I am a huge Jennifer Weiner fan and was thrilled to get an ARC from her.

This is a heartfelt story of two very different sisters that rose to fame in their teenage years. It highlights the course of their relationship, their differences, their strengths, and their weaknesses. The story jumps between points of view and timelines, fast forwarding to 20 years later when one of the sister's daughter Cherry has also been gifted musically. Although there are several view points/timelines, the story is straightforward and its written in a way that keeps things interesting.

Highly highly recommend her newest read!

Thanks to Jennifer Weiner, NetGalley, and William Morrow Books for the ARC!

I adored the novel by Weiner. The nostalgic part of me with the music and sisterhood felt real. Two sisters get pulled into the music world, Cassie and Zoe Grossberg. They are opposites in every way and the fame they endure comes fast and crashes after a significant event which separates them for years.
Two decades later Zoe is a housewife and Cassie is living in seclusion in Alaska. Zoe’s daughter Cherry has never known about her aunt but finds out about her after a shopping trip with her mom. Cherry is talented and after she auditions for a music show she wants to find out more about Cassie.
Cherry ends up bringing them all together under false pretenses. Can the two sisters heal and move forward or will they drive further apart. A fun read that went by way too quickly.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this uncorrected ebook ARC of 'The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits' by Jennifer Weiner - expected release date 04/08/2025

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

This had a 'Daisy Jones & the Six' feel to it, but Jenkins Reid did hers better. I'm usually a huge fan of Jennifer Weiner, this one fell kinda flat for me. It was too long and repetitive, lots of reminders of how fat and awkward Cassie is/was and how beautiful Zoe is/was... Also, the storyline with Zoe's creepy stepson went nowhere and I think it was unnecessary to the overall plot, especially since it was unresolved (and his name, Bix, what is that even short for!?). I did enjoy the nostalgic 90s/00s tidbits thrown in, though. Overall, I was happy to receive this as an ARC, though, since I've read most of Weiner's previous books.

Thanks to NetGallery for this Arc. I'm a huge fan of Jennifer Weiner and her books I was very excited to read this one!!

I loved the overall story and family dynamics. I felt some of the back and forth was a little dragged out but would definitely recommend this book

It's been a while since I read a Jennifer Weiner book, and her gift drew me back in. Told from multiple perspectives, The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits does a beautiful job of hitting home with those feelings that we don't want to admit to. Trigger warning may be needed for those who felt alone, were seen only for their weight, and who felt the slight of not being a pretty person.

Zoe wants fame and attention. In a moment of spite, she convinces her shy, probably on the spectrum, sister Cassie to perform in a talent show with her, and the Griffin Sisters are born.

Cassie was an Oops baby, never fully accepted by their mom, not the pretty, easy baby that Zoe was. An overly shy musical prodigy, Cassie doesn't function on her own and relies on Zoe to navigate the world.

This is very much a book of parenting, emotional trauma, loneliness, belonging, and consequences. It's difficult to give a detailed review without giving alot away. I have so much empathy for Cassie and Cherry, the girls who didn't get that they needed.from their parents or the world. I wish everyone had an Aunt Bess.

I'm hoping that the descriptions of Cassie's weight was written the way it was to show how fat phobic the era was and not because it's the way the author thinks it should be. .I think there may be pushback on this book because it's less lighthearted than others from the author.

I enjoyed it as I hurt for the characters. The ending helped but the theme throughout is definitely loss.

I always enjoy a good Jennifer Weiner book. This one has an interesting premise…2 sisters are discovered and become a rock band. One sister has the “looks” and the other sister has the “talent”. I like how the story plays out with the different characters timelines, but I feel that several of the characters could have been developed a bit more. All in all a good read.

This was not one of my favorite Jennifer Weiner reads, but I did enjoy the premise, points of view, and past vs present. I did not like the character Zoe at all, and I wanted to know more from Cassie’s perspective.

The story revolves around the Griffin sisters—two very different women, each with their own set of aspirations, disappointments, and unresolved conflicts. The novel opens at the height of the sisters' fleeting fame as a pop music group from the late 1990s. In their youth, the Griffin sisters were a sensation, riding the wave of chart-topping hits and massive tours. But decades later, the band has faded into obscurity, and the sisters are dealing with the fallout of their past lives and careers.

The narrative unfolds through the alternating perspectives of each sister: Zoe, the ambitious and beautiful singer, and Cassie, the musical prodigy. As they come together for a reunion, it becomes clear that the wounds from their past—both personal and professional—are still very much present. When Zoe's teenage daughter expresses a desire to become a singer they both must reflect back to their prior lives to give her the best and worst advice. As Zoe digs deeper to find out the real reason they broke up, old wounds come to the surface.

There is great character development here and this book reminded me quite a bit of 'Daisy Jones and the Six'. What happens after all the fame and fortune, and how do you go back to living an ordinary life?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book. This is my first book I have read by Jennifer Weiner and I absolutely loved it. This book is from three different points of view and does go back in time throughout the book. This story is about two sisters complex relationship and their band. This story had heart and depth. This book does tackle some sensitive topics and the author did a great job. I did not want to put this book down once I started it. I will definitely be reading more written by this author.

This was a really good read. Since the book is about a musical group, I see lots of folks comparing the book to Daisy Jone & the Six, but this is really more of a sisters and family story. The sisters Cassie (the overweight one with the amazing voice and musical talent), and Zoe (the pretty one with less talent) front a band after being discovered at a local talent show. The collaboration leads to betrayal, heartbreak, and estrangement. Year's later when Zoe's daughter, Cherry, wants to break into the music business, she goes on the hunt for Cassie. This leads to the truth of the past revealed. Can the sisters reconcile and mend their broken relationship. As with all of Jennifer Weiner's book, this will be a great book group read.

I was intrigued by the description of this book. It was kind of heavy reading throughout the whole book. At many times, I was depressed by the circumstances that the characters were in. Thankfully, the ending was hopeful.

The character that touched my heart the most was Cassie. She felt unwanted and unloved for most of her life. Janice's whole attitude bothered me. I didn't warm up to her at all. Zoe is a cunning woman. She knows what she wants, and she usually gets it. I'm glad that she owned up to her mistakes and made peace with those in her life.

*Trigger warnings. Abortion is mentioned, unfaithfulness in marriage, and types of sexual assault. There's also a lot of emphasis on Cassie's size (she's overweight).

I was provided a complimentary copy of the book from Harper Collins Publishers via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

While my own singing career peaked in the sixth grade, I’ve always loved books about singers. The past few years have been a treasure trove for readers like me, with hits such as Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid and Once More From the Top by Emily Layden. Now the queen bee of women’s fiction Jennifer Weiner has added her own tale to the subgenre. The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits has a lot in common with Daisy Jones, with a narrative that moves among multiple characters and past and present, a band that falls apart after its only (platinum) album, and a daughter with questions about the past. But this book is unabashedly Weiner, with a heavyset heroine trying to make the world see her as something other than a large body.
In New Jersey in the early 2000s, Zoe Grossberg and her sister Cassie couldn’t be less alike. Zoe is thin and pretty and loves being the center of attention. She dreams of stardom as a pop singer. Cassie, only a year younger, is heavy, painfully shy, and only sings with Zoe. But she’s a musical prodigy who could play songs by ear in pre-school. When Zoe begs Cassie to accompany her to a battle of the bands, it’s the beginning of a superstardom—and a rivalry—that neither sister could foresee, one that leads to a 20-year estrangement between the two. Now Zoe’s 18-year-old daughter Cherry, who has Cassie’s talent and Zoe’s dreams of stardom, is a finalist in a popular TV talent show. Can she bring the sisters together in time to win the prize?
Weiner has been writing about larger heroines since her debut, Good in Bed. At the same time, she’s been an open book about her own weight struggles, as well as her crusade for the publishing industry to take her genre seriously. Her books also reflect her Jewish upbringing and practices, a risky stance in the current environment. Like a professional athlete, she leaves everything on the page, and every book is better than the last.
It shows Weiner’s enormous talent that both Zoe and Cassie are highly empathetic, even as different as they are. Zoe seems to have an easy life, with the body and personality that have always been rewarded. But she doesn’t have the talent that Cassie does, and as she sees herself being pushed aside in the band that she put together as Cassie’s voice and songwriting wins accolades, she resorts to desperate methods to stay relevant. Is it really imposter syndrome when you have proof that you’re not good enough? I never thought I’d feel sorry for someone as attractive as Zoe, but Weiner makes it happen.
Any reader who’s ever felt like an outsider will feel for Cassie, whose entire life has been about her size. Bullied in school, with only her sister as a friend, she won’t sing without Zoe. But the band’s popularity—and Cassie’s bond with guitar-player/songwriter Russell—pulls Cassie out of her shell. When everything falls apart, she retreats tragically.
Cherry, the third point-of-view character, is the one I had the hardest time connecting with. Angry because her mother squelches her musical dreams and ignores her stepbrother’s harassing glances, Cherry wants to find Cassie, but for her own reasons. She seems more interested in using her aunt for her own fame than in trying to heal a wounded family. Her mother’s mention of Cherry’s vape pens and condoms imply a person more interested in pleasure than artistic achievement. I was worried when Weiner seemed to be leading toward a tidy happy ending for Cherry, and relieved when that didn’t happen.
The plot moves quickly without ever sacrificing character. One element that didn’t work well for me, however, was Weiner’s brief inclusion of sexual harassment issues. When Zoe hints at something in her past, I was expecting something much more horrific than what she eventually revealed. Similarly, Cherry’s issues with her stepbrother should have either been amplified or left out entirely. Both subplots could have been cut without any impact on the main story.
In her author’s note, Weiner says she was influenced by the zeitgeist of the early 2000s, specifically on the attention given to female artists such as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Jessica Simpson. It was a harsh time for women who dared to have stomachs of any size, and Weiner praised the body positivity movements that came in later decades. But with Ozempic being pushed in every TV and social media ad, how long will it be until we return to those harmful expectations?
Weiner’s characters may have real-life influences, but she has made Zoe, Cassie, and Cherry completely her own. It’s an amazing book, and I hope the Griffin Sisters get a limited series as impactful as Daisy Jones.

Solid 3.5⭐️’s. Thank you NetGalley this for e-ARC. I haven’t read a Jennifer Weiner in a a few years, and really enjoyed the writing and the storyline. Cassie and Zoe were sisters in a band that rose to fame and crashed down just as quickly. Fast forward and Zoe’s daughter is determined to find out what went wrong and why her mom and her aunt are estranged. Never really got behind the character Zoe, and the story felt like an attempt to do historical rock and roll story, and feel a little short of high expectations after Daisy Jones & the Six.

Cassie and Zoe are the Griffin Sisters of a 2000s band. Zoe is pretty and outgoing. Cassie is an awkward musical genius. The band goes through some highs and lows and after a tragedy, breaks up. Zoe tries to become a solo act and Cassie disappears. Now it’s twenty years later and Zoe’s daughter Cherry is a contestant on an American Idol-like show. She sets out to find her aunt. She hopes their singing together will win her the top prize. What could possibly go wrong? This is told in two timelines from three viewpoints. I loved it. I am a big Jennifer Weiner fan and this is one of her best. The story is unique and unlike anything I’ve read in recent years. I loved all the characters and highly recommend it. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This is one of Jennifer Weiner’s best books. I loved every second of it. The relationship between sisters Cassie and Zoe is real. The talent Cassie has is uplifting and makes the reader root for her success and her happiness. Both sisters are very complex characters and I loved stepping into their world both past and present. I would definitely recommend reading this book. Especially if you have ever fought body image issues. Giving this one 5 stars!

Whew, what a ride! We follow the story of three women in music - sisters Zoe and Cassie who have a meteoric rise to stardom and what seems like an equally meteoric crash, and, about 2 decades later, Zoe’s daughter Cherry, who wants to find her own way into music and figure out what happened with her mom’s band.

I’ll be honest, I’ve read some Jennifer Weiner here and there before, and found some of the main themes of this book treading some well worn territory in her oeuvre - sisters, betrayal, body image and so on. But in this book, they all clicked together in a way that felt organic and engaging and I couldn’t put it down. 5 bedazzled pantsuits ✨✨✨✨✨

Been reading the author for years..started reading her b/c her work was fast paced and fun. This one is my least favorite. It's plodding, longer than it needs to be, and the characters less interesting than she usually writes.
The concept was awesome, and that knack for creating conflict is why I will keep reading Weiner despite disappointment in this one.
I received an ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

My favorite by this author! The relationship between very close sisters can be so fragile and this story really explores when one is hurt so bad she stops communicating with the other. I love Cassie and her insecurities. The one with the amazing gift her sister is so jealous of. Skeletons in the closet come out when Cassie’s sister Zoe’s teenage daughter goes on a mission to find Cassie and get answers to the questions that rock her world. A good portrayal of the steps people go through to become famous and what that fame can do to lives.

The Griffin Sisters were one of the greatest bands of their time (the early 2000s). Zoe, the pretty and outgoing sister, and Cassie, the lyricist, pianist, and soulful singer, anchored the group, but after just a year together, they broke up. Both sisters disappeared from the public eye, never to be heard from or of over the next 20 years. Zoe is now a housewife who spends her time battling her 18-year-[old daughter who wants to be a rockstar, while Cassie is living off the grid in Alaska (not even her parents know where she is). When Zoe's daughter, Cherry, runs off to LA to try out for a singing competition, she is determined to find her Aunt Cassie, whom she has never met. Cherry is on a mission to unravel the mystery of why her mother and aunt have not spoken in 20 years, and why neither will discuss their time in the Griffin Sisters, However, it's a much harder task than she imagined. While the story unfolds, readers will find themselves both frustrated with and rooting for all three women.

I was interested in reading this novel as I enjoy reading about music industry dynamics and challenging familiar relationships. This novel covered both of these themes well.

The characters are hard to like, but that doesn't mean it's not an enjoyable read. Unlikeable characters, that are well written, make a great book! As the author develops the story we learn more about the backstories of the main characters and the reasons for their actions and decisions become more understandable. It is satisfying to follow the growth of the characters too as the story unfolds.

Overall, I think the novel was well structured and written but perhaps a tad long. At some points I wanted the story to hurry and move forward faster.

The conclusion was solid and I'm glad I had a chance to read this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC.