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4.38 AVERAGE
4.38 AVERAGE
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I loved this so much. I'm always a fan of stories about 4 siblings (as I am the oldest of 4) and this one was absolutely perfect. I loved all of these characters - Gemma, Connor, Roddy and Jude - as they were so well drawn and felt completely real to me. They were flawed but in such human, realistic ways, and I felt like I was right there with them as they worked on repairing their relationships with each other and confronting the truths about their childhood that they hadn't ever discussed before. This novel just felt like a hug, it was perfect for me.
Fun for the Whole Family is a tale of four siblings through their trials and tribulations. When we meet them, they have been estranged following an incident that is disclosed late in the novel. Gemma, the eldest is in a happy marriage, but is ambivalent as she goes through IVF with her husband after spending much of her childhood playing mother to her younger siblings in light of their absent father and mother who disappears for months at a time. Connor's marriage has fallen apart, leaving a complicated relationship with his two children. He is a famous writer, having won the national book award for a semi-fictional tale about his family. Roddy is an aging soccer player with knee injuries weighing one last go with a new club or settling into retirement with his soon to be husband. Jude, Roddy's twin is a famous actress who texts her three siblings saying she needs them... in North Dakota. What transpires are secrets revealed (ones that really aren't all that shocking) and sibling drama. I appreciated the complex relationships between the siblings, though I found the ending to be a bit emotionally manipulative. If you enjoy thorny familial relationships in your books, you'll like this one!
Thank you to Ballantine Books via NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for honest review.
Thank you to Ballantine Books via NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for honest review.
A character-driven drama that is complex, meaty and sprawling. I loved how the story here hopped back and forth between the various trips that the Endicott siblings took with their mother as well as other notable events from the past to everything unfolding in present day after they have all gathered together in North Dakota. Each of these four characters are well-rounded with interesting perspectives, and Smith does a wonderful job of conveying how strong the bonds between the four of them are, even while they are estranged over a period of time. Although the secrets add a little intrigue to the tale when they are first teased, they are somewhat predictable when eventually revealed and I didn't get emotionally invested in what happened until the very end. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this with it successfully communicating the power of both family and forgiveness.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this title.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this title.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
What an absolutely wonderful story of family - the complexity, the love, the memories, and the endurance. This was a heaping helping of feels with so many layers as four adult siblings came back together. Each character was so unique in their path, but they also all "fit" together so well. I loved that this was blend of the present and the stories from the past - including learning the truth behind some of those past experiences. The character depth and way they were each written around the realities of family was just so, so, good. Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this April 2025 release!
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to NetGalley for my first-ever early copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book follows four estranged siblings as they reconnect in a small town during the North Dakota winter. Between real-time chapters they each have a chapter remembering different times traveling together with their neglectful and narcissistic mother, always searching for her acting dream.
I really enjoyed how REAL these characters felt. Yes, it's unlikely for one family to produce an Oscar-winning actress, professional soccer player, AND a National Book Award-winning author. And Gemma, the most normal of all. But the specialness of the Endicott siblings just made their foibles and pain stand more true.
Jude, as the driving force of the reconciliation, had some secrets to share. I guessed the big one but still felt the emotional payout, which is what matters.
I felt that every character had adequate page time from the 4 siblings (Gemma, Connor, Roddy, and Jude) to Connor's kids and the various significant others along the way.
This isn't a groundbreaking story like "Educated" (which yes, is a memoir) or powerfully feminist like "Little Women". But it's comfortable and engaging and I would love to watch the movie. There's already a wonderful set of montage-style vignette chapters past the halfway point, too!
This book follows four estranged siblings as they reconnect in a small town during the North Dakota winter. Between real-time chapters they each have a chapter remembering different times traveling together with their neglectful and narcissistic mother, always searching for her acting dream.
I really enjoyed how REAL these characters felt. Yes, it's unlikely for one family to produce an Oscar-winning actress, professional soccer player, AND a National Book Award-winning author. And Gemma, the most normal of all. But the specialness of the Endicott siblings just made their foibles and pain stand more true.
Jude, as the driving force of the reconciliation, had some secrets to share. I guessed the big one but still felt the emotional payout, which is what matters.
I felt that every character had adequate page time from the 4 siblings (Gemma, Connor, Roddy, and Jude) to Connor's kids and the various significant others along the way.
This isn't a groundbreaking story like "Educated" (which yes, is a memoir) or powerfully feminist like "Little Women". But it's comfortable and engaging and I would love to watch the movie. There's already a wonderful set of montage-style vignette chapters past the halfway point, too!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Death of parent
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced