reunion story that is relatable regardless of when you went to school. The book captures the nostalgia of high school perfectly and the years that transpire after high school into adulthood.
Melissa, Suki, Priya and Tara were best friends at Bellport Academy, a private school in a posh Connecticut hamlet, with the usual anytown USA teenagers. Each is mentioned in the senior class’s highly anticipated “Most Likely” list projecting amazing accomplishments including one ending up in the White House and one curing cancer. Then, like all of us, they go their disparate ways but stay in touch.
We follow three closely, the fourth whom we learn more about later, has achieved enormous success and moved to California.
Melissa is the reunion planner and convinces Priya and Tara to join her at the reunion. They find inspiration from their achievements and determine they must go after the goals set by their high school “Most Likely” predictions. Can they still achieve those things? This is a story of second chances as well as enduring friendship among women. I enjoyed each of the characters, and how different they are. Their struggles seemed realistic. They demonstrate that when life doesn’t go exactly as planned it’s never too late to turn your life in a new direction.
I recommend The Most Likely Club as a quick and breezy read and suggest it for book clubs as well.
Look for The Most Likely Club as Reunions magazine March 2023 giveaway.
Reviewed by Edith Wagner, Editor of Reunions magazine
