I read the publisher's summary for The Whole Thing Together several months ago and instantly knew I wanted to read this book. I don't do this too often, but I went into the book hoping for a certain type of thing in terms of both story and style. My very particular expectations could have led to a complete disaster, but, for the most part, this book was just what I wanted it to be.

The Whole Thing Together is about a complicated family. Sasha and Ray's parents used to be married. They had three daughters before a very messy divorce divided the family. Their parents remarried and Sasha and Ray were born. Although they've never met, Sasha and Ray have shared the same bedroom for all of their lives. It's a bedroom in the Long Island beach house that both Sasha's dad and Ray's mom refuse to give up. And so, despite all the bitter feelings and completely avoiding each other, the families have been sharing the beach house for all these years alternating weeks so that the parents never have to see other. The three older sisters, Emma, Quinn, and Mattie are the bridge in all this mess, navigating between the two sides of their complicated family.

I really enjoyed the complicated family dynamics in this book. I liked reading about a big family--one with a lot of kids and a lot of sisters. And I appreciated the sibling interaction.

I also loved the ensemble cast. No one character is really the star in this book. It's about the whole family, and the story floats from sibling to sibling. Also, this style of story telling is episodic in its nature, and I enjoyed seeing how the various elements came together. Also, be aware that this book is definitely on the upper-end of the YA spectrum.

I think what I liked most about this book is the quiet atmosphere. It's a type of writing style that I really enjoy. It reminded me a bit of The Bone Gap or We Were Liars, and I know this style isn't to everyone's taste, but it just really works for me. I love a fast-paced story as much as anyone, but I really love to slow it down every once in awhile too.

Brashares' strength is weaving different characters' story threads together in a magical way that seems strange at first but makes complete sense by the end, and this skill is certainly obvious in this book. Sometimes the omniscient POV gets unwieldy when it shifts to Emma, Quinn, or Mattie. I understand that these shifts provide valuable character development needed for the ultimate resolution, but I had to stop, refocus, and figure out who was speaking/thinking each time a shift occurred. Good love story, good character development, plot was mostly good with a few confusing twists that seem to detract the flow.

This was a quick read, I would add it to a 'beach reads' list. In regular Brashares fashion we learn about so many characters, but it is hard to keep them all straight. I would have liked to have more info about each one and also more about what happens after.

The story follows seven characters, Emma, Mattie and Quinn whose parents, Lila and Robert divorced and not quite moved on from the mistakes and bitterness of the past, and their half siblings, who live in paralel world – Sasha and Ray – sharing older sisters but never meeting each other, until the summer when the card castle finally falls apart.

The first page of the book is actually a family tree, that provides you with enough information to understand the complex family, or in this case families, that will be introduced to you throughout the book. And it was in no way helpful. I must agree with quite a lot of popular opinions regarding the beginning of the story. It is very confusing to the extent where I wasn’t sure whose point of view I was reading; was it a girl or a boy? and constantly flipping back to the family tree page.

What surprised me was how many reviews spoke about sexism, body shaming and racism. Honestly, I noticed zero – on the contrary, I enjoyed how different everyone was, physically and personality wise. How the author mentioned different types of beauty – from “barbie” looking Mattie to a complete opposite Sasha, whose beauty were praised nonetheless, to “out of this world” Quinn whose personality was more than anyone’s appearance could ever outshine.

Another thing I cannot make myself to agree with is the mentioning of references to dullness and stereotypical characters. When there is such an array of characters, it’s only fair to give them these certain personality traits that would distinguish them between each other, make them unique in their own way, even though all of them went through the same life experience together.

Yes, Emma was the more serious and college-orientated one, Mattie was the beauty of the family, while Quinn.. was Quinn, different from anyone and anything. Sasha was just finding herself, trying to be like her older sisters but also to learn her own ways of dealing with situation at hand, while Ray was the only boy who had to stay strong among everything.

But these were not their only traits, these weren’t only things that defined them! As the story progressed we learned more and more about each and everyone of them, as more and more of their qualities walked out into the open.

I give it 2.5 stars out of 5 (that I rounded to three star rating on GoodReads). I try to stay away from half ratings, but sometime there is no escape from “in-betweens”.

I picked this one up because I liked the cover (that's often what first draws me to a book). It's written by the author of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, which I enjoyed. Gosh, what a fantastic read! It's all about one family - sort of. A man and a woman were married, had three kids, then got a nasty divorce. In the settlement, they both retained ownership of the family's beach house on Long Island. Both people went on to marry again, each having another child. So, you have siblings, half-siblings and step-siblings. Here's the kicker; the two children from the new marriage never, ever meet. The original couple don't get along well enough, so even though the teen boy and girl share a room at this beach house, they are never there, or anywhere, at the same time. It's a tale and a half, and I had no idea where all it was going to take me. Here's a quick tip... jot down the family tree in the front of the book so you can quickly reference it throughout (especially if you're reading the e-book), because it's a LOT of names to keep straight.

Family is one big, beautiful mess. That's the sentence I'd use to describe this book.

A little bit of a disclaimer up front: if you're looking for a Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants type story, this one is not it. You will be sorely disappointed if you go in with that expectation. This story is closer to her The Last Summer (of You and Me) which I read when it published ten years ago and I've re-read since. I think it's why I enjoyed this one so much.

Also, I'd venture to say that when I picked this one up, I thought I was reading YA but I think this is more of an NA/Adult fiction book. There are two characters who are 17-year-old but the story is told in third person omniscient (which can be a bit jarring if you're not used to this format) which means we also get the perspective of the older family members and their issues will certainly be relatable to an older reader.

The family dynamics in this book is fairly common these days but the way it's presented in the book is unique. At the beginning, I was a bit confused because it is a lot of people to keep track of so I did consult the "family tree" at the beginning of the book several times. But as I read, I thought Brashares did a great job at making each character distinct enough that I followed easily along after about the 50-page mark.

It's hard to review this one being that it's a short book and the characters, while all having distinct story lines, are enmeshed throughout. In their own way, they do grapple with their identities, even the adults. I come from a set of parents who are still together so it's always fascinating to me to read these family stories which are so different from mine. I can relate with the drama, though, because whose family doesn't suffer from a healthy dose of it?

There was something in the book that I could see coming, and was necessary to the overall story arc, but nonetheless felt contrived. And this book did include diversity and issues surrounding that diversity that I don't think was presented in a racist or stereotypical manner (as some Goodreads reviews point out). Overall, this one was a quick, enjoyable read for me. And I think I will always read anything Ann Brashares writes.

I was given an ARC of this book from Net Galley for an honest review.

I found this book about a family of divorce to be very confusing because of the author's use of multiple points of view. There were several characters in the book who belonged to one of two families and it became difficult keeping all the characters' plots clear. Add to that the fact that I only found one of the plot lines to be interesting.

The surprise ending also was not appreciated. I've enjoyed other books from this author, but this one was a disappointment.

It was an average read, nothing spectacular. I found myself getting lost in the POV changes. It was a fast read but not as enjoyable as her other series.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this awesome novel.
This has to be Ann Brashears' best yet. The writing was excellent. This bittersweet story was told so impeccably well. The characters were so lovely and charming, it is difficult to say who was my favorite.
I really would like if she could continue this with another novel on this world.

DNF-ed at 89%

I was so very close to finishing this book, but ended up giving up. At first, I didn't want to; I wanted to read it until the end, and I was close anyway, so what was the problem?
I just didn't want to lose more of my time.

I was excited to start this. The plot seemed good, everyone kept saying good things about the author, AND there was a character who had the same nickname my best friend gave me - turns out that said character is one of the most annoying ones.

I had a lot of problems with the book, namely Ray being very creepy from time to time, Mattie being extremely childish, a lot of scenes being racist ... And the list goes on. The writing was also very confusing. There were more than two POVs (the synopsis gives the idea that the main characters are Ray and Sasha, but pretty much everyone gets a chance to tell their story), and their voices seemed very similar, which made it difficult to see who was who. I also felt there was no plot, just a couple of stories mixed together.
However, there was ONE thing I liked. Just one little scene ... that was destroyed a couple of chapters after.

Huge disappointment. I've heard that the book only gets worse towards the end, so I couldn't bother myself to read more.

I really struggled to read this book, I found it slow, confusing and lacking dimension. All of the interesting aspects of the story are briefly mentioned and are glossed over. The story felt like it was rushed.

This story is about a variety of personalities, how they cope with life and how they manage to live together. Due to so many characters it was difficult to keep track of who is who (sorry Mattie and Emma) and to feel connected to any of them. The characters and story of Ray and Sasha are more developed but I found the whole romance to be disturbing. Even though Ray and Sasha are not biologically related the budding romance between them creeped me out.

I wish the author cut the number of characters in half and gave them more details and focus. The characters had a lot of potential for growth but due to the overwhelming number of characters, all with personal struggles, I found it difficult to get to know them. A lot is mentioned and hinted at in the book but not much is flushed out.

While I will be purchasing this book for the public library I work at due to the author's name (teens will still want to read it) I do not think I will personally recommend it to anymore.

I found the book mesmerizing, predictable in an unpredictable way. I finished it on a stormy afternoon, the perfect setting in which to immerse myself.

I am surprised that it is YA. It seems for at least a slightly older readership. Not every reader will appreciate that the points of view shift without warning, without transition.

Memorable observations about loss of family. The normal of abnormality.

This is my first exposure to the writer. I know, how abnormal is that? I never traveled with the sisterhood and the famous pants. So, I could not compare it. Perhaps that is what enabled me to like it more than other reviewers.

I typically do not read nor find myself interested in reading about family dysfunction. But I am glad that I read this rendition. I might even read it again...on another stormy afternoon, of course.

Sasha and Ray have always shared a room in their summer home. They’ve shared the same books, the same toiletries and the same bed, yet they have never actually met. Ray’s mom used to be married to Sasha’s dad and neither one is willing to give up the beach house. Now they have new families and are making new memories, but in the same house. Unfortunately, choices from the past have a way of coming back and these two families must learn to work together before the loose ties fall apart.

The Whole Thing Together is a stand-alone novel that has an interesting premise, but a faulty execution. I usually don’t mind alternating story lines, but this story did not flow easily and the middle of the book seemed muddled. The ending was great and I will think about it for a while to come, but the overall impression I am left with is just flat and uninspired. Brashares’ latest novel is not a drop everything and read book.

I got excited when I saw that it's a new Ann Brashares' book but got confused later because I thought it was a sisterhood' novel. Which it clearly isn't.

Requested the wrong book.

I rated this three stars on Goodreads, because I didn’t mind reading it. But then as I wrote my review, I realized I wouldn’t really recommend this book, unless a lot of changes have been made between the ARC and the final copy. Overall, the idea just seemed underdeveloped and not well executed. Maybe my expectations were too high, but something about it was just a miss for me.

I am not sure where to begin when explaining how much I did not like 'The Whole Thing Together'. Do I start with the racism, sexism, or the overall confusing nature of this book?

Racism - There is an undercurrent (and sometimes it slaps you in the face) negative attitude towards people of Indian origin or background. The father, Robert, was born in India and was adopted by a caucasian Canadian family and completely avoids, ignores, and hates his Indian roots. There are also a few comments made about people potentially not liking some of the characters because of their brown skin. There is no other dialogue referring to this line of thinking as wrong or unacceptable. It is simply just stated and left there hanging. There is also a tendency towards Indian stereotypes (the Indian cab driver) that left a bad taste in my mouth.

Sexism - During one of Ray's inner monologues, he is watching Sasha make her way through a party with her friend. The friend is tall, thin, and scantily-clad, while Sasha is dressed modestly and "shuffles" along due to a foot problem she's had since childhood. The boys at the party all stared at Sasha's friend because only someone as "deep" as Ray could see the beauty in Sasha. Ray's relationship with his non-girlfriend, Violet, is another example of Ray's misogynistic attitude toward women. He does not particularly like her but sees that she is willing to "hook up" with him and so he uses her for that because, well why not? He also lies to his friends about having lost his virginity to Violet. His reasoning is that she has already done so, so what would it hurt putting it out there that he has also had sex with her.

Confusing Nature - The description of the book makes it seem as though we are following the two star-crossed non-siblings, Ray and Sasha. That is true, however, we are also privy to the inner workings of their three other siblings. Then add in 4 parents, a mystery man from their past, friends, boyfriends/girlfriends, and 2 other half-siblings on only one side....yes, you can see why it is difficult to follow along. I found myself frequently referring to the family tree provided in the beginning of the book to remind myself who each character was in relation to each other. The fact that the story is told from a third person perspective without solid transitions also makes it very hard to follow when one character "leaves" and the next character "enters".

Aside from all of that, my personal opinion is that I find it hard to read books where the majority of the book is the inner monologue of the characters thinking about their life, their situation, their feelings, their family, etc. The majority of this book was not explaining what was actually happening in the story or the interactions of the characters, but a constant dribble (yes, dribble) of thoughts and emotions.

I found this book very hard to finish. I would not recommend this to anyone - YA fan or otherwise.

The story is based on a unique situation: parents of 3 girls divorce, each remarry and have another child. As part of the divorce, the two new families share a summer home, one week on one week off. The two newest children share sisters but never meet each other. During one summer a sister arranges for Sasha and Ray (the new siblings) to share a job at a local grocery store. As a result of this, and a random brief meeting at a party, Sasha and Ray begin emailing each other. This is my favorite part of the book! I love the concept that they are both so closely related but also not related at all. I love that they live these parallel lives and have a connection through the spaces they share. As with Traveling Pants, Ms. Brashares doesn’t let the reader live in this humorous world but instead interjects wide swaths of reality

For a more in-depth review watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4t8kt...

I received a copy of an e-ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sasha and Ray are part of the same family but they are not related. Many years ago Sasha's father and Ray's mother were married then they weren't and then there were other marriages which resulted in Sasha and Ray. They share a summer home and sisters but they have never met. But they have a connection.

"The Whole Thing Together" is told a very removed third person perspective which normally I am not a fan of but work in this context. I really liked the Ray and Sasha aspect of this book. I thought their flirty interactions were sweet and I was rooting for them to connect in person. However, this book falls victim to one of my biggest pet peeves. This is not a teen book but it is being marketed as one. Much of the story revolves around the shared older sisters who are concerned with marriages, colleges, and other major life decisions. This is a book for adult with just a little bit of teen added in.

Although the synopsis has led me to think that the book is about the romance between Ray and Sasha, in fact the book tells the problems and dilemmas of the daughters and son of the first marriage and the second of two couples. Almost Mine, yours, ours in a different way. Problem for me was to realize that the third person narration was chosen by the writer to facilitate the presentation of the situation of each of the character. This confused a lot and as she only presented a little of each one of them, I could not connect with any, much less with the protagonists.

I think maybe if the writer had written several small books about each character separately, it would have been better since it could deepen each other's relationship with their parents and the other characters.
The cover also did not collaborate in the message transmission, only the title helped.
2/5 stars.