- I know Sara Shephard is well known in the YA genre, and wanted to see how she pulled off an adult book.
I recommend:
- East of Eden by John Steinbeck
- The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
Summary from GoodReads:
Sara Shepard, the bestselling author of Pretty Little Liars, delivers a powerful novel of family dreams, lies, and delusions. Everything We Ever Wanted begins with a phone call with allegations that rock an upper crust Philadelphia family to its very foundations, unlocking years of secrets and scandals that expose the serious flaws in outwardly perfect lives. A moving, intelligent, and unforgettable novel, Shepard’sEverything We Ever Wanted is exceptional contemporary women’s fiction that will be embraced by book clubs everywhere.
My Review:
It all begins with a phone call. Immediately, Shephard outlines a story in Everything We Ever Wanted, in which the characters just can’t seem to catch a break. Between a seemingly unloved wife, a son who never felt good enough, an adopted brother who carries around a chip on his shoulder and a marriage example that seems.. shaky at best, this book gave me the most sinking feeling I’ve experienced in a while.
In spite of characters who pushed and pulled at my emotions, I just couldn’t make myself like this book. The subject material is so harsh it almost seems overly so – like Shephard jumped into the adult arena guns drawn and blazing and forgot that subtlety can also be a virtue. I wanted one character I could like – just one. I wanted a character with strength and honesty, a character who felt love without it being a weakness and I wasn’t given that. Instead, I got an entire cast filled with flaws and an ending that gave me a resolution sapped of all the joy I had hoped for.
In spite of all of this, and the fact that the actual story just did not appeal to me, I can definitely see that this book would have huge book club potential. The subjects to talk about are numerous and I can imagine that debate after debate would happen if a group of folks got together to discuss the themes apparent in Everything We Ever Wanted.
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Oh no. I’m sorry this one disappointed you. I’ve had Shepard’s book on my shelf for a while and haven’t picked it up. I still might, simply out of curiosity, but I do appreciate your honest review!
It’s very possible you will love it – like I said, I think it has some great potential for book club talking but it just didn’t strike the right chord with me.