“We’re all complicated […] Don’t sell yourself short trying not to be."

4.5/5 stars

What I loved:
- How each chapter provided a different POV from a lot of different characters. Even though Archie was just a supporting character, I loved him so much and found myself wanting to get to know more about him!
- The nuanced and complex relationships between the characters. I loved Lorrie & Eden's friendship and really felt for them as their friendship was put to the test.
- The graceful and thought-provoking way that the sensitive topic of sexual assault was navigated throughout the novel. I really appreciated the fact that the book doesn't delve too much into the actual details of the event. Rather the focus was on the impact/after-math on not only the main characters, but also on their loved ones.
- How there wasn't a perfect tidy ending/resolution and there were no true winners, making it quite realistic.

What I didn't like as much:
- I wish I got to know Summer more (beyond just her hobbies and where she fits in the high school hierarchy). I wish we also got to read Summer's piece that she wrote. I understand the decision to not delve into details of the assault but I would have wanted to read more about Summer's thought process.
- I'm conflicted about Eden's POV because even though she wanted to do what was best for Summer, she was often just projecting her own unprocessed trauma onto her daughter. I also couldn't fully understand her motivations - was it about justice? revenge? avoidance of the whole situation? I found myself frustrated at the way Eden would often flip-flop between where she stood on certain decisions (eg. wanting to keep the matter private vs. wanting to tell everyone & control the narrative).

Thank you to NetGalley & Storm Publishing for the eArc in exchange for an honest review.

I started reading and never stopped; well, actually, I stopped to sleep. I continued reading while I ate breakfast, lunch and dinner. The different facts told by the different characters give us a perspective on how each story is experienced in different ways by different personalities. It's worth reading.

This book was heavy but I feel like the author did a great job with such a realistic depiction of what an event like this would touch on a family.
I really loved the multiple POV's of those that were affected by this event. You get into the characters head with what they are thinking and going through in the aftermath of this situation. I enjoyed the different perspectives as well. Definitely an emotional read and as you go through this book, you put yourself in the shoes of the characters which makes it even more addicting to know how this will end. The ending to this book was definitely realistic which I appreciated.

This was my first Caitlin Weaver book and won't be my last. I want to go ahead and check out some of her other work as I did enjoy her writing in this one!

Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

📚ARC Review 📚

Such a Good Family ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lorrie and Eden have been friends for years. They’ve raised their kids together and would joke that their oldest would marry each other. Lorrie was so happy when her son, Knox, started dating Eden’s daughter, Summer. It’s supposed a happy time, the last week of school and their senior year, but everything has been turned upside down over what happened that one night. Who is telling the truth? And to what length will a mother go to protect her son?


I want to start off by saying this book does have a lot of triggers. It has very heavy topics in it and every character basically had something going on. However, it was written well and shed light on those topics. I liked the multiple point of view from each character. It wasn’t a happy ending but a real one. How everything can change quickly and trying to find a new normal from what things once were. Overall, I liked it and it was easy to get into and binge.

This book will publish on June 12, 2024. Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my advanced readers copy. This is my honest and voluntary opinion.

This book made me uncomfortable, which I believe is a good thing in that it speaks to how well the author captures difficult emotions and complex relationship dynamics. Overall i really enjoyed the book and found myself looking forward to picking it back up again. I would absolutely recommend this book to friends and family. I am thankful to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader copy!

I must say that "Such a Good Family" was not at all what I thought it would be. It was better! I finished the book in one day. Caitlin Weaver had me so captivated by her writing and what would happen next. How would this heartbreaking story end?

The book is based on a tight-knit community that raised their kids together. When Lorrie's son and Eden's daughter start dating. The two best friend moms were elated. Until trouble starts.

This is not a feel-good, happy-ending book. It is a book that makes you think, what would I do in that situation? I felt for all the characters and what they were going through. Caitlin Weaver did an excellent job of writing with grace on a hard to discuss subject matter. I will be reading more of her books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased opinion.

This book was super heavy. Everyone in the book was in a tough situation. Loved the different povs and how they merged seamlessly through the timeline. Both parents had to protect their friends while also grieving their old good life. This story wasn’t sugar coated with a hea.. it ended as it could have in real life… healing and trying to find a new normal. Good read

This book had me captivated from the start - Desperate Housewives meets Cruel Summer. There is a lot of heavy subject matter, but the author does a great job of addressing everything and holding characters accountable, even if it isn't in the way you might hope.

Oh wow!!!

This book could trigger some people as it does involve sexual assault.

Although the subject matter is a hard one, I do feel it should be written about in order to bring awareness that this thing could and does happen.

I shed a few tears at the end.

Have you ever read a story or learned of a crime and wondered what everyone involved thinks? That is precisely the premise of this book, adding a couple of essential layers. The central plot is that the people directly involved in the crime are high schoolers in their senior year, and their respective moms are neighbors but, more importantly, best friends. The story is somewhat predictable as we have two women leading the story (the moms), and they live in a wealthy community; of course, they have big dreams and aspirations for their kids while, at the same time, navigating the complexities of their multiple roles (mom, wife, friend, jobs, non-profit endeavors, personal aspirations, etc.). We have Summer (Eden & Witt's kid), Archie, Chloe, and Knox (Lorrie & Ed's kids). Most of the book is navigating the nostalgia of kids growing up through the mothers' point of view; the other part is navigating their traumas, trying to control narratives/gossip, and the rest is navigating the complexity of the crime their kids are involved in. Knox is the perpetrator, and the book makes a small effort for the reader to like him. However, it's hard to find sympathy for someone who leads with selfishness and little ability for retrospection. The character that saves a lot of that appreciation for Knox is Archie; he is a balm that you didn't even know you needed. Then Chloe is just there. I saw a plot twist between Knox's parents coming a mile away, making it hard to understand how Lorrie didn't see it. To be fair to Lorrie, she had her mind on many things that took place in the week's timeframe. The family dynamics make you cringe, yet as a reader, you understand there is no guide on navigating such a complex situation.

Ultimately, this book is a good read and relevant to today's environment. It is a parent's worst nightmare. I give it 3.5 stars and recommend it to audiences interested in community gossip, domestic issues, high-school/young adult novels, and parent/relationship thrillers.

An emotional book that looks at school girl rape and how it affects the girls family and how she herself deals with it. A difficult tale to tell and tenderly executed by Caitlin Weaver. Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

Storm Publishing and NetGalley provided me with this book in exchange for an honest review - thank you both!

This book covers several heavy topics and I highly suggest you make sure that you won’t be negatively affected by them before reading. Once you’ve confirmed that you are comfortable reading this book, be ready to experience an emotional rollercoaster!

This book was written from several POVs and the author executed it perfectly. I enjoyed every second of this book and finished it in 2 days. You have an idea of who/what to believe from the get go, but as time passes you start realizing that sometimes a person can be a victim of themself. This was a very emotional read.

Lorrie and Eden have been best friends since they moved onto the same block many years ago. Lorrie and her husband Ed have 3 children, popular kid Knox, loner Archie and extrovert Chloe. while Eden and her lawyer husband have only child Summer. The women's lives have blended as one between motherhood, being wives, and other various neighborhood endeavors. After a party one night, accusations go flying and the lives of Summer, Knox, Lorrie and Eden will be forever changed. As every mother should, both Lorrie and Eden want to protect their children. But will protecting their children cost them each other?

This book contains very heavy topics so PLEASE check the trigger warnings before reading! This book took you on an emotional roller coaster & made me go back and forth between what I was thinking with each chapter. This story is told in multiple POVs (Lorrie, Eden, Summer, Knox, Jules and Archie). Getting into the mind of each character helped the development of the storyline & really had me questioning myself on who to believe. The author did a spectacular job of allowing the reader to feel as if they are going through the emotions with the characters. I could not put this down, I finished it in less than 24 hours. This book covers an extremely triggering topic, but a topic that needs to be discussed no matter what age you are.

Thank you so much to Storm Publishing, Net Galley and author Caitlin Weaver for providing an E-Arc of this book!

Th book dealt well with a number of topics, it was difficult to read at points and there was definitely a range of emotions.

I don’t know how to rate this book…Lorrie and Eden are both problematic. Ed is REALLY problematic.

This is the story of two mothers who live across the street and are the best of friends…until one of their kids accuses the other’s kid of the unthinkable. Over the span of a week everything that both of these families thought they knew is completely challenged. Instead of celebrating the upcoming high school graduation of their oldest children, they are instead dealing with police and lawyers and secrets coming to the surface.

The story is told in alternating POVs between the best friends, Lorrie and Eden, Lorrie’s son Knox, Eden’s daughter Summer, Lorrie’s middle son Archie, and their neighbor Jules.

I think I really struggled with the lack of closure or resolution at the end? I don’t know, there’s just a lot that isn’t working for me overall.

Thank you, Net Galley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Now….if you want to be strapped into an emotional rollercoaster that makes your heart cry, but at the same time makes you think very hard about yourself; this is the book for you.

I am not sure if I would categorise it as a Thriller…I would probably go for Family Drama. The story is told from
Multiple POVs and done very nicely. The characters were well-developed…if you like them or not. There were lots of moments when I couldn't understand certain decisions made by both mothers but on the other hand…I had to think very hard about what I would have done in a similar situation, from both sides. The emotional parts are complex and brought more depth into the story and its characters, which I really liked. I would have liked more backstory from Jules.
It's a story that grips you and does not let you go.
This books explores some heavy topics like SA. If that is a trigger for you, don't read this book!! If you are ready for a thought-provoking and emotional read, try this one out!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, NetGalley, and Storm Publishing for this ARC.

I received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. It was slow for me to get into this book and I almost gave up and I finished it. It was a good book and I liked how it was told by more than one person and it was easy to follow. However, the use of the "f" word was just way too much and took away the enjoyment for me

Now here is a thought provoking book that will have you feeling all the feels. Anger, sympathy, hurt and forgiveness. As a mother, I could relate to how both mom's were feeling. The fact that they are best friends makes it so much more difficult as they have always turned to each other and now they can't. So you not only have to deal with the situation between their children, but also their own friendship. This story will make you think about a lot of things and how you would handle certain situations. The story is written by several POV's and makes this story so much more effective. I also liked that the author didn't feel the need to provide all the in-depth details of the "issue", the story was more about the situation and how different people handle it. Again, this book makes you think and I have a feeling I will not forget this book anytime soon.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an ARC in return for an honest review.

First off, Summer's mom is the literal worst and I don't want to hear anything about it. I understand how she could be a realistic portrayal of how someone would react in this kind of situation but she made my blood boil.

This is a book about two families who have been best friends since their kids were wee babes and when their teenagers start dating their senior year of high school everything seems picture perfect... until Summer accuses Know of rape.

I'm gonna be real...every parent in this book was a complete piece of shit except for Summer's dad. He was the only one who seemed to be truly looking out for Summer and what she needed in this situation. All the other parents can fuck right off. I do wish that we had gotten some more of Jules because she was such an interesting character and I think that seeing her perspective in this situation more would have really gone a long way in making her involvement later on more meaningful.

I also don't think that the situation with Know was handled well at all. We learn pretty quickly on that this is not a story of he said, she said. This is not a story with blurred lines. We know early on that Knox is completely guilty. However, the way the author explains away Knox's behavior as the result of bad genes and sex addiction really gave me the ick. It didn't feel like Knox ever took accountability or got any real punishment for what he did. He just goes and lives on a ranch. Big fucking whoop.

I did enjoy how some of the other younger characters and friends of Summer came to her defense and rallied for her in this story. That was pretty touching but it wasn't enough to save the rest of the bullshit that came from everyone else.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

In the intricate web of familial ties, Caitlin Weaver’s “Such a Good Family” emerges as a poignant exploration of the lengths to which a family will go to protect its own. This novel is a profound journey through the emotional landscapes of trust, betrayal, and the haunting question of how well one truly knows their loved ones.

The narrative unfolds through the eyes of two mothers, Eden and Lorrie, whose lives are irrevocably altered by a harrowing accusation that strikes at the heart of their seemingly perfect families. As the story progresses, Weaver masterfully peels back the layers of each character, revealing the complex and often conflicting motivations which drive them.

Weaver’s prose is elegant and accessible, weaving a tale that is as much about the fragility of relationships as it is about the resilience of the human spirit. The pacing is impeccable, with each chapter drawing the reader deeper into the mystery and the moral quandaries presented.

What sets “Such a Good Family” apart is its unflinching honesty in portraying the imperfections of its characters. Weaver does not shy away from the darker aspects of human nature, yet she handles them with a sensitivity that evokes empathy rather than judgment.

In essence, “Such a Good Family” is a mirror held up to our own lives, reflecting the uncomfortable truth that the people we love are capable of actions we cannot fathom. It is a reminder that the line between right and wrong is often blurred, and that the truth is often a mosaic of all too human perspectives.

Weaver’s novel is a must-read for fans of Liane Moriarty, Jodi Picoult, and Celeste Ng.