All We Ever Wanted really wanted to be a great commentary on one of the big issues in our society. It just fell a little but short. Lyla is a sophomore in high school and the daughter of a single father. When pictures of her in a compromised state at a party surface, the school and the families involved in the situation.

The accused poster of the picture is, of course, a rich kid who has just been accepted at Princeton. The rest of the story is kind of shallow, while trying to break down social class barriers. It all just fell a little flat. It is a quick read, almost too quick. At the end, you kind of wonder where the rest of the story is.

First of all, thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for this advance review galley.

Emily Giffin has long been a favorite author and this one definitely doesn’t disappoint.

I loved that it is set in Nashville and Bristol since I live in Kentucky and have visited Nashville.

The storyline is so relevant for you d adults today with social media being at everyone’s finger tips. I would especially recommend this to parents, teachers or anyone with young people in their lives.

It definitely had a 13 reasons why vibe to it without being as raw and graphic. I loved this book and give it 4 stars!

I must note that this is one of the 25 books selected by Anne Bogel for her Modern Mrs Darcy blog Summer Reading Guide that was released today.

#netgalley # randomhouse #srg18 #summertooshort #modernmrsdarcy

If you ever wondered what life would be like as an elite member of society, this book may make you happy with your small town, non-celebrity life. You'll meet Nina, Tom and Lyla, who are thrown together in the midst of a scandal at one of Nashville's most elite private high schools. 

This book will make you think about what loyalty and love look like in your own life, and ponder what you would do if you were one of the characters in Giffin's newest hit. I couldn't put this book down, and I know you won't be able to either! If you're a fan of Giffin's past books, you'll once again love her amazing words.

In the world of social media, it didn't happen if there is no picture to prove it. But some pictures are better left unposted. One photo snapped in a drunken moment at a party spreads like wildfire. Lies and scandal force three people to choose between family and values.

Lyla is a seemingly happy teenager until the consequences of her underage drinking is caught on camera. Her father is beyond angry and reports it to the high school; surely the boy who snapped and shared the photo should be blamed. The racist caption alone is damning. But his parents have another agenda. This novel is basically 400 pages of the consequences of a photo posted on social media. I guess this is relevant in our generation but did we really need a whole book about it?

Some authors are automatically added to my TBR off their name alone. I don't need a book title. I don't need a cover reveal. I don't even need a synopsis. Emily Giffin has proven to be such an author. So when I received the advanced copy of All We Ever Wanted, I read the summary only for brief context before beginning the book. It didn't sound all too interesting but I brushed it off because, hey this is Emily Giffin so why not read it anyway.

I guess every all-star has a bad performance. I am not saying All We Ever Wanted was downright bad but it is definitely least liked of all her books (and I have read them ALL). One of the charms of reading an Emily Giffin book is her ability to make me root for the bad girl. But in this book here? Not even one character was likeable. Only thing I rooted for was the end.

All I wanted was a good read from All We Ever Wanted. It was a bust but maybe the author's intention worked; I am left with questions that make me think: Should a parent always side with their kid? Do we excuse learned behavior? 🤔

Happy Early Pub Day, Emily Giffin. All We Ever Wanted will be available Tuesday, June 26.

LiteraryMarie

Emily Giffin has done it again. This is by far my all time favorite novel she has written. The story is told from multiple perspectives centered around an incident that happens at a teen party between Lyla and Finch. We hear from the teens and their respective parents, as they all try and come to terms with the teens' actions, Although Giffin's novels seem to be best known for a rom-com style of writing, this novel tackles some of the tougher issues such as affects of social media, bullying, reputation, and privilege.

I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down. As a parent, it makes me think about the repercussions of one poorly made decision (one that seems too common amongst teens these days) can have on teens and their families.

I love Emily Giffin's writing. She is amongst a small number of authors whose books I pick up without having any idea what it's about. I have that much faith - that the book will be good regardless of what topic is covered.

All We Ever Wanted is a spectacular novel and a page turner. This might be one of Giffin's best novels to date. This book is quite different from her usual chick-lit. It tackles social media in this day and age. How teens and parents use it differently and the ramifications of several mistakes that can lead to big consequences. Race and social class play a very important role in showing how society continues to use them as dividing forces. This is a very different direction for Giffin but I love it and am looking forward to seeing what other direction her writing takes.

The novel is told from multiple points of view. Each character and voice is distinct. The three main characters are, Nina, Tom and Lyla. Lyla is 15 years old and our victim in the story. Tom is Lyla's, father and a hard working single father. Nina is the quintessential suburban mom.

The actions of Nina's son, Fitch brings the lives of these characters together. A scandalous photograph goes viral altering perceptions and irrevocably changing relationships and family dynamics. Be prepared to be entertained and ride a roller coaster of emotion.
This is one read you won't want $to miss this year.

All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin

June 2018
Women’s fiction

I received this digital ARC from NetGalley and Ballantine/Random House Publishing in exchange for an unbiased review.

Interesting story about family values and finding authenticity in a crazy materialistic world. The story is narrated in alternate chapters by main characters: Nina Browning, Tom Volpe, Lyla Volpe.

It begins with Nina Browning who is married to Kirk Browning, a very wealthy software executive. They had a luxurious lifestyle filled with charity events and fancy cars. Their only son Finch has never known any other life than the one he had at Windsor Academy. Nina was raised in a very modest Bristol neighborhood where her best friend Julie still lives and works as an attorney.

In contrast, Tom Volpe is a single father raising Lyla, a high school sophomore at Windsor Academy. They have a very different lifestyle where Tom works hard as a carpenter to ensure his daughter gets a good education. Lyla is accustomed to the random visits from Beatriz, her estranged alcoholic mother.

The story evolves after a house party at a senior Beau’s house while his parents were away. Needless to say, the party revs up with the heavy consumption of alcohol by the students. An incident occurs which stirs up Windsor Academy to the dismay of the headmaster, Walter Quarterman. Especially since the issue involves Finch Browning whose family provides financial support to the private school.

Consequently, Tom receives an unexpected call from Grace, Lyla’s best friend with whom she was supposed to be studying. Grace desperately seeks his assistance when Lyla is found passed out at party. Stories begin to spiral out of control via social media when a picture of Lyla becomes topic of discussion. Lyla has had a crush on Finch for two years and is flattered by his attention although he was dating Polly.

When differing explanations of the night emerge, it has Nina and Tom investigating the truth, although on differing sides of the story. Is it always important to reveal the truth even when the consequences are high? Does money make it acceptable to cover up mistakes?

I couldn’t put it down. A riveting story with lots of food for thought. The author deals with a number of social issues - date rape, marital problems, teenage mental health etc. etc. etc. However, Giffin weaves them into the story beautifully.

I was happy to get the opportunity to read this book but sadly disappointed in its content. The book is about photo posted on social media of a sophomore girl of a private high school passed out on a bed in a senior boy's bedroom at a party along with a racist comment. The boy's family is very wealthy and the girl attends the school on scholarship and lives on "the other side of the tracks" So much of these things can be put together to make an amazing story and the description is what drew me to wanting to read it. Not long into the book I found that instead of wanting to read what comes next, all I found was the dread of poor little rich me, no one wanting to take resposniblity for their actions and lying all around. There was only one main character I felt was likeable and that was the girls father. He was far from perfect but atleast he tried at times to do what was best for his daughter. I found it hard to like the main character especially. She whines about one thing after another. She describes the things her husband does as terrible and disappointing but in the next breath says how these things are what attracted her to him. She talks of how the money changed them, but mostly him. Rarely in the book did I see her as the innocent middle class girl who grew up to marry into a wealthy family that grew even weatlhier in their own right and not enjoy all the perks that came with it. There isn't anything wrong with enjoying the money you've made but doing while making exscuses and whining about it gets old fast.

2/5 stars
I never connected with any of the characters in this story. They spent a lot of time telling me who they were and what they thought rather than letting me see that through their actions. It all felt very clichéd and hackneyed to me (and there were SO MANY italics when these people did actually talk). I was not impressed with this at all and if it weren't for needing to complete it to review it, I wouldn't have finished it.

I liked this much more than I expected too - it was a good, relevant story. I haven't read much by Emily Giffin but I tend to think of her books as lighter fare so this was a pleasant surprise. The characters were interesting, although a little stereotypical. I liked the conclusion and the epilogue that provided a little more insight into what eventually happened to Lyla, Nina, Tom and Finch.

I’ve seen Emily Giffin’s books everywhere but never really had time to read them… Until now. I’m so happy that “All We Ever Wanted” was the first Emily Giffin book I experienced. New favorite author hands down!

This book is an intelligent and captivating story about how one boy’s “error” changes everyone’s lives in different ways. The so-called “incident” brings out the characters’ true colors. It’s fascinating to see just how one little ripple can set everything else in motion. In this book, we get to read the characters’ first-hand perspectives about how this particular event impacts their lives/decisions. A woman learns the true nature of her husband, although she always suspected it. A single father is brought close to someone who captivates him. A girl must decide whether to trust the boy who allegedly ruined her reputation. And a husband must decide what is most important to him and how far he’s willing to go to save his family’s name.

Praise for Emily Giffin and how eloquently and tastefully she navigates through sensitive topics of race and class in this racially charged climate.

A book that I could not put down, I give it five stars out of five both for Ms. Giffin’s style of writing as well as her ability to capture a powerful story so beautifully. She has a talent for placing us right in the forefront of her character’s minds, so much so that at times, it feels like we’re intruding their thoughts. Amazing.

Although this is not a Young Adult novel, I would highly recommend this book to anyone ranging from age 13 and above! Everyone could learn a little something from this captivating story and would have you questioning your own decisions in any of the characters’ shoes…

This book is set to release on June 26, 2018.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. Emily Giffin is one of my absolute favorite authors and this book didn't disappoint. It was told from 3 different people's point of view, which kept it very interesting. This book and the issues it deals with are very appropriate with me too movement going on and dealing with guilt and shame that victims experience.

Emily Griffin is one of my favorite authors. Loved this new book and how the story was told from different points of view. The twist at the ending surprised me; Did not see that coming. Look forward to her next book

I enjoyed this book. Moved along well. interesting story. Nothing too deep or exceptional, but still worth reading. I would recommend. Would give 3.5 stars if an option.

I'm so happy with this book! I was losing faith in the author with her last few books - they felt so preachy and sometimes were just not my cup of tea. All We Ever Wanted has a couple preachy moments, and maybe still puts the onus on the girl in certain situations, but those moments felt brief and were redeemed by the rest of the story.

This book fits very well with the #metoo movement, but I feel like there was still a little bit of victim blaming. The characters felt pretty true and I appreciated the difficulty the teens had being honest with their parents and themselves. This was not the typical chick-lit I have become accustomed to Emily Giffin writing - I was pleasantly surprised!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This title was the first that I have read by Emily Giffin and it did NOT disappoint. She is clearly a talented author and I look forward to reading her other works.

All We Ever Wanted is a story told through multiple viewpoints - high schoolers Lyla & Finch and their parents Tom (Lyla's father) and Nina (Finch's mother). Having these multiple viewpoints of what was happening in the story was an excellent way to allow us into the drama to see what was really happening. I appreciated knowing how more than one person felt about what was going on.

When a compromising picture of Lyla is taken at a party, everyone says that Finch is to blame. But is that really what happened or is there more to the story? Finch has always been a nice boy. He surely wouldn't do that to an innocent girl, would he? Meanwhile, his father tries to use his elitist status to throw money at the problem to make it go away. Is Nina really okay with her husband and son solving things that way? Will Tom actually drop the subject and let Finch get away with it?

The drama unfolds throughout the whole novel as the reader is continually guessing if Finch is the one responsible for the picture or if he's telling the truth about who is.

Honestly, the story did NOT end how I expected it to end, but it was still a good ending overall. I personally could have lived without the epilogue, but I can also see the benefit to how the story was tied up.

This novel touches on some very important, but very mature, content such as teenage drinking and date rape. However, it is done in such a way that it is not overly graphic and it brings light to the issues in a way that makes people think.

I would 100% recommend this book to my fellow readers. It's a little slow at first, but once it picks up, you won't be able to put it down!

This is an engaging read that thoughtfully addresses some very timely issues; enjoyable for summer reading and sure to please the author's existing fan base..

This is a contemporary story of what can happen after teenagers make bad decisions. It starts on a high note when Nina's son Finch gets accepted into Princeton, but goes downhill quickly after he is accused of posting a compromising photo of a drunken and partially naked classmate at a party. The photo's subject, Lyla, is a scholarship student at the prestigious prep school they both attend, and she wishes the whole episode would be downplayed and forgotten. Her single father, though, is incensed and determined that someone will be punished. With this drama going on, Nina realizes that her life has gone awry, that her husband and son seem like strangers who do not share her moral compass and values. The author captures the teens' relationships well, with each other and with the adults in their lives. The headmaster could have been turned into a negative stereotype, but instead was portrayed as reasonable and positive. The ambiguity of who actually took the photo gave an additional dimension and certain suspense to the novel..

This book offers many discussion points for both teens, born into social media, and those adults who have become acclimated to it. It also raises many questions/thoughts about privilege as the story vacillates between those who have it and those who do not. The battle between the good and evil of social media, youth, privilege, and friendship compete with the main character's determination to define her happiness and purpose while remembering the one thing she truly ever wanted.