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A review by the_cover_contessa
Fun for the Whole Family by Jennifer E. Smith
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.0
Review to comeThank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Ballentine for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I've been a fan of Jennifer E. Smith for a long time. Her YA books really are great and I was excited when she decided to take a dive into the adult world. I really enjoyed the Unsinkable Gretta James and was excited when I was approved to read this new title early!
This book is about family and it's ups and downs. The crises family goes through together and apart. The rifts that are made and then healed through time and space. It's an emotional journey of a family finding itself again and realizing how much they all need each other despite the secrets they've kept and the mistakes they made. Despite the title and fun cover, there are some very heavy subjects addressed in this book. Smith does so with care, honesty, and, above all, kindness.
Smith presents us with four siblings who follow completely different life paths from soccer star, to movie star, to well known author, to every day marketing strategist. Three years ago they stopped speaking to one another, despite having been close all their lives. Despite having been raised more or less by their oldest sister because their parents were physically and emotionally unavailable. There's so much trauma they have all endured over the years dealing with parents who just were not there. The bond they share truly is unbreakable, despite the distance they put between them.
Each character has a very unique story and Smith does a wonderful job developing them and showing who they are.
Gemma, the oldest, who is trying for a baby at 43 and not sure she would ever really make a good mother. Connor, the author who shot to stardom telling a tale that rather closely resembles the story of his family's life. Roddy, the star soccer player who is aging out of the sport and trying for one last time to be known, despite the rift it puts between him and his partner. And, finally, Jude, Roddy's twin and the famous movie start who has always been rather closed off with what is going on in her life but who organizes a trip to bring the family back together and put all her cards on the table. Smith uses each character to tell us not only about themselves, but about their family and the ups and downs that have been the Endicott's. I enjoyed hearing from each unique character; seeing the story from these different points of view made it whole.
What begins as a trip to bring the family back together, quickly devolves into a weekend of drama when they are snowed in at a cabin with no electricity. The story unravels showing us both the present and the past. Smith builds on their relationships through the flashbacks. And also gives us insight into the secrets all the siblings are holding close to their hearts.
The story is an emotional rollercoaster ride from beginning to end. It started off a bit slow for me as Smith built the world and showed us who each character was but it picked up once all the siblings were finally together and their stories started to unfold. I had moments where I was laughing out loud and moments were the tears flowed freely. It was definitely a trip worth taking. And the ending was done nicely. I love that Smith didn't tie everything up into a neat little package, That there was still trauma for the siblings to process and an understanding that they always needed to be there for each other no matter what. Smith creates believable characters who drive a poignant and touching story through a nostalgic journey, steal your heart, and make you trust in the power of the family bond.
I've been a fan of Jennifer E. Smith for a long time. Her YA books really are great and I was excited when she decided to take a dive into the adult world. I really enjoyed the Unsinkable Gretta James and was excited when I was approved to read this new title early!
This book is about family and it's ups and downs. The crises family goes through together and apart. The rifts that are made and then healed through time and space. It's an emotional journey of a family finding itself again and realizing how much they all need each other despite the secrets they've kept and the mistakes they made. Despite the title and fun cover, there are some very heavy subjects addressed in this book. Smith does so with care, honesty, and, above all, kindness.
Smith presents us with four siblings who follow completely different life paths from soccer star, to movie star, to well known author, to every day marketing strategist. Three years ago they stopped speaking to one another, despite having been close all their lives. Despite having been raised more or less by their oldest sister because their parents were physically and emotionally unavailable. There's so much trauma they have all endured over the years dealing with parents who just were not there. The bond they share truly is unbreakable, despite the distance they put between them.
Each character has a very unique story and Smith does a wonderful job developing them and showing who they are.
Gemma, the oldest, who is trying for a baby at 43 and not sure she would ever really make a good mother. Connor, the author who shot to stardom telling a tale that rather closely resembles the story of his family's life. Roddy, the star soccer player who is aging out of the sport and trying for one last time to be known, despite the rift it puts between him and his partner. And, finally, Jude, Roddy's twin and the famous movie start who has always been rather closed off with what is going on in her life but who organizes a trip to bring the family back together and put all her cards on the table. Smith uses each character to tell us not only about themselves, but about their family and the ups and downs that have been the Endicott's. I enjoyed hearing from each unique character; seeing the story from these different points of view made it whole.
What begins as a trip to bring the family back together, quickly devolves into a weekend of drama when they are snowed in at a cabin with no electricity. The story unravels showing us both the present and the past. Smith builds on their relationships through the flashbacks. And also gives us insight into the secrets all the siblings are holding close to their hearts.
The story is an emotional rollercoaster ride from beginning to end. It started off a bit slow for me as Smith built the world and showed us who each character was but it picked up once all the siblings were finally together and their stories started to unfold. I had moments where I was laughing out loud and moments were the tears flowed freely. It was definitely a trip worth taking. And the ending was done nicely. I love that Smith didn't tie everything up into a neat little package, That there was still trauma for the siblings to process and an understanding that they always needed to be there for each other no matter what. Smith creates believable characters who drive a poignant and touching story through a nostalgic journey, steal your heart, and make you trust in the power of the family bond.