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jenlapcevic's review
3.0
Rounded up to 3.5. I really enjoyed the character development in this story as well as getting to see the situation from all three adoptive mothers' perspectives.
sassyyabby's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
jgsearls's review
4.0
I really struggled with the characters in the book at the beginning. I kept getting so irritated with them. By the end I grew to really enjoy each one and their perspectives.
smalltownbookmom's review against another edition
4.0
I really, really enjoyed this complex family story about three couples who have adopted children with the same birth mother and are raising them together. Taking place during a joint family vacation, these couples have to decide if they'd be interested in another addition when the birth mother reaches out letting them know she's pregnant again and offering them this fourth child.
Told with alternating POVs, this complicated and messy story was such a great look at modern parenting and the challenges of motherhood - in its many, many different forms. I absolutely adored this big hearted book on audio with an amazing full cast of talented narrators. Highly recommended, especially for fans of Laurie Frankel!
Told with alternating POVs, this complicated and messy story was such a great look at modern parenting and the challenges of motherhood - in its many, many different forms. I absolutely adored this big hearted book on audio with an amazing full cast of talented narrators. Highly recommended, especially for fans of Laurie Frankel!
booksandbedtime's review
5.0
Three sets of parents have all adopted biological siblings. They are open adoptions and all the parents have agreed to raise the siblings up together though with different parents. You have Tabitha the pushy, overly organized Pinterest mom with the perfect husband. Ginger is the quiet older single mom who is very much an introvert. And Elizabeth who has a newborn and is drowning in being a new mom. When the birth mom is pregnant again the three families try to figure out what to do with the new baby.
All of the moms are imperfect people but perfectly loving and perfect mothers to their children. I found myself connecting to Elizabeth the most with her infertility struggles and then the feeling of losing yourself in the newborn life. It’s soooo relatable for any parent - mom, dad, foster parent or especially adopted parents.
It’s such a beautiful story of adoption and making your own families and I just loved it. Highly recommend!
All of the moms are imperfect people but perfectly loving and perfect mothers to their children. I found myself connecting to Elizabeth the most with her infertility struggles and then the feeling of losing yourself in the newborn life. It’s soooo relatable for any parent - mom, dad, foster parent or especially adopted parents.
It’s such a beautiful story of adoption and making your own families and I just loved it. Highly recommend!
inked_in_pages's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book was gifted to me by a friend who was adamant that this would be the perfect book for me; there is a found family story line, complicated family dynamics, a storyline surrounding the challenges of parenting and motherhood…damn, was she right. It took me a while to pick up the book, even after she sent it to me, but the minute I picked up this book I was drawn into the dynamics of the characters and the dynamics of this unique family.
There was a lot about this book that hit really close to home for me both as a parent and as a social worker, so there were times when I had to put the book down and take a break. There is so much accuracy and so much emotion to the story that Brown writes and I found it really refreshing to read an accurate depiction of the different family dynamics that exist after an adoption.
This book may not be for everyone. There is a lot of emotion and the plot itself is almost entirely character driven but I enjoyed it and am glad to have read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility
Moderate: Miscarriage, Abandonment, and Pregnancy
Minor: Abortion
blogginboutbooks's review
4.0
I saw ANY OTHER FAMILY advertised at a local bookship with a note saying, "Everyone connected with adoption should read this book." I'm an adoptive mom who's always looking for a compelling read, so I picked the book up (from the library, because I'm also cheap). The story immediately sucked me in, not because it's action-packed, edge-of-your-seat kind of stuff, but because the characters are so relatable. I saw elements of myself in each of the three moms at the center of the book. All three are complex, sympathetic, well-actualized characters. I cared about them, their children, and what was going to happen to their unique family. This is very much a character-based novel, but there's enough tension in the plot to keep things moving along. In fact, I zipped through ANY OTHER FAMILY in a day. It's a warm-hearted read that made me smile, sympathize, and think about adoption as a whole and about my experience with it in particular. The author is an adoptive mom herself, so the novel feels authentic, intimate, and very personal. Whatever your experience with adoption, ANY OTHER FAMILY is an engrossing, insightful book. I enjoyed it.
If you're looking for a book club read that asks discussion-worthy questions, look no further. ANY OTHER FAMILY explores lots of intriguing questions like: What makes a family? What (if anything) do adoptive parents owe to their child's birth family? What kind of adoption is healthiest for a child? How does being adopted affect a child's psyche and well-being? What questions are appropriate/inappropriate to ask an adoptive family? How does the experience of motherhood differ for each mother? Etc., etc.
If you're looking for a book club read that asks discussion-worthy questions, look no further. ANY OTHER FAMILY explores lots of intriguing questions like: What makes a family? What (if anything) do adoptive parents owe to their child's birth family? What kind of adoption is healthiest for a child? How does being adopted affect a child's psyche and well-being? What questions are appropriate/inappropriate to ask an adoptive family? How does the experience of motherhood differ for each mother? Etc., etc.
fpugirl's review
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
alohabooksandbujos's review
4.0
Families are a messy dynamic. Throw in four kids with three separate homes parenting and it’s even more messy. Siblings all adopted separately to different families but coming together as one large unit, this messy bunch has a lot of personalities and quirks to work out. When a summer vacation drops the shock of a new baby, all of the adults are faced with the challenges of facing their own demons as well as navigating a better way to communicate with this large family dynamic.
This book was a slow burn, in good and bad ways. It’s almost a slow burn romance that you want to speed up to get to all the dirty, good parts. With differing perspectives, the reader gets an inside look at all of the mothers that make up this dynamic bunch. With a leading character that you desperately want to understand but also dislike, the burn seemed to take too long. The last quarter of the book was what really got me going. I want the dirt and grit, the hard feelings, self-discoveries and everything in between. As a mother, I resonated with each character on a different level. The depth of struggles, from infertility to comparison, hits hard. A beautiful work that explores adoption, infertility, and the messy dynamics of family- whether it’s by blood or chosen.
This book was a slow burn, in good and bad ways. It’s almost a slow burn romance that you want to speed up to get to all the dirty, good parts. With differing perspectives, the reader gets an inside look at all of the mothers that make up this dynamic bunch. With a leading character that you desperately want to understand but also dislike, the burn seemed to take too long. The last quarter of the book was what really got me going. I want the dirt and grit, the hard feelings, self-discoveries and everything in between. As a mother, I resonated with each character on a different level. The depth of struggles, from infertility to comparison, hits hard. A beautiful work that explores adoption, infertility, and the messy dynamics of family- whether it’s by blood or chosen.