I'm sorry I couldn't get through this book so I will not be reviewing. Thank you for the galley.
Best,
Kimberly
TheWindyPages.com

When I saw that Ann Brashares was coming out with an new YA book, I jumped at the chance to read it. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is one of my favorite YA series. I remember reading them when I was in college and falling in love with the story and the sisterhood. If you go into The Whole Thing Together without these expectations that I had, you may enjoy it more than I did. I expected it to be younger, more fresh and fun than it was. Honestly, with the way the story focused on Ray and Sasha's older sisters for the bulk of the book, I think personally, I would classify this more as fiction than YA which was disappointing for me. However, I still think many would find this book enjoyable

This reminded me a lot of We Were Liars and I think that’s why I didn’t enjoy it so much. It just seemed like something I had already read. Granted, there are many differences between the two, but the whole “rich family drama” thing was very much the same. I guess I struggle enjoying those types of plots because I in no way can relate to anything that is going on. Nor do I even have any ounce of sympathy for rich people and their family dramas.
Storyline:
I really enjoyed the relationship that formed between Ray and Sasha, as it was them against their family. But that’s almost where my enjoyment for the book ended. I had a really hard time getting through this book because it was just so difficult to read. There were too many characters, too many jumps in scenes with no introduction, and it was really difficult to keep track of what was happening with who.

Overall, I gave this book 2/5 stars. I had really high hopes for this, but alas, it felt short and I was left disappointed.

Well, this book was addicting. In an actually GOOD way. It definitely took me a while to get into, especially because of the large cast of characters (I actually drew myself a family tree because #memoryishard), but after a while, I got the hang of things. Around the same time, I also got... really invested. I expected it to be much more about the romance, but it was more closely centered around family themes, which I really appreciated. The premise of this book is just so interesting and weird, and I definitely recommend the audiobook if you're looking to pick this one up. I couldn't put it down!

I struggled getting into this YA book. I think I had built up expectations from the authors previous series and didn't have the same feels. This left me longing for the Sisterhood.

I hadn't read The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants but I was excited to read something about Brashare's because she's been so talked about. This book didn't disappoint I enjoyed the storyline about friendship and struggling relationships and set on a somewhat beach setting? Even better! A good deeper beach read I enjoyed and recommend.

3.5 stars

I’ve been a fan of Ann Brashares since her first Sisterhood book came out back in 2001. So, when I found out she had another YA novel coming out I knew I had to read it.
The Whole Thing Together is a story of family, love, loss, and overcoming your past. Told in third person, we get a close up glimpse at each member of the family.
Ray and Sasha, though they share three sisters, have never met. They share a room, but not at the same time, in a house that is split between their parents. Ray’s mom, Lila, was once married to Sasha’s dad, Robert, and once they divorced, the house was spilt, giving equal time to both of their families. Sasha and Ray have been sharing more than sisters though, they’ve shared books and toys growing up, they even share a job. But neither of them could have expected what would happen when they finally meet.
Though there is much focus on Ray and Sasha, this story is so much more than that. It is also about Emma, the eldest, Quinn, the sweet flowerchild, and Mattie the youngest of the three daughters of Robert and Lila. It’s also about Robert and Lila and what brought them to feel the way they now do for one another. And most importantly, how they will react and treat each other when the unthinkable happens.
Featuring family, a slow burn romance, and redemption, The Whole Thing Together is a heartfelt story from a forever favorite.

This review will also be featured on www.swoonyboyspodcast.com and at cavalierhousebooks.com, I will also update with my amazon review link once it is approved.

I love her stories. I think I always expect Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and am a bit disappointed when that's not what I get. This story was about family and love with a touch of humor added in.

In this latest novel by Brashares she delves into the emotional and psychological effects of blended families on all those involved and highlights the challenges faced by those specifically caught in the middle.

The characters are vulnerable, troubled and coming of age. The prose is simple and clear. And the plot, which is ultimately about guilt, love, life, loss, yearning, heartbreak, deception, friendship and family just seems to have a little too many subplots, too much angst, too much drama and too many issues, including class, divorce and race to not get bogged down and overpower the characterization and fluidity of the main storyline.

I am a huge fan of Ann Brashares from The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants series and I look forward to reading other novels by her in the future but for me this one wasn't one of her best.

I probably should not have requested this book.
Dealing with grief for the loss of your own parent and then reading about grief can compound you into a spiral of sadness and that is what happened with this book.
I had to DNF to save my own sanity. this does not mean that the book was not good and I would go back eventually when I feel steadier.

I enjoyed this book, but not as much as I thought I would. I absolutely adored Brashares' Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, so I was really excited to read The Whole Thing Together. Sadly, it did not live up to my expectations and I ended up dropping it about halfway through. I hope it finds its legions of readers, but I won't be among them. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Ray and Sasha share a room in the family house in the Hamptons and share the same three older sisters Emma, Quinn, and Mattie but they have never met. Ray's mom was married to Sasha's dad and had three daughters then they got divorced and then went on to have Ray and Sasha. This summer things are changing for them and their sisters. Their interest are starting to change, they don't care about their old shared books or shell collection in their shared room anymore. Mattie is falling in love with Matt and hopes he feels the same way about her. Emma is trying to figure out how to introduce her boyfriend James to the family. Quinn wants to figure out where she comes from and where she now belongs. After Ray and Sasha start corresponding through e-mail they start to wonder if there can be anything romantic between them with so much family between the two of them.

I loved the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series by this author, but I haven't been able to get into her other books nearly as much. There was a lot of under-the-radar racism/classism in this book that bothered me, and I didn't especially enjoy it although I liked the concept. I was given a paperback ARC for my classroom library from a local bookstore but do not plan on purchasing the book.

I give this book 4.5/5 bikes for Quinn who made me cry.

This story had me gushing tears while reading this. Good thing, the lights were off. I had to stifle the crying noises I made in order not to embarrassingly wake anyone. I got this from Netgalley. Thank you again, Netgalley. This was an emotional read yet, in a way relieving. It helped me vent out all those emotions built up inside my chest.

This is a story of a blended family. A blended family is a family where the parents divorced and married people who also have children from a previous marriage. Each of the divorced parent also has a kid/s with his/her new partner. In turn, there is a host of step siblings. When these families meet, it's a blend of those individuals. In this story, The Mom and Dad had a very awful and bad divorce. They wanted to not do anything with each other except they had three girls- Emma, Mattie and Quinn, and a beach house which they both can't let go of. So, they agreed to share the house but never seeing each families while there.

The story centers on two individuals born of the new marriages of the Mom and the Dad. The Mom, Lila, married Adam Riggs and they have a son- Ray Riggs. The Dad, Robert Thomas, married Evie after the divorce and they have a daughter- Sasha Thomas. Ray and Sasha shared a room, books, toys and all other things in the Long Island beach house. There's only one thing wrong with the picture, they have never met or seen each other. And now the question is why and when?

Everything was status quo until the eldest daughter got engaged and the two other sisters decided to throw an engagement party where the two families could meet. The girls saw it as a chance for their irreconcilable parents to finally come to a truce. I think it was a very brilliant idea born of good intentions but children will never know how deep the animosity of their parents toward each other. There are a lot of things they do not know about the divorce. Why their parents ended up hating each other that they decided they can't stand to see each other yet live in the same city. And the most puzzling of all is that they can't seem to let go of the beach house. The reason was later revealed in the story which explained a few things. I think, even though Lila and Robert hated each other, they still wanted to remember the good things and memories they shared, which the beach represents a lot of.

One of the things that struck me most about the story was the non-relationship between Sasha and Ray. It was so ironic that they shared a lot of things, like toys from their childhood and other things growing up vacationing in the beach house yet, they have never set a glimpse of each other. What they know of each were from the shared items in the shared room and from their shared half-sisters. It was just so appropriate to describe them as half and half. I totally found Emma's idea of them working in the store being half of one person so hilarious, yet possible. Even the store owner agreed to Emma's suggestion. I was so entertained with the email exchanges between Ray and Sasha about their experiences in the store. The store owner's idea of calling each of them Ray was funny also. I think it would be very cool to actually try this idea of making two people work half of a shift yet you only pay one.

Now, let's get to the part where I was balling my eyes out. My tear ducts just opened its floodgates and came rushing out. It was the scene of the engagement party. The party which almost did not push through but the girls -Quinn, especially convinced her parents. It was total mayhem. In some way, the girls expected what may happen but they were still shocked when it did. They also thought that maybe once, their parents could let it all out and then give each other the olive branch but it was not meant to be. It was a disaster that was just waiting to happen. But I think the girls were not to be blamed, it was all on their parents. Not only their parents but also the mother of the groom-to-be also had her own issues which also added to the ensuing chaos.

In the end, it all ended well. Something happened to Quinn and it was tragic. I was like, why her? It didn't have to be that way. I thought, somehow the author must have though of some other way to make the families come together, just not like this. But I guess, it was not for nothing. It paved the way for Lila and Robert to see how bad they were treating each other and now they have to share this agony together. Now, it all seemed trivial, hating each other when something more heavy and permanent is changing their lives. They have no choice but to band together to help each other get through. This was a very heartbreaking part but I am also thankful that they have learned their lessons though it took a whole lot to happen before they learn to at least temporarily forgive each other. How long that last, no one know, even their daughters are not expecting it to last. Sasha and Ray can now stay in the beach house at the same time and actually interact with each other. Nah, they do not have to share a room anymore.

I give this book 4.5/5 bikes for Quinn who made me cry. This may not be a sequel to the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants but the essence of this story is still about sisterhood and family. Yes, it's always true--tragedy brings all people together. Disputes and misunderstanding will become trivial and childish when a more tragic and more devastating loss is experienced. Bittersweet! This story is just one great example. Thank you Ann Brashares, your stories are very profound. I am looking forward to reading more of you stories about family.


Why was it there were some things you could have multiples of, like daughters and sisters, and other things you didn't, like fathers and husbands?

Parallel is right, sadly. Lines that go along forever together and never meet.

- Ann Brashares, The Whole Thing Together -

I liked this book, but I feel like it's not something that I haven't read before. It was still captivating and I really loved some of the relationships.

Of course I had my eye on The Whole Thing Together by Ann Brashares the moment I first saw it. I've only read a few of Ann's books so far, and have really enjoyed those, so I was pretty excited to check out this new book. When the opportunity arrive to check out an advanced copy, and to have a Q&A session with Ann, I jumped on it! You've read my Q&A with Ann above, now see what I thought of the book below!

The Whole Thing Together was a very interesting read. I've read a lot of contemporary novels in my time, and I can't say that I've read any other book that has such an storyline with such a... I'm going to say entwining storyline. With so many characters being related, and not related, but still somewhat related. Well, I'm not doing a very good job of describing this, so you'll just have to read the book to see what I'm talking about! Also, the book was a very quick read; I started and finished it in just a few hours time. (I'm a pretty big fan of contemporary novels, and I tend to read them quicker than most other genres .)

There were a lot of interesting characters to keep up with in the book, and trying to keep them sorted was a little confusing in the begining, but once I figured out who went where, it was a lot easier to read. Some of these characters you will really like, and some will definitely have to grow on you over time. I like that the story is told from different viewpoints, actually from at least 4 different viewpoints. I enjoy getting multiple characters perspectives, as I feel like you really get so much more information when the author writes this way. (And I'm all about the details!)

Overall; The Whole Thing Together was a very interesting read, and I'm glad that I had the opportunity to check it out, and to participate in this blog tour! I still have quite a few more of Ann's books that I still need to read, including finishing up the Sisterhood series, which I'm hoping to tackle this summer. (What better time to read them, right?) Get your copy of The Whole Thing Together in stores on April 25th!!

Happy Reading!!

Delacorte Press and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Whole Thing Together. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

When the most unconventional family has to figure out a way to come together, for the sake of one of their own, will they become more fragmented or mainly united? Sasha and Ray intimately know each other, but they have never met. Coming after their collective family broke apart, the two have lived parallel lives at the cottage owned by both sets of parents. When they finally get a chance to meet, will it ultimately turn to heartbreak?

The Whole Thing Together could have been an interesting look at a blended family, not unlike many in today's society. However, the author tried to take on too much, adding in so many side plots that the focus comes cleanly off the major premise. I liked Ray and Sasha's interactions, but the rest of the story was uninspired and too familiar. The Whole Thing Together was a missed opportunity by the author and is not representative of the good work that Ann Brashares has published in the past.

Ray and Sasha share three half siblings but aren't related themselves. The Whole Thing Together takes place over the summer as Ray and Sasha occupy the same room alternative weeks due to his mum and her dad splitting the time at the house they both own. This summer is about to change lives for the whole family. 

Although Ray and Sasha are our main characters, we also follow their half-siblings, Emma, Quinn and Mattie. This was probably too many people to focus on. There was a noted family tree at the start but as I was on a Kindle it was harder to flick between my page and the notes. As I continued reading I could differentiate a bit but the character's didn't have a lot of depth. 

Ray and Sasha are basically the same person. The way they are written is so focused on one another and their siblings, you could interchange their names and it would probably still make sense. Actually, Brashare's did interchange their names within the book. Which made it even more confusing. 

Each of the half-sisters had their own storyline. But the only one I enjoyed was Mattie's. The premise of her plot isn't a unique or original story, but I would have preferred just focusing on hers rather than all five of them. It would have made Mattie and her parents more three dimensional, and would've made her reaction to the whole thing a bit easier to understand. I felt she was a bit upset and then got over it pretty quickly because there wasn't enough time to spend with her and also have time focusing on everyone else. 

The Ray and Sasha being two sides of the same coin being brought together felt boring. I didn't care if they were going to meet or not. They 'shared' a room which fair enough there weren't enough rooms within the house. But I found it really strange how they wouldn't tidy before they left. I really questioned whether they were changing the bed sheets because Ray spent so much time saying the bed smelt like Sasha. I found it really awkward and weird the way it was set up for them to be two sides but the same. 

The romance aspect was set up from the beginning but I hoped I was reading too much into it and it wouldn't happen. Unfortunately for me, it did happen. I didn't really like it for a couple of reasons. One reason is a spoiler so I wont say it. The other was that I felt they didn't know each other enough for there to be a romance. 

I disliked the ending. It felt very much that Brashares had rushed it. Basically a big life-changing event needed to happen and so there was an incident. After this incident, it was very 'so this happened, and then this happened, and this happened, done'. It was a complete abrupt and hurried.

Overall, The Whole Thing Together wasn't the worst book I've ever read. But I didn't really enjoy multiple aspects of the book. The plot wasn't for me, it was predictable in places. There was one shock, but that was it. I didn't really feel for the characters either, which would have helped to make the ending more likable.

Thank you very much for this ARC. I really wanted to like this book. because the premise sounded intriguing but requested it because of the author. WOW! I'm having a really hard time believing this is the same author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants! Unfortunately the narrative was extremely flat and dull with tons of telling and the MC very judgmental and unlikable in general.