All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin {Review}

Summer vacation just wrapped up, but not before getting to enjoy a few great summer reads.

We spent a lot of time in California and Colorado relaxing, which for me means a lot more book time.  I had a few new Netgalley titles to read and All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin was on that list.  It's definitely a can't put down book--I had to stay up extra late to finish it.


Told in the alternating perspectives of the three main characters, All We Ever Wanted tells the story of social media, family drama, and the search for the truth.  Nina, a middle-class girl who married into an elite family, Tom, a blue-collar single dad, and Lyla, Tom's daughter, are brought together when a provocative photo of Lyla emerges on social media, shared by Nina's son.  While the community is in an uproar, mostly siding with Nina's family against the outsiders Tom and Lyla, Nina herself starts to examine the situation to find out what really happened and how she ended up in where she now is.

While Nina struggles with her own husband and son who believe she is siding against them on the quest for the truth, Tom and Lyla have to deal with the fallout and scrutinization of their family.  Lyla is on scholarship at the private school the kids attend and Tom is not part of the core group of families that form the class.  Both Tom and Nina confront their own pasts and their beliefs about the truth as they try to set things right for their children.

While All We Ever Wanted is an excellently written adult novel, I feel like I would like my older teen to read it too.  Besides the family drama, the idea of what can happen in just a minute in the age of social media is such an important issue.  One moment, one wrong decision, one misplaced trust, and the characters' lives change forever; a lesson a lot of young people could benefit from reading about.  I've recommended the book to a few other parents of teens too, the message is that strong.  All We Ever Wanted was the perfect summer read for me, and one that made me want to check out Giffin's other books.

Dislosure: I received an advanced copy of All We Ever Wanted from NetGalley for review purposes. I was not obligated to post on my blog, all opinions are my own.

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