4 STARS

When I found this one is read now on netgalley I grabbed it immediately! Jo and Bethie are sisters and “Mrs. Everything” is their story. It takes place over the course of decades.I found this story captivating and poignant!

“She wondered whether they would ever not try to have it all and do it all and do all of it flawlessly. Would the day ever come when simply doing your best would be enough?”

There’s probably something in the book that every female can relate to.I found several things I could relate with! Overall, this was a powerful story that all the women must read!

The character development was a joy to read. Covering the sisters through their lives and changes was spellbinding.

This is the first book I've read by Jennifer Weiner, and I must admit it's not really a choice I'd usually make. Advance buzz being what it is, I decided to give it a shot not realizing that it portrays a very personal matter for her, and she wanted to honor her mother through its publication. I thought since her mother and I were similar in age and experience, I would enjoy reading about the progression through the decades that she provides, complete with memory triggers via pop cultural references, only to come across some anachronisms that were jarring. It is well written and is fine for its intended audience, which sadly, does not include me. (Four stars for its potential, not for my enjoyment)

Having read many of Jennifer Weiners previous books, I am in awe of the very different writing style, tone, and sensitivity of this novel. I. Loved. It. It was dark. So much darker but written so well and so timely and so good. One of her best yet I have to say! Highly recommend to anyone who enjoyed her precious works. Who is having trouble coping with the current political climate.

This is not a book that I would typically choose to read but I heard wonderful things about it and gave it a chance. I am so glad I did! I was so invested in the characters and it really made me think a lot about social issues. As a parent it also made me think a lot about different parenting styles and what affect that has on their children throughout their lifetime. It was a great read and one that will probably stay with me for a long time.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This was a welcome break from my usual steady diet of thrillers. I've read and enjoyed previous books by Jennifer Weiner, but I think this is the best one she's ever written. Mrs. Everything is the multi-generational story of two sisters and the ever changing world in which they find themselves. All of the characters were richly imagined and detailed and I was very invested in the story. It was at turns heartbreaking and joyful. 4 stars.

Five out of Five stars for Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner

You may know the authors name from some of her past books. But do not worry, Jennifer Weiner has done it again! This book is a fun, compelling read. I recommend it for all readers - especially those looking to get swept away by a good book. I could see it being especially enjoyable around the pool this summer or taken on a beach vacation.

Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley, who provided this digital copy in exchange for my honest review. I truly enjoyed it and hope my review is helpful!

I think that this book by Jennifer Weiner is one of her best works yet. I appreciate the way that she so wove the story together. Following the lives of two sisters. Seeing how sometimes we are able to fulfill dreams and sometimes.... well, life happens. The author was so beautifully able to capture the highs and lows of being a woman . The struggles that we face. This was one of my favorites and I thank her for teaching me through her eyes the true struggles of self identity and trying to be a woman, an equal. I laughed and cried!!! Thank you for the honor of the #arc #netgalley

This was my first Jennifer Weiner and it just blew me away. Her ability to craft complex characters that you can love and hate and laugh and cry with all at the same time is incredible. The books tackles important subjects like race, same sex relationships, drug abuse and sexual assault though the lens of experience and relationships. With Jo and Bethie, Weiner shows us a real family. One that is not perfect, makes countless mistakes, but never stops loving each other. This book pulled at my heartstrings in all the best ways . Highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 STARS - I think every woman will find a bit of herself in this book. With story lines that focus on the good, the not-so-good and the wonderful aspects of being a woman, Mrs. Everything contains voices of mothers, sisters, daughters, grandmothers, aunts and partners and weaves in issues that women can relate to in varying degrees.

This is a lengthy novel that spans decades and follows the lives of two sisters, Jo and Bethie. Through their stories, Weiner addresses many issues that women faced in the past, the issues we have in the present and as well as those that may continue to affect the future of women. She hits on emotional topics through the changing decades and blends them into a story that will captivate readers as we tag along on the bumpy journey of these two women as they figure out who they are on their own and together as sisters.

This is a hearty read at 464 pages and, I'll admit, it felt like it dragged a bit at times. But it's this length that allows Weiner to dig deeper into important issues and show how they reverberate through the sisters' lives - issues that include women's roles within family and society as well as our continued struggle for the right to choose what happens to our own bodies. Through Jo and Bethie, Weiner discusses topics that were important to the women who came before us, to the women we are now and hopefully will embolden society to bring much needed change as we work to transform a world that lifts up and encourages the daughters we're raising today.

This is a powerful story that will run readers through a spectrum of emotions. You'll cry, laugh, feel frustrated and empowered as you read this story about two sisters and their journey to find fulfillment, love and acceptance as women in complicated and ever-changing times.

Note: I highly recommend that readers read Weiner's forward which describes where her inspiration for this story began.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Atria Books for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atria for my copy of this book. I am a huge fan of Jennifer Weiner. I love the way she tells a story with her signature humor and wit. This book had tough shoes to fill. There are so many parts of this book that were so good. The characters were from and developed and the story was epic as it followed Jo and Bethie from childhood through their lives. I liked the characters and felt involved in their stories. However, there were a lot of times while I was reading this book that I felt Mrs. Everything tried to be "everything" without settling into one genre. And while that in itself is not a bad thing, I often felt like the story itself lacked a direction. Was it a family saga or a historical fiction about women's issues? At times it seemed like a lecture on equality for women. There were many parts that I felt were too drawn out and others that I wish were more developed. This was an ambitious book that for me, fell a little short.

Brief synopsis from the book cover:

Do we change or does the world change us?

Jo and Bethie Kaufman were born into a world full of promise.

Growing up in 1950s Detroit, they live in a perfect “Dick and Jane” house, where their roles in the family are clearly defined. Jo is the tomboy, the bookish rebel with a passion to make the world more fair; Bethie is the pretty, feminine good girl, a would-be star who enjoys the power her beauty confers and dreams of a traditional life.

But the truth ends up looking different from what the girls imagined. Jo and Bethie survive traumas and tragedies. As their lives unfold against the background of free love and Vietnam, Woodstock and women’s lib, Bethie becomes an adventure-loving wild child who dives headlong into the counterculture and is up for anything (except settling down). Meanwhile, Jo becomes a proper young mother in Connecticut, a witness to the changing world instead of a participant. Neither woman inhabits the world she dreams of, nor has a life that feels authentic or brings her joy. Is it too late for the women to finally stake a claim on happily ever after?
My rating:

Story: 4 out of 5 stars
Writing: 4 out of 5 stars
Character development: 4 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

Review:

The book tells the story of two sisters, Jo and Bethie. It follows their lives from early childhood in 1950,s Detroit until the present day. Interwoven in their story is the history of the women’s movement and it shows what has been achieved and how the lives of women have changed over the years. Along the way it also touches on subjects such as the civil right movement, the Vietnam war and LGBT acceptance all shown through the eyes of the two sisters.

The characters are well developed and their actions are explained well. This made them very realistic. This is not a light summer read but a book with an important message. If you enjoy well written literary fiction or women’s fiction this book is for you.

I received an ARC through Netgalley at no cost to me.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I liked it but I also didn’t like it hit deep deep topics but some of the scenes were a little too graphic for me but I still enjoyed it kind of but I tried to like the family sister dynamic of it but I would recommend this to everyone who doesn’t mind some graphic scenes

Let me start by saying I was counting down the days for this book so my expectations were beyond belief, it had been a while since a Jennifer Weiner book and I was ready. I am sad to say that it didn't meet all my expectations, but was overall a good read.

Two sisters from childhood to adulthood weave in and out of each other's lives and with a very uncaring mother, they basically are each other's real true family. Jo and Bethie are sisters, but they are two very different individuals. They may have grown up in the same house, but they react completely different to the ups and downs that happened to them when they are young and it affects the adults they become.

This book spans quite the years, so the reader gets to see a lot of these girls lives. I would say this was one thing that I didn't love. There were moments where the pacing of the book just slowed down and I thought we could have not included that moment to instead keep the book moving. I wanted a few less peak ins in these girls lives so that we see the big moments that really shape them.

The big thing for me when I read a Jennifer Weiner book are the characters. Although these characters were full and easy to picture, they were just missing some of the spark that Jennifer Weiner has put into her characters in others books. There were moments were they felt flat and caricature instead of women that I could know. This was the most distracting and frustrating part of the read, I live for Jennifer Weiner's characters no matter what situation she puts them in.

I am excited to see her back and writing adult fiction and hope that she has a few more up her sleeve!

Jennifer Weiner calls Mrs. Everything "the most ambitious book I've ever attempted," but she sells herself much too short with this statement. The dictionary defines "ambitious" as "the desire to achieve a particular goal." With Mrs. Everything, she doesn't just desire to achieve-Ms. Weiner succeeds, in an extraordinary way-at writing a timely, thought provoking, heart-rending, and sometimes difficult to read treatise on the state of civil rights (mostly LGBTQ and women's rights) from the 1950's to today. Based loosely on her own family, Mrs. Everything follows sisters Jo and Bethie from their home in middle class Detroit, through the death of their beloved father, to college, marriage and pregnancy (not necessarily in that order), careers, struggles, triumphs, and all the ordinary moments that shape a life. And she seamlessly ties in actual events like the #MeToo Movement and the nomination of Hillary Clinton as the first woman to run for president on a major party line. Don't worry, Ms. Weiner doesn't use Mrs. Everything to make a political statement-just acknowledges this as a defining moment for women (although you don't have to work for the Gallup poll to guess who she voted for). What Mrs. Everything does so cleverly is show how far civil rights have come since the mid 20th century by using eye opening examples of how far they haven't. Jennifer Weiner is the author of multiple best selling books- several have been made into major motion pictures. Ambition is in her blood. She's been Good in Bed, In her Shoes, and The Next Best Thing-but nothing, nothing comes close to the inimitable and incomparable Mrs. Everything.

There are many important topics that this story covers. There is sexual abuse, drug use, same sex relationship, eating disorders, grief, abortion, family relationships, interracial relationships and trying to find your place in the world. I really enjoyed this book. Although there were moments that were tough to read about, there were high moments full of love and good to balance it out. You can’t help but root and fall in love with their sisters and the family. This is definitely not a light and fluffy read but an important one.

I had the pleasure of obtaining a copy of this through NetGalley. It was an enjoyable story of two sisters and how they lived their lives through trials, heartaches, joys, and love. There was a strong undercurrent of how the lives of women have changed throughout the years and how far we have come and the acceptance of differences. But the strongest theme was the love of family and how family will always be there no matter what. 4 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Do we change or does the world change us?

Jo and Bethie Kaufman were born into a world full of promise.

Growing up in 1950s Detroit, they live in a perfect “Dick and Jane” house, where their roles in the family are clearly defined. Jo is the tomboy, the bookish rebel with a passion to make the world more fair; Bethie is the pretty, feminine good girl, a would-be star who enjoys the power her beauty confers and dreams of a traditional life.

But the truth ends up looking different from what the girls imagined. Jo and Bethie survive traumas and tragedies. As their lives unfold against the background of free love and Vietnam, Woodstock and women’s lib, Bethie becomes an adventure-loving wild child who dives headlong into the counterculture and is up for anything (except settling down). Meanwhile, Jo becomes a proper young mother in Connecticut, a witness to the changing world instead of a participant. Neither woman inhabits the world she dreams of, nor has a life that feels authentic or brings her joy. Is it too late for the women to finally stake a claim on happily ever after?



My Thoughts: Mrs. Everything launches the reader into the present moments in the life of Jo, and then swings back to growing-up years in Detroit, in the 1950s. We alternate between Jo and Bethie’s stories, from their sisterhood, their relationship with their mother Sarah, and their college years. The era resonated with me, since I also came of age during those times. The story is layered with the civil rights movements, the Vietnam War, the feminist and consciousness-raising groups…and how time and personal experiences changed each of the women as they moved beyond their early years.

I found myself relating to each of them in various ways, and I looked forward to each time I picked up the book to continue the family saga. A memorable story that earned five stars for me.

***My e-ARC came from the publisher via NetGalley.

Unfortunately this book was not for me. I was really intrigued by the premise but I found the sex scene of Jo and her best friend too graphic for my taste and unfortunately it ruined it for me. This is a personal preference and did not reflect the writing style at all.

"Maybe I am different. But being different isn't the worst thing."

"A body was just a body, just a vessel for her soul, and she was under no obligation to keep her body looking any certain way, no more than she was obliged to do anything just because it was customary, or traditional, or expected of women in America. She didn't have to get married, she didn't have to have kids, and she didn't have to be thin."

Mrs. Everything follows sisters Jo and Bethie Kaufman from their childhood in the 1950s through 2022, 8 decades of their life and experiences.

This is the first book I've read by Jennifer Weiner and per her foreword, this is her most serious and sweeping novel in her canon. It is a clearly ambitious undertaking that she mostly succeeds with. My one disappointment is the length. I felt there could have been more editing done as the chapters and book felt long at times where I didn't feel pulled in and engaged enough to want to continue turning page after page.

Despite that, this is an incredibly important novel for any woman in today's society. This is a coming of age tale of the two sisters, but more than that, this novel tells the history of the women's/feminist movement through decades of time through the lens of Jo and Bethie. Weiner explores so many important topics such as race equality, LGBT equality and acceptance, sexual abuse and rape, abortion, mental health disorders, and death just to name some of them. So many of these issues, really ALL of these issues, are still relevant today.

I truly believe Mrs. Everything should be required high school reading. It's THAT important. 4 stars and high recommendations.