A review by bethreadsandnaps
The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits by Jennifer Weiner

4.0

 

THE GRIFFIN SISTERS’ GREATEST HITS by Jennifer Weiner is a novel about two sisters who started a band in their early 20s, and their relationship fell apart for the next couple decades until one of their daughters needs help to fulfill her dreams. 

Cassie and Zoe are close-in-age sisters. Cassie is extraordinarily musically gifted, and Zoe has stars in her eyes and the determination to be famous more than actual talent. Cassie is also fat while Zoe meets the mainstream beauty standards. Zoe gets Cassie to start a band with her, but once she realizes that Cassie is getting attention for her talent, Zoe feels irrelevant and takes actions to make herself stay relevant to the band. After the band splits up, Cassie retreats to desolate Alaska while Zoe has her daughter and marries. 

This was a compelling narrative, for the most part. There is some disturbing sexual stuff between stepsiblings that I think could have been explored more because there was enough dropped that the reader felt invested, but it ultimately didn’t come to a good resolution for me. I wish the friction between the sisters wasn’t over a guy in the band and was instead over something that could have passed the Bechdel test. 

I thought Zoe was a very interesting character. She seemed wholly unlikeable for a chunk of this book, but you know what? She felt very realistic. I think many of us, including me, have acted like Zoe, especially when young. I felt invested in the plot and wanted these sisters to reunite and make music together again. I thought Zoe’s daughter Cherry was really mature for her age. 

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an unbiased review. 

It publishes April 8, 2025.