Reviews with content warning for Lesbophobia - Mrs. Everything

I saw someone on here say that this is a "3-star book with a 5-star message" and I wholeheartedly agree, so I'm meeting in the middle at 4 stars.

This novel follows two very different sisters from their picture perfect (but not really) childhood in the 1950s all the way up through the older sister's death in 2016. There are many predictable parts of this story, but it makes sense because their family could be ANYONE'S. So many parts of this story are relatable.

I think what I liked reading about most in this story was about the parenting relationships throughout the years. How parents are just trying their best, but they fail and then try again. It's heartbreaking and hopeful at the same time.

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keiraashah's review

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dark emotional 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

5.0

I loved reading about female and LGBTQ oppression in suburbia from the characters' point of view. Weiner portrays 1950s gender roles in a way that makes your heart break for the characters and illustrates how detrimental gender stereotypes can be.

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bertrandlm's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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snapshotsofabookishlass's review

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challenging emotional informative inspiring 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

3.75

Content Warnings

kelly_e's review

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emotional reflective 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

3.75

Title: Mrs. Everything
Author: Jennifer Weiner
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: June 11, 2019

T H R E E • W O R D S

Intimate • Layered • Realistic

📖 S Y N O P S I S
Mrs. Everything is a multigeneration story following sisters Jo and Bethie over the decades. Born in the 1950s, they lived the 'Dick & Jane' life with clearly defined roles within the family. Jo was the tomboy with a passion for making the world a more equitable place. Whereas, Bethie was the pretty one and dreamed of a traditional life. However, things don't turn out how either of them has imagined. A story filled with trauma and tragedies, love and loss, family and secrets.

💭 T H O U G H T S

I'd always thought Jennifer Weiner wrote "Chick Lit", but after reading That Summer in 2021 I came to understand there is much more depth to her writing, and this multigenerational exploration of sisterhood, motherhood, love and feminism certainly delivered a complexity beyond my expectations. I was engaged in Bethie and Jo's lives through childhood and college, however, for some reason I became less interested as the years progressed. Perhaps it's because Mrs. Everything could have easily been made 100 pages shorter. My other main issue was the ending. I didn't feel it justified the emotional depth and turmoil the characters endured throughout the book.

One thing in particular, I really liked was the exploration and realistic presentation of women's history over time. Additionally, one of the smaller aspects I thought really accentuated the message and themes of this book, was the title. Upon finishing, I couldn't help but nod my head at how fitting it was and is for women in general.

Jennifer Weiner packs a lot into Mrs. Everything and I certainly needed time to digest it afterwards. Although it deals with many tough topics, I am glad I picked it up as it was definitely worth my time.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of multigenerational sagas
• readers who enjoyed Firefly Lane
• bookclubs

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"She wished she’d spent more time teaching her girls that women should forgive themselves, showing them how to take care of themselves with kindness. The world was hard enough, would beat them up enough without them adding to the pain."

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