Jennifer Weiner never disappoints - what a wonderful unique and relatable yet escapist novel. Told in multiple times in different perspectives added authenticity and excitement. Additionally, I appreciate the research she did (reading bios and memoirs) on pop stars. The Griffin Sisters is definitely a must-read for not only Weiner fans but readers looking for a strong yet vulnerable female cast of well developed, complex, and likeable characters. Thanks to #netgalley for the opportunity to preview this novel. 5 stars hands down!

I have never read anything by this author, but I will be looking out for other books they write in the future. I really enjoyed the story as well as the pacing of the story.

I am always on board with a new Jennifer Weiner novel. Always. Even when, as is the case with The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits, the book is kind of like … Jennifer Weiner’s greatest hits.

TGSGH is, specifically, a revamp of In Her Shoes, Weiner’s second book and probably her most famous, since it got made into a movie starring Cameron Diaz, Shirley MacLaine, and Toni Collette. We have two sisters who were close growing up but then split due to a traumatic rupture to the relationship. A long-lost relative. A loyal dog companion. Philadelphia and South Jersey. Conventionally attractive and needy versus fat and capable.

What kept me engrossed in TGSGH is that Weiner is a very, very good writer. Half of this novel is set in the music world of the early 2000s, when Cassie and Zoe Grossberg became the Griffin Sisters, a pop-rock duo who burned bright with one platinum album before vanishing from the scene. The remainder of the book is set in the present, as Zoe and Cassie reckon with the fallout of decisions they made twenty years ago. While there aren’t any stunning plot twists (especially for someone who has read every Jennifer Weiner book), the story carried me along and I was eager to see how Zoe and Cassie would reconcile.

TGSGH is, like a good pop song, catchy and compelling, familiar but it still feels new. Jennifer Weiner continues to write books that draw me in, even when I know every beat.

I really don't think this book was for me. Okay storyline, but didn't quite capture me for the long run.

Music has always been something I loved, but the whole idea of being famous is something I can never wrap my head around. I feel that The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits gives us a little behind the scenes of this world and the toll fame takes on your mental health, family, and other relationships. This story is told through a dual timeline and through multiple POVs which really gave us a full picture. It also was a great way to slowly reveal everything that happened.

Cassie is a musical prodigy and Zoe dreams of a life in the spotlight. She basically talks her sister into going on this journey with her. I do feel like the book constantly emphasized that Cassie wasn't as worthy as a star and it was a shame that Zoe didn't have that voice as the "pretty" one. While I understand that's how the music industry works, it felt a bit much for this story. I did appreciate that both characters were flawed, and if I'm honest, I didn't really like Zoe at all.

Cherry was an interesting character. Music was her dream and after her mother's experience, she didn't want her daughter anywhere near that. Cherry taking the step to follow that dream really opened Zoe's eyes about her relationship with Cherry and things she should've done differently. These three women coming together changed a lot of dynamics and started the process of a lot of healing. The only thing I would've loved is if the ending was a little stretched out. Them coming together again and getting along again happened really quickly. I would've loved to have seen more of that part of the journey.

All in all, I thought The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits was an interesting story about fame, music, family, and what that can cost you as a person. I'll definitely be reading more by this author.

My review will also be posted on https://thebookdutchesses.com on April 26th.

I have been in a reading rut lately, so I have been trying to branch out (try different authors, genres, etc.). A neighbor in my book club mentioned Jennifer Weiner. I found the premise for The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits interesting and decided to read it. I had trouble with this story. It is told from Zoe, Cassie, and Cherry’s point-of-view and the story takes place over a twenty plus year period. It has unlikeable characters, fat shaming, a creeper (a creepy stepbrother who should have been put in check years earlier), and repetitive details. Zoe, the oldest sister, is shallow. I know she is written to be unlikeable, but it got to be too much. She was willing to do whatever she needed to do to get ahead (I could imagine the high heel imprints on her sister’s back). Cassie is an unusual individual. I felt for her. The author did everything except give her a mole on her chin with a hair growing out of it. I marveled at her musical gifts. I did not like how many times it is mentioned that Cassie is overweight. She is frequently compared to her thin, beautiful sister (we got the point the first six times). I did not understand why Cassie’s weight had to be stated so often (it made me cringe). The pacing varied throughout the story (steady, slow, snails zipped by me). The author seemed to enjoy adding unnecessary details which weighed down the story. The book has a feel-good ending, but it took forever to get there. The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits might have been improved by avoiding emphasis on the differences in the sisters' body shapes and maintaining a consistent timeline for easier tracking.

This one started out strong, but the characters were unlikeable. Sisters form a band and then have a falling out and reconnect years later.

I really wanted to like this one more than I did but in the end it just felt like it was too different than her other books. I missed her humor and wit which is what makes her books uniquely her voice.

DNF @ 34%

I know this is an uncorrected proof but there are so many obvious errors in this book it does not seem like the author or editors even spent any time reading over this to make it presentable to the audience.

Some examples that really ticked me off:

Mmixing up names (location 2127 his name is Braden but then the next paragraph his name is Brendan and then it’s back to Braden), things silly and sloppy (Cassie is massive and therefore she has to hide, we are not doing this kind of thing in 2025) and unbelievable (unlocking an iPhone with his face and not the eyes), and quotes like “The Sisters have acolytes—mostly female ones, many, but not all, of whom are white—women who were tweens and teenagers and young women when the band was ascendant” (many of whom are white?!)

I have no desire to keep reading this but thanks to Netgally & publishers for the ARC.

I had seriously hoped to like this book a lot more. It sounded intriguing when I chose to review it. If you get far enough into the book, the family drama is well-written and entertaining. BUT getting to that point in the book was quite a snooze fest for me.

This captivating story skillfully intertwines the present and the past, offering profound insights into the remarkable women they have become and the girls they once were. It thoughtfully examines their journeys to success and the sudden challenges they faced. At its heart, this narrative beautifully celebrates sisterhood and the universal yearning for having it all, even amidst the complexities of worthiness.

If you remember the music dramas that took place in the 90’s and 2000s and like reading about family drama, then you will like this book.

Disclosure: Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

This book had me in so many tears, I was wrecked for a bit after and needed time to recuperate. The imperfections of the sisters and learning to forgive each other and oneself was the true value to this rich novel. I’m so lucky and thankful to have received this copy and will be buying the hardcover immediately!

Thank you to NetGalley, Jennifer Weiner and William Morrow for this opportunity.

The Griffin Sister's Greatest Hits by Jennifer Weiner is a beautifully written book. The characters are realistic as well as the feelings they share. Especially Cassie; she really touched my heart.

The Griffin Sisters, Cassie & Zoe, became an overnight sensation in the early 2000’s after their music album became an overnight sensation. Then, after a mysterious falling out, they vanished off the scene. Fast forward 20 years: the women are leading two separate lives when Zoe’s daughter, Cherry, runs away to try to get famous herself. What follows is a whirlwind redemption arc that explores the bonds of sisterhood and motherhood.

I wanted to like this one so much more than I did, unfortunately. I found it hard to connect with the characters, although we are taken on a pretty emotional ride. There was also way too much focus on Cassie’s size, along with seemingly hidden references to autism when it was only explicitly mentioned once in the book. I think I understand the motivation behind it, but felt it was poorly executed to the point of being somewhat offensive (especially because it was offset by constant comparisons to her beautiful, thin, outgoing sister, Zoe). I’m ALL for plus size and neurodivergent rep—the more the better—but not done this way.

I just…didn’t vibe with it. I think I’m the odd one out here, because the ratings are great, but it just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the gifted ARC and eARC

Thank you netgalley for the arc of The Griffin Sisters Greatest Hits. I have read quite a few Jennifer Weiner books in the past and of her most recently published books this is a standout. Much better storyline a d story telling then the past few novels. Zoe and Cassie are sisters. One born with musical genius and the other with a desire to be famous. Zoe talks Cassie into doing an open mic night together that altars their future and sends them catapulting into stardom. Where they meet their bandmates Russel, Cam and Tommy, This is a dual timeline novel that also focuses on Zoes oldest daughter Cherry and her desire to make it big. This book is filled with heartache, tragedy and forgiveness. Pick this up! Four stars.

The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits tells the story of 3 women. Two sisters, Cassie and Zoe, and Zoe's daughter Cherry. Cassie is a musical prodigy that just wants to stay in the shadows, while Zoe is a typical teenage girl with friends and dreaming of making it big one day. Twenty years ago, they got their break, but things aren't always what you dream. Cherry, who encompasses each sister, wants the big time, but what trouble will it cause her.

I enjoyed the book. It took me a little bit to read, which was totally my fault, not the books. Weiner wrote a very moving compaling novel. It has the aughts, music, romance, and drama. In other words, it's a perfect girl book. The character development was exceptional. Weiner had all the MCs mature so well. They grew so much throughout the book, I think Zoe, most of all.

While reading the book, I saw myself in some of the characters (not the music stuff 😊), but how in school you may get called a name or made fun of, or even be the one calling someone a name or making fun of them, or how you can get hurt or hurt someone and not speak to them again. I thought it was an emotional book.

Thanks to Netgalley, William Morrow, and Jennifer Weiner for the E-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

😊 Happy Reading 😊

#Netgalley #WilliamMorrow #JenniferWeiner #TheGriffinSistersGreatestHits #ARC #Read2025

I absolutely loved this book! So much so that as soon as I finished reading it I requested an audio copy from the library and the audio was even better! Zoe and Cassie had a band and they were the hottest thing and then suddenly they were nowhere to be found. Cassie disappeared. She went into hiding and no one knew where she was until a video went viral for a very short time (literally a few hours) and her niece saw it and tracked her down. Cherry who is in a singing competition wants Cassie as a mentor and shows up on her doorstep. This book takes us back and from from past to future and gives us the backstory and brings us up to date in all the lives but until the sisters actually come together we don't get all the answers. This is a heart wrenching and thoughtful story. I really recommend this one to everyone.

I really enjoyed the storyline and the alternating timelines and POV characters. I felt like we really got to know the main characters really well and were able to understand them well. I do wish we had gotten a POV from Russell - it just felt like that part was missing a little closure. Overall it was a great read and loved that it was different from my typical go to of a romance or thriller.

I’ve read/listened to a few of Weiner’s books in the past year or two, so I was very excited about the opportunity to read her latest book.
The narrative shifts between both sisters as well as Zoe’s daughter Cherry. The timeline is also non-linear, slipping between the sisters’ rise to fame and the present day. The reader knows from the beginning that there was a Big Incident that broke up the band and led Cassie to sever all contact with her family, but it takes most of the book for the details of said incident to come out.
And once it does, it all makes sense.
I’m approximately the same age as the sisters, so the parts that take place in 2003 really resonated with me, especially the preoccupation with projecting the “right” image by centering Zoe rather than Cassie, even though Cassie was the only one with any actual talent. The way in which internet culture and streaming has affected our perspectives is fascinating. We can look back and shake our heads at all the times in which Cassie is marginalized. That being said, the book does come off as projecting a bit of fat shaming while simultaneously promoting the message that fat shaming is bad.


Zoe is hard to like. She takes advantage of Cassie, capitalizing on Cassie’s talent in order to get famous. She rarely sticks up for Cassie when Cassie is relegated to the sidelines and only cares about herself. She also ignores her daughter’s complaints about her creepy stepbrother and prioritizes her children with her husband in order to maintain her new image as a suburban Yummy Mummy. But flawed characters make for much more interesting reading than characters who always behave in conventional and expected ways. Besides, everyone deserves a chance to make amends.
I would absolutely recommend The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits. This is a perfect summer beach read. The plot is not terribly complex, which makes it easy to keep up with, but there’s also plenty of tenderness and depth. I’ve enjoyed every one of Weiner’s books that I’ve read and this one is no exception.


I received a digital ARC of this book from William Morrow/NetGalley

I have read every book Weiner has written (except her YA novels) so I was excited to have received an ARC of this from NetGalley. I had hoped to have my review done by the time the book was released, but honestly, this book dragged on and on for me. It seemed too long and a bit too laden in unnecessary details. Often times, I found myself skimming over descriptive paragraphs about clothes or food or just those things that could have been pared down. I feel like she is such an accomplished author that maybe no one really edits her at her Publishing house??? She has a knack for highlighting the trends of the decade she writes about -- in this case it's the early 2000s. Often, that was fun to read, a little reminder of "oh yeah, that WAS a popular song then." Are we supposed to dislike Zoe? Because I did. I could empathize with Cassie a bit, but after a while, I kinda gave up on her: I get it, it is fiction, but she needed a good therapist. I am sure the die-hard Weiner fans will love this book. I certainly liked it. I just didn't love it and am not sure if I will recommend it.

3.75 stars. The Griffin Sisters Greatest Hits by Jennifer Weiner was not a hit for me. It should have been but it wasn’t.

Cassie and Zoe Griffin are sisters in a rock band that doesn’t last very long but has long term impact in both their lives. The band was reminiscent of Heart, who I love, but this band didn’t do much for me. The book is comped to Daisy Jones and The Six but lacks the grit and heart of that book.

The other thing is found off-putting was the over emphasis of Cassie’s looks, specifically her size. I love that Jennifer Weiner champions the fuller figure main characters but there wasn’t a lot of positivity surrounding Cassie. Honestly, not many of the characters were that likable.

There was some redemption in the ending which raised the rating some for me but overall, not my favorite book by one of my favorite authors.

Thank you to #netgalley and #williammorrow for the e-copy of #thegriffinsistersgreatesthits .