The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits by Jennifer Weiner

Wow! This book hooked me from the opening chapter. Zoe and Cassie couldn’t be more unalike. Zoe is beautiful, charismatic, and loves being the center of attention. Cassie is a musical genius but doesn’t feel comfortable in her body or in a crowd. Zoe helped Cassie adjust to life in her early years but abandoned her for a social life in her teens. However, when Zoe’s band drops her, she begs her sister to perform with her at a local talent show, and a band is born.

Cherry is Zoe’s teenage daughter who also wants to be a musician, but her mother is deadset against it. However, she is 18 now and doesn’t need parental approval to enter a reality television singing show.

This book jumps around chronologically from the present and the past. There are multiple viewpoints: Cassie, Zoe, and Cherry. Throughout the book, the reader is trying to figure out what happened to the band and the downfall of the sister’s relationship. This book was amazing. I highly recommend it to anyone. It covers multiple genres - contemporary fiction, romance, and suspense. 4/5 stars

Thank you Jennifer Weiner, William Morrow, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this capitivating novel.

First I would like to say thank you for allowing me to read your book. I really enjoyed it. I couldn’t put it down. The story was so real and that’s what made it so easy to read. It is about two sisters competing in the music industry. One who is confident and the other who isn’t. The story goes through the rise and fall of the sisters and it also had a love story intertwined. Very well written. I hope to read more from this author

Years ago I read Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner and fell in love with it. Everything since has been fine, but not at that level, until The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits. I became so emotionally invested in Cassie and Zoe, something that feels so rare when reading stories. Zoe is such an awful human being in this book. Pretty, popular and desperate to do anything to become a star, she manipulates her musical prodigy sister Cassie who has all of the talent but none of the traditional looks considered pretty, into being in a band with her that gives her the attention she craves. While Cassie ends up finding her own way to be happy, things end in disaster when Zoe manipulates their guitarist and song writer into a relationship to cement her position in the band when the true connection he has is with Cassie. Years later Cassie has been in hiding for years thinking she betrayed Zoe and got Russell killed, and Zoe is still being an awful human being, this time with her daughter Cherry. She looks the other way for years while her stepson does everything short of sexually assaulting Cherry because she doesn’t want to ruin her relationship with her new and rich husband, and she refuses to support Cherry and her love of music because of her own choices during her music career. She has her opportunity for redemption in the book, but Weiner does such a great job of fleshing her out as a horrible, selfish person in a way that doesn’t make her the obvious mean girl to the world-just an ambitious one. And my heart just breaks for Cassie, who is so exceptionally talented at music, and struggles so much with everything else. While Weiner implies it, Cassie is never actually identified as being on the autism spectrum, though she definitely seems to be on the spectrum. That she can receive no help in helping her manage her challenges with social interaction, and everyone is focused on her looks and weight, and yet she ends up being the unintended star of the band and a role model for teenage girls across the country that don’t look like her sister (or Britney or Christina for that matter) makes her storyline in this book even more compelling. It’s done in a way that’s believable. While I never feel like Cherry is as emotionally complex as her mother or her aunt, she does do a good job of bringing the sisters back together in a current timeline. If you love stories about family dynamics, women’s relationships or just love a good story about music and fame, read this book. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

•Plot: 5/5 (I loved the premise of this one. It was like Daisy Jones, but set in the early 2000s amidst toxic diet culture and TRL.)

•Characters: 3/5

•Writing: 4/5 (Classic Weiner - and I mean that in the best way.)

•Ending: 4/5

Literally could not believe my good fortune at landing this ARC. Weiner is always a must read for me and I have a feeling this one is going to be a huge hit. Special thanks to the publisher and author for allowing me to get my hands on this one early!

This story was well-written and hd an interesting plot. Two sisters, who used to be a popular band, become estranged after a tragedy. I figured it would be a struggle for them to find their way back to each, but they finally would. I figured the journey would be enlightening and fulfilling. What I didn't figure was how extremely sad it would be, page after page. The characters are well-drawn, and it was easy to feel sympathy for a couple of them for a while. There was just so much self-hatred and misery, it overshadowed any positivity one might find in the book (and trust, me, you have to look hard!), I love Jennifer Weiner, but she failed to build the reader back up after bringing us down. Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review,

I love Jennifer Weiners books and this one drew me right in.I loved the characters the sisters the world of music I was sorry to read the last page.#netgalley #williammorrow

This novel basically relates a story of a dysfunctional family throughout three generations over a twenty year period. It is set against the background of the music and concert world and is mildly entertaining. It is easy reading and can hook the reader into constantly turning pages to see what happens. It is very different from the books I usually read and I thank NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to publication.

I have enjoyed Jennifer Weiner's other books and looked forward to this read! Overall, I did enjoy the story, and it contained a good amount of drama to keep you gripped and want to keep reading. However, once I uncovered the conflict and learned what happened between the sisters, I was just so annoyed by how utterly selfish Zoe was, and her daughter as well. It's a good book overall, but it definitely leaves you with some questions that you would want to be addressed.

I received a copy of this ARC from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.

I have thoroughly enjoyed Jennifer Weiner’s books in the past. They were entertaining and fun reads. When I saw the blurb on this I was so excited, I loved the concept of sisters and a band with drama that spanned decades, on that level, the book was true to form, good characters and they were mostly developed throughout the story. But I have several reasons for only giving it three stars. First and foremost, the fat shaming and body issues with the main character Cassie. As the main character, Cassie was very talented, shy and quiet. She was also presented as being a plus sized young woman. This seemed to be a strong emphasis even when her shyness and lack of confidence were some f the issues she was dealing with. The focus on this by Weiner was unnecessary and took away from the story. Secondly, the lack of concluding several storylines, the book ended with out addressing several plot issues, especially with the other sister Zoe.
Not her best but will no doubt be a popular summer read.

The premise of this book sounded really interesting. Two sisters make it big in the music world only to be torn apart by jealousy and fame. While I enjoyed the book it didn't quite live up to my expectations.

First of all I didn't care for Zoe. I found her to be shallow and petty. I believe she was written to be this way but it was too much for me. I found myself dreading the parts of the book about her. I didn't like her as a young girl or a grown woman.

As far as Cassie goes, I did like her. She was unusual and the author never really came right out and said what was wrong with her. I guess that was so each reader could come to their own conclusion. I will say that one issue I had with this character and the author's writing of her was how many times it was mentioned that she was fat. After stating it a few times that should have been enough. It began to be uncomfortable to read about her size over and over.

The pacing of this story was both ok and slow. Some parts of the story seemed to drag and other parts went by fairly quickly. Sometimes I felt like the story became bogged down in details.

Overall this was an ok book and I liked the inside glimpse at the music industry. This story is very character driven and is told over many decades so if you are into that kind of story I think you will enjoy this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

I did not enjoy this. I found the characters all very annoying and selfish, making it difficult to read. I know they grow and change, but it was hard to get through.

In spite of the multiple pov’s and timelines., which can become cumbersome, Jennifer Weiner’s newest novel is a wonderful novel of family, loss, and music. The story The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits follows the journey of the two sisters, Zoe and Cassie in the music industry of the early 2000’s, plus Zoe’s daughter in the present, 2024. The three voices tell the story alternating between the past and the present. Cherry is determined to find her way in the music industry. When she discovers her mom and her aunt were the Griffin sisters, she wants to know more…and that means finding her aunt who disappeared around 2004. The first quarter/third of the book develops the story, creating the tension and conflict between the band, the record label, and the two sisters. Cassie initially has no interest and Zoe is pushy and self centered. I like how Weiner kept developing the relationship between the sisters and the others involved:. I liked the ending, even though I was hesitant when I first read the conclusion. Definitely a 4+ read.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and author for the privilege of reading The Griffin Sisters. As always, my review is my own opinion.

I like this book and found it interesting. It didn’t pack the same punch as some other books that I’ve picked up with similar content and felt like it dragged on a little bit. I liked parts of it but overall it isn’t an instant favorite for me.

I would like to thank Net Galley for the opportunity to read this as an ARC.I have read a number of books by Jennifer Weiner and I am about 50/50 on them. Some are great, some are not. I really liked this one. It reminded me of Daisy Jones and the Six. It is about a sister musical duo in the early aughts, who had one big album then split up under some tragic circumstances. Now one of the sisters teenage daughter is a singer, who wants to go on a TV talent show,and find out about her family. The story has 3 different POV's and 2 major timelines.( with a few detoursinto others).It is a bit confusing at first, but I quickly got into the feel of it. There are a lot of layers and storylines, and a few of the story lines seem to disappear then reappear at the end. It is a good story, and the characters, while not always likeable, are engaging. Again, I enjoyed it.

Jennifer Weiner brings her unique voice to the world of early 2000s music and I'm here for it. At times if felt like "Daisy Jones and the Six" and others like "Good in Bed". But together-- it was a symphony. I love the nostalgia and the heart that Weiner put into her characters was beautiful. My heart broke for Cassie on almost every page and I kept dreaming of how all of the characters futures could be improved.

While I would read anything that Weiner wrote--- this one definitely ranks up there as a favorite.

I’ve read most of Jennifer Weiner’s catalog, and I was excited to get an ARC of The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits. I’m surprised that the Goodreads data says it’s only 384 pages, because it reads longer than that to me, though not in a bad way. There’s a lot here that reminds me of Daisy Jones and the Six, and if you’d be interested in that story told only by the women, this may be for you. Most of the timeline switching was okay, though I occasionally found it confusing. I was glad when we finally got to the meat of the 2004 timeline. I enjoyed the story and wanted to keep reading, even though I had a number of problems with the book.

I think the Bix story line was completely unnecessary and the way it was almost a throwaway devalues the harassment that girls can receive. I found the idea that stylists couldn’t find any options for Cassie in 2004 given their apparently robust budget to be a bit ridiculous. At the very least, Lane Bryant existed then and not everything they had was horrendous. I did look up some dates, and this was three years before Christian Siriano came to Project Runway and 7 years before Eloquii and Gwynnie Bee were founded. Most bizarre of all though, was Zoe’s internal monologue when she talks about how mothers are supposed to stay home and that maybe that would be different in the future but it wasn’t now. Um, this isn’t 1955, it’s 2004, and I can tell you as someone who had a baby in 2001, I was definitely the exception for staying home, not the rule. 3.75 stars

"The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits," the latest novel from Jennifer Weiner, has a lot going for it and a lot that should have appealed to me. Jewish sisters who grow up in Philly and make it big as rock stars? YES, please! Unfortunately, the sisters are more like cardboard cutouts than fully formed characters. One is a fat and socially awkward musical prodigy. One is beautiful but selfish and ignorant. The characters remain stuck in these roles even though the book visits them as children, young adults and middle-aged women. There are some fun moments and great local references here (Zipperhead! Fishtown!), but there aren't enough of them to overcome the total lack of character development. I'm guessing that Weiner intended to have the story serve as commentary on the music industry's obsession with women's bodies, but unfortunately the novel felt more like a reinforcement of those retrograde views than a rebuke of them.

I really enjoyed Jennifer Weiner's latest novel. It was told from multiple view points and jumped back and forth in time to tell the story of two sisters who were part of a hit band. Cassie, is the bigger sister with all of the talent. She is painfully shy and only wants to make music. Zoe is the older, pretty sister who wants to be a star. The problem is that they both have fallen for the same guy. Flash forward to 2024 and Zoe's daughter, Cherry, wants to be a star. She leaves home to be on a reality show but ends up searching for answers about what really happened with her mom, aunt, and father.

One of the things that I loved about this book was that Cassie was a plus size woman. Jennifer Weiner gets it and often has a character who is bigger in her novels. I love reading about these women because I can connect so well with what she is writing about. I am not a huge music person. I would much rather stay home and read a good book than go to a concert but I loved the music aspect in this book. I would absolutely go to a concert that featured the Griffin Sisters. Their music felt real and I wish I had a song of theirs to play. This was a really great story and I enjoyed reading about all of the characters even Zoe and Cassie's mom.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for this ARC.

Loved the generational relationships and the path to understanding how the past can be forgiven. Misunderstandings and hurtful feelings can ruin lives if not discussed with those who you think have wronged you. Characters were likeable and easy to understand. I happily recommend reading this book.

Looking back, the last Jennifer Weiner book I read was "In Her Shoes," and this story is very reminiscent of it. Both narratives explore a dysfunctional sister relationship in which one sister possesses all the external societal qualities, while the other has immense talent but lacks conventional beauty. This creates a one-sided pettiness that is challenging to read about and empathize with.

The story unfolds across two timelines. In the past, Zoe is pretty and just talented enough to join a high school band, dreaming of something greater. Her sister Cassie, on the other hand, is indifferent to her appearance but possesses a musical talent that demands attention. Zoe manipulates Cassie's dependence on her, convincing her to sing together in front of a potential music industry connection. They are of course discovered that very night, and thus begins the rise and epic fall of the Griffin Sisters.

In the present timeline, Cherry feels as though something has always been missing from her life. With the possibility of being a musical prodigy, she faces constant opposition from her mother, who shuts down her aspirations at every turn. Now that she’s 18, Cherry is determined to audition for the next big musical discovery reality show. The challenge is that she needs a mentor, and she can think of no one better than her Aunt Cassie, who has completely withdrawn from the world. Can Cherry find her aunt in time for her audition? Can she mend the broken relationship between her aunt and her mother to reunite her family?

Overall, I liked this story, but I was frustrated by the manipulation of Cassie. At every turn, someone pressured her into doing things she didn’t want to do and she did them out of a misguided sense of obligation. I also disliked the ongoing fat-shaming culture depicted in the book. While the original context of the 2000s may have reflected the toxic environment of tabloids, the attitude in 2024 should be about doing better—acknowledging that bodies of all sizes can be appreciated and uplifted without constant derision.