Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner

Addie Downs couldn't be more surprised when she answers her door one evening.  There stands her best friend from high school, Valerie Adler.  Her best friend, who turned on her in their senior year.  Her best friend, who stood by while Addie was teased and taunted and made miserable.  Her best friend, who she hadn't seen in years, but who now has come to her for help.

The local high school had had their fifteenth high school reunion.  While Addie hadn't gone, Val had and had taken the chance to wreak some revenge on Dan, the guy who had date raped her in high school, and who had lead the torment of Addie when she turned him in.  Val has left Dan naked and bleeding in the country club parking lot, after hitting him with her car as she leaves.  She runs to Addie, not sure if the man is alive or dead, and if alive, how hurt he is.  The friends go back to the parking lot, but all they find is Dan's belt and some of his blood.

In the years since high school, both Addie and Val have made lives for themselves.  Val is now a TV weatherperson who has just made it to the big-time; a TV station in Chicago.  She is determined to move from that spot to an anchor chair.  Addie has stayed in the same house all these years.  She helps her brother, who was injured in an accident years before, and paints greeting card illustrations.  She has what many would consider a "small" life, but she is content.

Now these friends must determine if there is any friendship left between them, and if they can pull together to get through this crisis.  Can they rebuild the relationship that sustained them both throughout their childhood, or is it all too late?  This book is recommended for readers that enjoy books about women's lives and the problems that define them.  Jennifer Weiner is the queen of this genre, and this is another strong effort by her.