By Emily Giffin
Synopsis:
Nina Browning was born into a middle class family, but married into riches. Her husband sold his tech company, and now her family has more money than she had ever dreamt of. Nina attends fundraisers and charities with the towns upper-class, but since acquiring this extra cash, has felt like an outsider in this world. Nina’s pride and joy is her high school aged son, Finch, who was recently accepted into Princeton University.
Lyla Volpe was raised by her contractor/Uber-driving father after her mother ran out on them when she was only a toddler. They live paycheck-to-paycheck, yet, Lyla is able to attend the towns most prestigious high school on financial aid. She has been crushing on Finch since first laying eyes on him, and when he invites her to a party at his best friends place, she happily agrees.
It was at this party where every ones lives were turned upside down. After having too much to drink, Lyla wakes up in the morning to find out a semi-nude photograph with a racist caption was taken of her at the party and sent around the school. The photograph was sent from Finch’s phone.
This book is about how one persons terrible decision, can affect so many lives around them.
Characteristics of Women’s Lives and Relationships:
- Tone/Mood: The tone of All We Ever Wanted is realistic AND provocative. It is emotional, and relatable. It delves deep into issues that teenagers face in this day of age, and doesn’t hold back.
- Characterization: This book is centered around two female characters, Lyla and Nina and the relationships with the people around them. Lyla’s focus is her relationship with her father, who is trying to protect her throughout this scandal. Nina is definitely the primary focus in this book, as she is at a crossroads trying to figure out if this is the life she wants for herself. Lyla’s the secondary focus, and is tied in when the scandal occurs.
- Storyline: A sentence from The Reader’s Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction particularly stood out to me because of its exact depiction of All We Ever Wanted, and that was “This sprawling story examines how life changes people and how people change with life’s vicissitudes...” (p. 158). This is so true of All We Wanted because Nina is convinced that she and her family would be a lot better off had her husband not sold his tech company and brought them into riches. She believes that this huge life change changed her husband and her son.
- Frame/Setting: The issues discussed in this book are current issues that teenagers and their parents face today. Issues involving technology, social media, revenge porn, online bullying, rape, and abuse are all discussed in this book. This is a characteristic of the genre because, as discussed by Saricks, “Currency of issues constitutes part of the appeal of this genre” (p. 159). We also learn a lot about the background of the characters (the story of Lyla’s mom running out; Nina’s high school sweetheart and the end of that relationship) which helps to frame the story.
- Style/Language: The story is told from three different points-of-view, Nina, Lyla, and Tom (Lyla’s father). Email exchanges and text messages are thrown into the chapters, making it a more modern style.
- Pacing: The pace of this book is a leisurely pace. The timeline of the book seems to be about a month long, maybe less, with some flashbacks thrown in for good measure. The read is completely engaging and quick, due partly because of the twists and secrets and keep coming out.
- Tone/Mood: The tone of All We Ever Wanted is realistic AND provocative. It is emotional, and relatable. It delves deep into issues that teenagers face in this day of age, and doesn’t hold back.
- Characterization: This book is centered around two female characters, Lyla and Nina and the relationships with the people around them. Lyla’s focus is her relationship with her father, who is trying to protect her throughout this scandal. Nina is definitely the primary focus in this book, as she is at a crossroads trying to figure out if this is the life she wants for herself. Lyla’s the secondary focus, and is tied in when the scandal occurs.
- Storyline: A sentence from The Reader’s Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction particularly stood out to me because of its exact depiction of All We Ever Wanted, and that was “This sprawling story examines how life changes people and how people change with life’s vicissitudes...” (p. 158). This is so true of All We Wanted because Nina is convinced that she and her family would be a lot better off had her husband not sold his tech company and brought them into riches. She believes that this huge life change changed her husband and her son.
- Frame/Setting: The issues discussed in this book are current issues that teenagers and their parents face today. Issues involving technology, social media, revenge porn, online bullying, rape, and abuse are all discussed in this book. This is a characteristic of the genre because, as discussed by Saricks, “Currency of issues constitutes part of the appeal of this genre” (p. 159). We also learn a lot about the background of the characters (the story of Lyla’s mom running out; Nina’s high school sweetheart and the end of that relationship) which helps to frame the story.
- Style/Language: The story is told from three different points-of-view, Nina, Lyla, and Tom (Lyla’s father). Email exchanges and text messages are thrown into the chapters, making it a more modern style.
- Pacing: The pace of this book is a leisurely pace. The timeline of the book seems to be about a month long, maybe less, with some flashbacks thrown in for good measure. The read is completely engaging and quick, due partly because of the twists and secrets and keep coming out.
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Read-A-Likes:
If you enjoyed All We Ever Wanted, you might also enjoy these similar books:
- The Perfect Couple by Elin Hildebrand
- Not My Daughter by Barbara Delinsky
- The Goodbye Year by Kaira Rouda
- Testimony by Anita Shreve
- A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult
Great annotation! You captured the essence of the women's lives genre and I also think it's interesting that this book has the point of view of the father as well.
ReplyDeleteI considered reading this book for my Women's Lives annotation but after reading the synopsis I decided it was "too" real. It seems every day there's a new story about some high powered figure who got away with abusing women and children for decades and it makes me sick to my stomach. You are correct that the genre deals with current issues and this book is relevant now more than ever. I don't have children but my sister in law is only 13 years old and it is amazing the differences between the world she is growing up in and the world my husband grew up in.
I really enjoyed your synopsis! I was tempted to look up spoilers for the book after reading your assignment because you leave out key plot points I am now (thanks to you) curious about.
ReplyDeleteOddly enough, I really want to see a critique of 'Jane Eyre' written from the perspective of this genre rather than the horror/romance it is usually pegged as. I used to think of women's lives/relationship fiction as a sort of stepchild of literary fiction but the more contemporary books in this genre prove me dead wrong. I love it.
How interesting that it is told from the 2 parents and 1 child point of view. I think I like that since normally a story like this would be told exclusively from the high schooler's perspective, and I think missing out on parents' perspectives often gives us the idea that teens are on their own and not supported. (who knows maybe they aren't supported in this book...) Interesting read, thanks!
ReplyDeleteRebecca,
ReplyDeleteI'll admit that I almost picked this book up purely based on the cover, but based on the synopsis I might enjoy it. I haven't read many books from the Women's Lives and Relationships genre, but I think it's a genre I would enjoy as a break from fantasy because when I don't read fantasy, I enjoy fiction that tackles realistic issues.
Last year I read Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng and as I read your annotation it hit me that it would be considered under the women's lives genre. I would have just thought it as literary fiction but now I'm rethinking this genre.
ReplyDeleteI checked in this book a few weeks ago and read the jacket summary; it sounded interesting then, but I'm more likely to add it to my overdrive account now. Great annotation!