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siobhanward's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I liked a lot of Wiener's ideas around what it means to be a woman and how a lot of that meaning has evolved throughout history, while at the same time we seem to be facing a lot of the same challenges over and over again. I think sometimes she answered complex questions with simple answers, but I'm not too fussed, this wasn't a deep philosophical work, it was historical fiction on the edge of chick lit.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Homophobia, Rape, and Abortion
Moderate: Pregnancy, Death of parent, and Racism
reasek's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Eating disorder and Homophobia
Moderate: Abortion, Death of parent, Child abuse, and Rape
beepeachy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Body shaming, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Cancer, Abortion, Homophobia, Addiction, Terminal illness, Sexual violence, Fatphobia, Grief, Drug use, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault
franklola's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Grief, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Fatphobia, Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Cancer, and Drug use
grantsharpies's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Graphic: Abortion, Addiction, Body shaming, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Cancer, Grief, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Bullying, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Pregnancy, Racism, and Sexual assault
kdonovan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
Moderate: Eating disorder, Homophobia, Abortion, and Death of parent
caterpillar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Rape, Eating disorder, Pedophilia, Outing, Lesbophobia, and Incest
Moderate: Abortion, Racism, and Antisemitism
leahvanert's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
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.Β
Moderate: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Toxic relationship, War, Cursing, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Rape, and Sexual assault
snapshotsofabookishlass's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Abortion, Drug use, Sexual assault, Child abuse, and Eating disorder
Minor: Sexual violence, Addiction, Cancer, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Racism, Rape, and Terminal illness
kelly_e's review against another edition
- 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
Author: Jennifer Weiner
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: June 11, 2019
T H R E E β’ W O R D S
Intimate β’ Layered β’ Realistic
π 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.
π 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.
π R E C O M M E N D β’ T O
β’ fans of multigenerational sagas
β’ readers who enjoyed Firefly Lane
β’ bookclubs
π F A V O U R I T E β’ Q U O T E S
"She wished sheβd 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."Β
Graphic: Rape, Body shaming, Lesbophobia, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Homophobia, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Racism, Abortion, Pregnancy, Antisemitism, Drug use, Sexism, and Sexual content
Minor: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Cancer, and Infidelity