Everything We Ever Wanted ~ Book Review

I will start off this review by saying that I loved this book. This is the first thing by Sara Shepard I have read, and I am definitely a new fan.

The story, the characters, the secrets, the family ... it all added up to an incredible read. It was an easy read, enjoyable, not difficult to follow each character, and I loved the various perspectives we received throughout.

I'm not sure which character was my favorite, because they were all so wonderfully human. None were without flaws, which made them real, and the fact that they felt so real made them each easy to relate to in their own way.

We had family matriarch, Sylvie Bates-McAllister, and her recent loss of her husband James. We have her two sons, Charles - still pining for the one that got away - and Scott - still holding resentment to his mother and father, who adopted him before he turned two. Then there is Joanna, Charles' wife, who harbors angst, love, fear and more as her relationship seems to be slipping out of her grasp. She also has an interesting character of a mother, which brings a whole new dynamic to the story.

I also have to add that I absolutely loved the cover of this novel. As you can see above, it is so warm, colorful, and appealing. Especially as I read it as the fall weather has started drifting into my neck of the "woods" - so to speak.

So, if you can't tell by now, I really enjoyed this book and recommend you add it to your reading lists. It would also be an excellent read for your book club, should you be looking for something fresh and new. I think Ms. Shepard did a great job. And though I see that she is well known for both, Pretty Little Liars and The Lying Game (both novels and TV shows, if I'm not mistaken), I think this might be the first book of hers you want to pick up. Take yourself out of the mainstream and enjoy this before everyone else does! You'll totally be ahead of the game, as I'm sure this is going to explode once it hits your neighborhood book stores.

p.s. I will add a slight note here to say that I thought it was pretty cool that the author got her Masters at Brooklyn College, which is where my brother went to school, where my graduations were held, and about 5 minutes from where I worked as a social worker before I relocated to NC. Reading that made me smile a little bit since I felt like I knew where the author *was* at some point in her life!
** I received a copy of this book from TLC Book Tours to facilitate my review. All expressed thoughts and opinions are strictly my own. **

Tweet