First up, I started reading this book because I’d seen it recommended on my FB book club and it wasn’t until I was over half-way through and I went to update my Goodreads App that I realised this wasn’t the book everyone was discussing, although the title and the author’s names were very, very similar – however by this point in the story I was so engrossed it didn’t matter!

All We Ever Wanted is a really interested, thought provoking tale of today’s teenagers, social media and how far we as parents will go to protect our children. This story touched me as a parent of teenagers and having once (a long long long time ago), been a teenager wild child myself.

The story is narrated through the three main characters; Nina Browning, an exceptionally wealthy married mother of one teenage son, Finch who lives in Nashville surrounded by opulence and luxury and a husband who believes everything can be fixed by money. Tom Volpe, the single dad raising his teenage daughter Lyla who has a full scholarship to the prestigious Windsor Academy where she is surrounded by entitled and often spoilt students and Lyla, the headstrong teenager who finds herself in the centre of a scandal and caught between her father’s fury and her own embarrassment.

Throughout the story, I was constantly questioning both parents behaviour and action – what would I do in that situation? do I agree or sympathise with Nina – is Tom overreacting or if it were my daughter in a compromising situation would I act the same?

This is a fascinating story of wealth, power, entitlement, self-respect and family values. I would definitely recommend it to parents and young adults.

I really enjoyed this book and read it in about a day. It felt like a total departure from previous Emily Giffin books I've read and it feels similar to the development Jodi Picoult's stories experienced. There's a certain maturity in her writing now and a willingness to approach bigger social issues. This title touches on social class disparity, sexual assault and the issue of bullying via social media and it does so in a thoughtful way. I felt like it delved into thought provoking issues but retained a lightness to it at the same time. A holiday read but with depth.