Jeannie Zusy's The Frederick Sisters Are Living the Dream is a heartfelt and witty exploration of family dynamics, personal growth, and the pursuit of happiness. The story centers around the three Frederick sisters, each navigating their own unique challenges and dreams while grappling with their shared past.

Zusy's writing is both engaging and relatable, blending humor with poignant moments that resonate deeply. The sisters are well-drawn characters, each with distinct personalities and struggles, making their journeys feel authentic and compelling. As they confront their individual aspirations and the complexities of their relationships, readers are drawn into a rich narrative that captures the essence of sisterhood.

The pacing is steady, allowing for thoughtful character development and emotional depth. Themes of love, ambition, and the importance of family connections are interwoven throughout, reminding readers that dreams can evolve and change over time.

Overall, The Frederick Sisters Are Living the Dream is a delightful and uplifting read that celebrates the bonds of family and the pursuit of one’s passions. It’s a perfect choice for fans of contemporary fiction who appreciate stories about resilience and self-discovery.

Maggie is in over her head when she decides to take her sister, Ginny, in to care for her.

Overall, the book was funny, emotional, and perfectly described sibling dynamics. You want to kill your siblings, but you would kill for them.
I found the beginning of the book rather slow but picked up in Part 3.

I didn’t like the single POV from the sister. I think it would have been better to have multiple POV in this story to get the perspectives of the other sisters. Personally, I’m also not a big fan of long chapters. I find that always makes a book harder to read.

Philomena and Lika were great character additions to the story!

The book is described as “Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine meets Early Morning Riser with a dash of Where’d You Go, Bernadette”. I haven’t read any of those books so I can’t speak to the comparison.

"The Frederick Sisters Are Living the Dream" by Jeannie Zusy is an engaging read that captures the complexities of sisterhood and the pursuit of dreams. The characters are well-developed, each bringing their unique perspectives and challenges to the forefront. Zusy's writing style is warm and inviting, making it easy to connect with the sisters’ journeys.

While the pacing can feel a bit slow at times, the emotional depth and humor keep the story afloat. Overall, it's a heartfelt exploration of family dynamics and the ups and downs of chasing aspirations. A solid choice for those who enjoy character-driven narratives.

This book will make you both laugh and cry. Maggie has become the caretaker of her sister Ginny. She also is separated from her husband and has two older boys. The story takes a glimpse back to when Maggie was younger and her relationship with her family. It also shows her up and down relationship with her sister now. That along with everything going on in her own home is a whole mix of good times and tough times all around.

This was so well written. I was engrossed from the first page and it ticked all the boxes of my expectations . I would definitely recommend to others.

Thank you to Atria Books for this ARC.

I love how complicated the feelings are in this books, everyone is coming from a place of love and is both right and wrong. I was invested in the story for the first half, but it got very repetitive and drawn out and is the main reason for the lower star rating. This started feeling like a regurgitation stream of consciousness.

This book could be just for you! Don't take my review (or rating) to heart - this book just suffered from a pet peeve of mine: stream of consciousness writing. I find them distracting and meandering. I dislike reading every little thought that goes across someone's mind. So while others loved it (and if it sounds good, go check on of those 4 or 5 star reviews! I bet you will love it!), this one just wasn't for me.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I loved the portrayal of raising children, experiencing a divorce and managing the care for a sibling. It is complicated. It is harsh.
Some of the transitions were rough. I'm also not a fan of long chapters.

Did not connect with this book. It felt a little exploitative and dehumanizing, which is unfortunate because I assume it was trying to do the opposite.

I enjoyed this overall, not the usual type of book that keeps me interested but found myself still wanting to turn the pages. I don't know exactly who I'd recommend this to in my life but do know that I enjoyed reading it. Not sure if I'd pick up something similar again but it was a nice experience and a good story overall.

''Every family has its fault lines, and when Maggie gets a call from the ER in Maryland where her older sister lives, the cracks start to appear. Ginny, her sugar-loving and diabetic older sister with intellectual disabilities, has overdosed on strawberry Jell-O.
Maggie knows Ginny really can’t live on her own, so she brings her sister and her occasionally vicious dog to live near her in upstate New York. Their other sister, Betsy, is against the idea but as a professional surfer, she is conveniently thousands of miles away. Thus, Maggie’s life as a caretaker begins''

The Fredrick Sister was a funny, tender, and emotional at times read about the reality of being a full time caregiver and all the sacrifices made to step when your family needs you. I enjoyed this novel with it's complicated family dynamics and the quirky cast of characters we meet. I also loved the setting between Maryland & Up state New York, and Maggie's narration throughout. What a good read.
Many thanks to NetGalley & Atria Books for this ecopy.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ecopy.
The Frederick Sisters are Living the Dream was a fun and heartfelt novel about the relationship between three sisters, in particular, that between Ginny and Maggie. Maggie struggles in trying to provide care to her often-resistant older sister Ginny who has an intellectual disability, among a myriad of other health problems. Through these trials, their bond remains strong and it’s refreshing to see them both emerge through some life struggles and still make their way together to the other side of things.

Amazing plot line, well-written. I was reading it and AMAZING. A page turner and I think the author did a great job.

I could not get into this one at all. I should have known better, based on the blurb, but was still intrigued enough to request it. Unfortunately I felt lost from the beginning. This one was not a good fit for me.

Great story from the beginning to the end. It really shows how hard being a care giver, mother, human being can be.

Oh man, this book and my heart! I was so endeared by it, definitely one of my favorite contemporary fiction reads of 2023. It was witty, frustrating at times, and emotional. All in a very good way.

This book was lovely! I am from the Hudson Valley, so I enjoyed the locations and vibe of the whole setting.

I really wanted to like this after reading the fun description and the comparison to Eleanor Oliphant but it fell flat for me. It was too rambling to keep my attention.

I read this book when it first came out and absolutely loved it. First of all, the cover is beautiful and second of all, I really enjoy reading about elder people with big personalities and that is exactly what this book has.

Maggie (the younger sister) gets a call from the ER telling her her older sister Ginny has overdosed on Strawberry Jello. Ginny has some intellectual disabilities and Maggie knows she needs to take her in, but the two sisters are truly so different and both are quite frustrated with the arrangement. The story unfolds with lots of laugh out loud moments and a lot of very real family moments where the sisters are not particularly nice to each other.

I love these family drama stories, Sorry for the late review. I enjoyed this story but it wasnt my favorite.