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Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham
Release Date – April 30, 2013
Publisher Website - Random House Canada
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages - 352 pages
My Rating- 4/5
**obtained for review from publisher**
Here is the Goodreads synopsis
A charming and laugh-out-loud novel by Lauren Graham, beloved star of Parenthood and Gilmore Girls, about an aspiring actress trying to make it in mid-nineties New York City.Someday, Someday, Maybe is the perfect summer read. Quirky, cute, and fun. Lauren Graham's debut into writing both surprised me with it's heart, humour and a main character who endears herself to you immediately.
Franny Banks is a struggling actress in New York City, with just six months left of the three year deadline she gave herself to succeed. But so far, all she has to show for her efforts is a single line in an ad for ugly Christmas sweaters and a degrading waitressing job. She lives in Brooklyn with two roommates-Jane, her best friend from college, and Dan, a sci-fi writer, who is very definitely not boyfriend material-and is struggling with her feelings for a suspiciously charming guy in her acting class, all while trying to find a hair-product cocktail that actually works. Meanwhile, she dreams of doing "important" work, but only ever seems to get auditions for dishwashing liquid and peanut butter commercials. It's hard to tell if she'll run out of time or money first, but either way, failure would mean facing the fact that she has absolutely no skills to make it in the real world. Her father wants her to come home and teach, her agent won't call her back, and her classmate Penelope, who seems supportive, might just turn out to be her toughest competition yet. Someday, Someday, Maybe is a funny and charming debut about finding yourself, finding love, and, most difficult of all, finding an acting job.
I found myself wondering how much of Lauren Graham's real life went into the characters personalities, and experiences. It is not hard to imagine her encountering the people Franny meets along her journey. It's part of what makes the story so immersive. It feels real. I am still unsure if this because I know the author is an actress who would have beginnings that mirrored Franny's, or if it a case of an author writing what they know. I think the answer is most like a happy medium. Ms Graham took the notion of 'writing what you know' and pulled from real life for inspiration.
The novel is peppered with fantastic secondary characters. The sweet and loyal Dan, the fun and sassy Jane, the classic mean boss. Even the agent Barney Sparks is what I immediately think of when I picture an agent. All these characters add a layer to Franny's story and often add humour. I found myself giggling throughout the novel. Lauren Graham's humour is more subdued, but delightfully funny.
Franny is immediately a character you root for. Her self deprecating, and sweet nature made her relateable. You wanted her to succeed and make it in the end. She seemed like the girl next door who just happened to want to be an actress. She didn't have confidence in herself, but rather than being annoying, it was endearing.
An honest look at starting out in the business. I found it a perfect balance between those who wanted to work for the sake of the craft, and those whose ambition was simply to be famous. No story set in this world is complete without those who want to use others to claim their way to the top. I found myself surprised at a few of the characters developments, especially Penelope. She wasn't at all what I was expecting. I give the story credit for taking a classic 'mean girl' and turning that idea on it's head.
Lauren Graham's voice is a fun, fresh take on the genre. A feel good story about finding yourself, finding your way, and not compromising even when it's the easier choice. Fans of Gilmore Girls will devour this, but as someone who has never seen an episode, I loved being taken on Franny's journey.
