A beautifully written book. Really enjoyed reading this. Thanks to publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read.

I think that the students in our school library need to hear lots of diverse voices and read stories and lives of many different kinds of people and experiences. When I inherited the library it was an incredibly sanitised space with only 'school readers' and project books on 'the railways' etc. Buying in books that will appeal to the whole range of our readers with diverse voices, eclectic and fascinating subject matter, and topics that will intrigue and fascinate them was incredibly important to me.
This is a book that I think our senior readers will enjoy very much indeed - not just because it's well written with an arresting voice that will really keep them reading and about a fascinating topic - but it's also a book that doesn't feel worthy or improving, it doesn't scream 'school library and treats them like young reading adults who have the right to explore a range of modern diverse reads that will grip and intrigue them and ensure that reading isn't something that they are just forced to do for their English project - this was a solid ten out of ten for me and I'm hoping that our students are as gripped and caught up in it as I was. It was one that I stayed up far too late reading and one that I'll be recommending to the staff as well as our senior students - thank you so much for the chance to read and review; I really loved it and can't wait to discuss it with some of our seniors once they've read it too!

This type of novel becomes more and more relevant in the modern life where social media and hashtags rule everything. It was a sobering read, especially if you start thinking, this could happen to me and my family. Recommended.

I enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the plot and it kept me interested throughout the book. I thought it was well written

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

A very good read that dealt with many current topics. Not my usual read but I am glad I read this book

A great book. Makes you think about some serious issues, such as revenge porn, class, attitudes to women.

Nina has a very comfortable life with her wealthy husband. Their son is about to go to Princeton.

Whereas, Tom is a carpenter, a single father to his daughter, Lyla. She has a scholarship to the prestigious Windsor academy.

One night there is a party, both these young people meet…..but a compromising picture is taken of Lyla and shared on social media, with racist comment.

Nina is upset her son would do such a thing and feels he should be punished, her husband though feels is just a stupid thing he did while alcohol was involved.

This is a family drama and a tale of consequences, of consent and racism too. I didn’t find any of the characters particularly likeable, but it was easy to get drawn into their lives by the clever writing.

I found it an engrossing and thought provoking read.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an eARC of All We Ever Wanted.

Wow what a story. I was expecting women fiction/chick lit. however this is very much contemporary fiction and discusses heavy topics such as privilege, entitlement, racism, sexual assault, and self worth. Griffin didnt feel like she had to make all of the characters likeable which i think added to the reputability of the story. There is a lot in this story but it was enjoyable and has stayed with me. I would recommend.

A great tale that I'm sure happens all over the country. Different to what I would normally read but really enjoyed it. Loveable believable characters and a really interesting read. Well worth adding to the read list.

This book explores teenage relationships and how people may not always think of consequences before they act. I liked how it was told from different characters’ points of view. Moved at a good pace.

A great family drama that exposes and shows us the damage that social media can do, and the effects and repercussions it has on the youth of today, it’s all quite frightening and the book shows this perfectly, and how one photo can be shared online and lives are ruined.

I gripping and taut read and one not to be missed.

Could one bad decision tear two families apart?

Everyone’s seen the compromising photo of Lyla, a scholarship kid in a prestigious private school.

Everyone knows that Nina’s son, expensively prepared for success since childhood, took the photo.

And everyone thinks they know who to blame.

As events spiral out of control, Nina and Lyla – both outsiders in the elite social circle they inhabit – are drawn together in an unlikely bond of friendship.

Because this photograph is forcing them to question who they really are – and who they are becoming.

All most of us ever want is to do the right thing. And oh how hard that can be when you are facing choices that can negatively impact your child. Will your morals take precedence over your child or will your child take precedence instead?

Emily Giffin explores the dynamics within a family when a teenager is found to have taken a compromising photo of a female classmate. The setting for this book takes place in a rich suburb so naturally we meet obnoxious characters who use money to get their way. We also meet people who use their moral compass to make the right choice instead. What happens though when these two types of people are married and raising a teenager together? And that teenager takes a photo that shouldn't have been taken and shares it with friends who should never have seen it? Will money make this 'mistake' disappear or will he feel the implications of his actions?

I'm a huge fan of Jodi Picoult so naturally I was a huge fan of this book too because the telling of this story through different perspectives gave room for a lot of character development. It left me constantly wondering if I had summed up the characters correctly and as I got to know them more and understand their motives better, my opinion was always changing. It is this style of writing combined with the plot that made this book a winner for me. If you like plots that are centred around family and moral issues, then it's worth picking this one up.

Well written family drama that explores the devastating effects of social media, and the means a mother will go to in order to understand the truth. We get several points of view, ranging from the girl exposed with explicit pictures on social media, her father and the mother of the boy accused of releasing them. It’s an interesting and deeply explored topic, and although I don’t often like multiple POVs, in this instance it works really well to expose the conflicting range of emotions and opinions of all those involved.

I found Nina’s perspective the most interesting, as we see her struggle to accept that her son isn’t the person she thinks he is. To watch her struggle trying to come to terms with this stranger in her home was an unsettling and deeply compelling experience. She begins to question all aspects of her life, wondering if it’s her behaviour, or her volatile marriage, that could have caused her son’s behaviour. Her overall character development was great, and I think it will appeal to anyone with children themselves, who could potentially be thinking the same things (although perhaps not to the same extreme).

I will say that this is very character driven, and if you can’t get behind these characters you’re never going too enjoy this. As a result the pace does feel very slow at times, and I sometimes struggled to keep myself invested in the story.

An interesting read, laden with tension and familial drama with excellent, fully fleshed out characters.

'All We Ever Wanted' is a controversial story involving one of the hottest topics of our era; the damaging effects of social media. Add to this a few divided loyalties, the power of money and privilege, racism, alcohol use, and family love and loyalty, and the story possibly boils with conflict!
Privileged student Finch Browning,and his friend Beau take a photo, and share it along with a racially inappropriate comment; and Lyla, drunk and vulnerable finds herself the focus of a fierce argument between two families, equally protective of their foolish teenage children. Tom Volpe is the single dad of Lyla, naturally protective of his daughter, is horrified that she should put herself in this position in the first place, but more so, that Finch's obscenely wealthy dad, Kirk, cannot or will not see Finch take responsibility for his actions.
Nina Browning is stuck in the middle. Torn between her small town roots with which she still strongly identifies, and love and loyalty for her privileged family, Nina finds herself drawn to Tom and Lyla in her quest for the truth behind the photo, and in her disappointment and guilt at the moral failing of her son to stand up and be counted for his actions.
A good read which I rate at 3 stars.

#AllWeEverWanted #Netgalley.
A sad tale about harassment and a take on how society deals with it.
From 3 different voices (Lyla) the victim,
(Nina) the mother and survivor of abuse to the perpetrator and (Toby) the father of Lyla. The story develops by these telling how they feel and version of events. A touchy subject but Emily Giffin captures just the right amount of humiliation, devastation and guilt. The ending was quite abrupt, almost sped through. I would recommend this book.

Can’t fault the writing style and I really got into the story from the get go. Much like books in this genre, it’s not the first but you’re not held back if you haven’t read them.

A good book, very modern plot that raises questions about parenting, family, and how far we will go to protect our children. Highly emotive topics, well written - recommended.

This is an important read for everyone. Philip Larkin’s ‘This Be The Verse’ comes to mind, while, as a parent I read along with Nina’s plot line with an edge of fear. Baring witness to many, many teens fail in their quest to manage the pressures of social media also comes into mind as we witness Finch and his cavalier attitude towards others as well as Polly’s less obvious but equally important story arc. And even Lyla can be held up to scrutiny, another example of how our children our vulnerable in wYs we can’t imagine, a clever and relevant read that had me weeping by the end, or just for the characters but for the difficulties we wish we could steer our kids away from. And for all my didactic words,
Here, this is an enjoyable novel.