I wanted to like this more but felt like most of that characters were so unlikeable. The repetitive nature of one fat/ugly sister and one thin/pretty sister wore on me.

The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits is a heartfelt story about family, fame, and second chances by one of my most favorite authors of all time! It follows two sisters, Cassie and Zoe, who were once a famous pop duo. After they have an epic falling out, they go their separate ways with Cassie disappearing from the spotlight and Zoe becoming a mom living a quieter life. Years later, Zoe’s daughter starts asking questions about their past. As the story goes back and forth between then and now, we learn what really happened to break up the sisters and how their choices affected the next generation.Weiner does a great job showing the complicated bond between sisters. Cassie struggles with anxiety and body image, while Zoe is bold but makes mistakes. And Zoe’s daughter brings a new point of view and helps bring the family back together. This easy to read book talks about big themes like forgiveness, fame, and finding your voice. And bonus! It also full of music and nostalgia for the early 2000s which I this is most of us who enjoy this genre of book! Highly recommend!

This is definitely a Jennifer Weiner book, and fans will be pleased! Female based, generational family drama, sisters, body image discussion.

This was a fantastic story. I loved the three main characters and their separate and connected stories. I really enjoyed that it was past and present time and that the past was set during my teen years when I would have been one of the "fans" of The Griffin Sisters. I have read a few from this author before but I would say it is her strongest book yet. I would recommend for someone that enjoys family drama and music!

This book had mystery, suspense, and romance. It kept me entertained and not wanting to stop reading to figure out what was going to happen next. There were a bunch of different plot lines, but I enjoyed them all. I got invested in the characters very quickly.

Oh, this book hit such an emotional chord (pun intended)! As someone who doesn't have a sister, I was a bit worried that I wouldn't be able to relate to the deep relationship ebbs and flows of Casey and Sam - but that wasn't the case, thanks to such a hearty storyline. The alternating perspectives of each sister with the dual timelines was a great way to tell their "sides" on their rise to stardom with glittery concerts and backstage drama. I also really enjoyed the modern day aspect and how social media, aging, and accountability changed them both.

As someone who got to experience the Y2K pop culture era as a teenager, I found it extra fun to read about the choreographed mall tours and bedazzled outfits! Additionally, I appreciated the interwoven aspects of body image issues, queer identity, and the price of performing for others. Overall, I loved the balance of entertainment with introspection - that made the story fun but also full of heart. I can imagine this story coming to life on the big screen or even a limited series!

Thank you so very much to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read this advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion!

Overall, I wanted to like this more than I actually did. It seems to have lots of the traits of a great storyline, and even though it is starting to feel like this ’90s pop starlet trope is being a little overdone, I thought, but who better to do it than one of my favorite authors?
For me, a lot of the characters just feel flat and were not intriguing, easy to connect with, or likable. Cassie just seemed like a plus-sized accessory- I wanted to like her storyline, but it was honestly just too woe-is-me. Zoe was unlikeable and flawed, but probably had the best arc, and I just couldn’t connect with Cherry. Then, as the book progressed and Zoe took on more responsibility for everyone else's problems, I grew a little bored and almost started skimming the remainder of the book. Granted, she was responsible for a lot of them, but that she was never called out before, and it took her casual response to her daughter running away from home to accept it was just mindblowing. I think there needed to be better character development and pacing to really get at the heart of the story- sisterly forgiveness and redemption.

Zoe Grossberg has always dreamed of becoming a pop star, but it's her sister, Cassie, who has the talent. However, Cassie would rather hide and play her piano in peace; she has no interest in the spotlight like Zoe. However, once the girls' talents are discovered, they are signed to a label and the rest is history. The label changes their names to The Griffin Sisters and their first album is a huge success. Zoe, a very pretty girl, shines in the spotlight, but it's Cassie with all the innate musical talent; however, she feels she is out of place and deals with a lot of body image issues. After their first album, something happens and the band breaks up and now the sisters are estranged. Fast forward to the present day and Zoe is living in New Jersey with her family and Cassie is hiding out in Alaska, where no one knows she is a former pop star. The sisters haven't talked in years, but this all changes when Zoe's daughter, Cherry, decides she wants to make it big in music and sets out to find her aunt Cassie. Once she does, she learns about the band her mother was a part of, the band mate that came between them, and why the band broke up. Jennifer Weiner's The Giffin Sisters' Greatest Hits is a compelling audiobook perfect for fans of stories involving sisterhood, forgiveness, and a love of music.

To be honest, the first part of The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits story felt a bit slow for me. However, once Weiner began to reveal more about Zoe and Cassie's backstory, I was hooked. I enjoyed the details about their rise to fame and the success of their band. Zoe's character sometimes came across as a cliché—the glamorous pop star seen in music videos. She really fits the mold of a type that felt quite common in the early 2000s. On the other hand, Cassie was a more complex character, and I think Weiner did a better job developing her. I do wish there hadn't been so much focus on her body image issues; it felt like every other line referenced her weight or insecurities surrounding it. Lastly, I was particularly interested in uncovering the truth behind Zoe and Cassie's band breakup and why they stopped talking to each other. That aspect of the story definitely kept me turning the pages.

This book started off so strong. I loved the idea of it being kind of like American Idol meets family reunion chaos. A girl enters a singing competition and somehow ends up dragging her mom and her long lost aunt back into each other’s lives. That setup had me ready for a heartfelt, fun, maybe even a little bit fluffy read.

But… that’s not really what this book turned out to be.

There were a lot of characters and honestly most of them were just kind of awful. I get that was probably the point but it made it hard for me to actually enjoy the story. And the fat shaming was a huge turn off. I understand the messy toxic relationships were supposed to turn into something meaningful but this just felt like one toxic situation after another with not the huge payoff I had hoped for.

That said if you’re into toxic complicated families, heavy drama, and stories that don’t shy away from the not so pretty parts of life this might work better for you than it did for me. Just don’t go in expecting a lighthearted comeback story. This one leans way more bitter than sweet, in the end.

This is one of my favorite authors and I have read all of her books. Reminded me a lot of Daisy Jones and the Six, a family forward rock and roll book. I wish so much time wasn't spent on Cassie's weight as that detracted from the overall story for me. Overall four star read.

This was really good!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for my gifted advanced copy of The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits.

What I Loved:

❤️ The Early 2000's Nostalgia. The music and pop culture references in this book took me right back to high school.
❤️ The Sisters. I loved how different they were. Zoe had all of the outside elements of being a star but Cassie had the voice. I enjoyed the sibling rivalry / drama behind the scenes and I really appreciated the character development by the end of the book.
❤️ The representation. I always appreciate the Jewish representation in Jennifer's books as well as the plus sized representation.
❤️ The story itself. I was invested in the characters and the plot.

Why This Book Lost a Star:

✨The Format. Not having the book broken down into a chapter format messed with me a little. This book is broken down into parts with the parts sometimes lasting hours at a time.
✨ The Narrator. I listened to this book on audio via Book of the Month. It's narrated by Dakota Fanning whom I love. She's a great actress. I just personally feel someone else would have done a better job. I feel like a bad person saying this but she didn't have a lot of range/ inflection in her voice. I hope I'm explaining that right. It was very ... one steady tone of voice. I didn't hate it. It just stuck out to me.

Overall: Recommend. I can't wait to pass my physical copy that I purchased to my coworker and get her thoughts. We love JW.

I will continue to pick up JW's backlist and I look forward to whatever she decides to publish next.

Musically themed novels have become a favorite of mine to read in the past five years, starting with The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto and then Daisy Jones and the Six. This subgenre of fiction is close to my heart, having grown up surrounded by music as the daughter of a local DJ, myself a super-fan of 1980s music and an avid concert-goer to this day. When I learned that Jennifer Weiner had a new musical novel, I was excited to have another tale to enjoy.

The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits is a decades-spanning family drama of two sisters, Zoe and Cassie Grossberg, born in the early 80s, each following a different musical path and dream until fame suddenly finds them at their Philadelphia home. The novel takes many twists and turns, and is told from multiple points of view, including Zoe’s own teenage daughter Cherry in the present day storyline. Readers who want complicated, hard-to-love women in their novels will find Zoe to be just the main character they’ve been looking for. Music lovers of the early 2000s will appreciate the many references, and there’s even a little steam for those who enjoy that in their books.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was beautifully nostalgic, and my nineties baby heart was having a great time. Thank you for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! I am working through my backlog, and will be momentarily posting reviews for the stories I have yet to get posted but have finished reading.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy in return for an honest review. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I feel like out of all the books in this series, this one was the slowest and the least exciting. The arc wasn’t that great but I’m glad we got to learn more about gran and there was a more clear ending on her story. I really don’t understand why we had to focus on Cassie’s weight so much through this book? Like that didn’t have to be so much of the focus. I really did enjoy the actual plot but it really took away from it when we focused on how she’s the ugly one because she is fat. Like it is 2025.

I didn't connect with this story. I liked that it was a story of two sisters, but I felt like it took too long to get into the backstory about what actually happened to them.

Jennifer Weiner delivers another emotionally resonant novel with The Griffin Sisters. This story explores the complexities of sisterhood, identity, and the long shadows cast by family secrets. Weiner’s signature wit and warmth shine through as she delves into the lives of two very different sisters, each navigating their own path while confronting the shared past that binds them.

3.75 — I enjoyed this but also wanted more. I think I felt like the drama was set up to be more than it was. There were definitely elements I enjoyed more. I liked hearing about Cassie and Cherry, but less about Zoe. Perhaps that was because Zoe is set up to be less likable. I will also say, I was so frustrated with how much Cassie’s weight is discussed. I know it’s relevant but it just felt like a lot. Overall I enjoyed but it wasn’t my favorite from this author.

This authors books never disappoint. These characters are so Interesting but I'm not sure I ever liked the older sister except when the girls were younger. The mother is one you'd like to shake some sense into her. How horrible growing up with a mother that obviously has favorites and no clue the child is 'on the spectrum' or helping this child become more confident. But I guess there are probably some that are like that. It's hard to say anything about the characters or their interactions without giving spoilers! Fun, love, lies deceit. redemption, its all included and will keep you turning pages to see what happens next. I was provided an advanced reader copy and was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions are my own. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. Read and enjoy!

Thank you to the publisher for the copy.

I've been reading this author since the early 2000s, and I think this is my favorite book she's written in several years!

One of my favorite aspects of Weiner's writing is how she creates her characters. Sisters Zoe and Cassie are so different, but they lean on each other so much. I can't imagine how they spent so many years separated and how much that must have hurt them. They are each hurting in different ways, but really for the same reason. I thought Cherry was written well too, as a teen that wants something that her mother is trying to keep from her.

I loved the early 2000s music vibes, and the different timelines and POVs. There's a lot of emotion packed into these pages., and we get the story in bits and pieces, but it's all sewn together as the book goes on.

Cassie is a neurodivergent childhood musical prodigy. Since she will only perform with her sister, she forms a band with her beautiful and graceful sister Zoe. The band mysteriously breaks up after one successful album.
A generation later, Zoe's daughter Cherry wants to be a musician. Her mother will not support her goals, so she goes searching for her estranged aunt. Will Cassie, Zoe, and Cherry be able to forge a relationship from the ashes of the former band?
Jennifer Weiner writes a beautiful novel investigating womanhood, sisterhood, and motherhood. I loved the generational writing and the morally grey characters. Beautiful book!