Family, Family tells the past and present story of India Allwood, a Broadway and Hollywood star embroiled in a scandal about adoption. The book contains many reveals and I don’t want to spoil any of them here but it is safe to say that the book explores every which way you can create a family.

I really enjoyed this book, it was funny, heartwarming, interesting and quite surprising at times. Laurie Frankel, truly has a way with words and it shows. There was a passage in this book that made me break down crying. I felt that the book does suffer slightly from Frankel’s agenda of proving that adoption can be a great first option for families and does not need to be a source of trauma. There is a lot (too much?) telling in this book, though I will say there is a lot of showing as well.

This book is really good but it is not at the level of greatness of One Two Three or This is How it Always is (I found the parenting insights in my this book to be breathtaking, not so in Family, Family) but I suppose not many books are. Still a great read.

Thank you to Henry Holt and co. and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First and foremost, thank you so much to Henry Holt for the e-arc and paper ARC!

One Two Three was one of my top reads last year and ever since I've been eagerly anticipating what Laurie Frankel would put out next. She writes MEMORABLE characters truly better than anyone else I've read. She has such a wonderful way of making these characters seems so unique yet so common, ordinary, and relatable; I don't know how she blends to the two together so perfectly.

These characters were some of the best I've ever read. The banter and writing was also shockingly good. Some authors have an excellent way with words but aren't necessarily a master storyteller. Some authors create the most incredible stories but can't articulate them property. Laurie Frankel does both. It's beautiful and it's rare.

I don't think readers should read the back of the book and I don't think reviewers for this book should really say much about what happens within the pages of this book either. What made it so special was the way that the story unfolded naturally.

All that being said, I don't think this will be the book for every reader. I don' t agree with every choice the characters made. They made me smile, they made me cry, they made me want to take them by the shoulders and shake some sense into them. I think that's the point.

If you have concerns about the content since much of it could be very sensitive to certain audiences, I'd suggest looking up content warnings or DMing me if you have questions!

Family Family will be available for purchase on January 23rd.

I found this...kind of annoying? I loved the parts of the story about India's childhood, her college years, basically everything up to the present-day-plotlines. Laurie Frankel knows how to write, for sure, and her characters are awesome, for sure, but the way the present day story unfolded wasn't my favorite.

Laurie Frankel does an amazing job of writing about nuanced situations with humor and heart. She has a gift for taking social issues and making them instantly relatable through her storytelling. She creates witty characters who are slightly imperfect and wholly loveable.

I adored this book, which only confirmed Laurie Frankel’s status as an auto-read author for me. Perfect for book clubs, Family Family will make you think about the different ways there are to be a family and how those stories get told. As usual, Frankel’s writing is incredible. I don’t know how she does it, but I’m glad she does. I recommend this book with my whole heart!

Thank you to @NetGalley and @HenryHoltbooks for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

India’s dream is to be an actor and live in New York. She wants to go to college. She wants to be a star in the school musical in high school. She meets Robbie, falls in love, and gets pregnant. She decides to place the baby for adoption. I don’t want to reveal any more because I think this story is woven together really well.

I really, really enjoyed this one and I’ll be thinking about it for a long time. I didn’t think about how often adoptive stories are portrayed, but this book opened my eyes a bit. There were a couple parts I did not necessarily love in this book, but man there was a lot to like. I truly loved the storytelling device of past/present and how it met up at the end. I loved how India’s life and choices were presented, acknowledging her privilege to have the choice too. The kids were great. Robbie and Davis could have been throwaway characters but they were fleshed out and complex.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

One of my all time favorite books is This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel. I think part of the reason it was so good was that the author has a transgender daughter. This daughter is also adopted which brings us to Family, Family. Both books are complete fiction, but the germ of an idea from her own experience makes them extra special, in my opinion. Family, Family has great characters, especially India and Fig. I absolutely loved both of them. Actually, I loved all the members of this Family, Family! This book will stay with me for a long time just like This Is How It Always Is.

I would say this is the best book I read this year.
Laurie Frankel spins such a gripping story that I read it in one day straight, taking hardly any breaks. The story had many twists and turns that I could not stop reading. The characters are so well fleshed out and their every emotion was well portrayed. I loved India through all her ups and downs. I also loved the idea of the big, 'blended' family coming together to support their beloved member, 'Family Family' is all about who we choose to be our family and how our choices make us who we are.
The essence of 'Family Family' will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you @netgalley and @henryholtbooks for this advance copy.
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As you can probably guess from the title, this book is complicated. Frankel said she wanted to create a fresh narrative around adoption and orphans in literature, and she did just that. There were several times I wanted to roll my eyes at the main character, but those same moments infused such thought provoking elements into the story, I couldn’t be mad about them. It’s hard not to fall in love with every character in this book. There is so much to discuss here - I can’t wait until more readers get ahold of it. It would make a terrific book club selection. If you like stories of found family, complex family dynamics, and loveable characters, definitely pick this up! The author’s note is a beautiful summation at the end of the story and not to be missed.

This was a cute book about found family. It teaches a lessson that family isn’t always the one you were born into. I struggled with the beginning, I found it a bit too slow for my liking but overall it was an enjoyable read. I loved Indias character

I had high hopes for this and my expectations were met. Family Family is a well-written, well-constructed book that was perfect when I needed something excellent to read. I've got some heavy, distracting stuff going on and when I was able to take a break this book took me out of my own life and into something different. Any time I could get back to the book I was relieved to be in Laurie Frankel's hands.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for this Advanced Readers Copy of Family Family by Laurie Frankel!

I just reviewed Family Family by Laurie Frankel. #NetGalley Where to start… well it is mid December and this is one of the best books I have read this year, and that is out of 122 books! The story is a glorious combination of characters, all quite beautiful and believable. Adoption is a theme but not in an overwhelming manner. India the main character is charismatic and really seems to grow from a relatively mature teenager to a self assured, together adult with more than a slightly complicated relationship with parenthood and self preservation. If I had not been gifted this book by NetGalley.. thank you for that, I would definitely buy a copy, and still likely will to reread again. Love love love this book!!

Family, Family is a fantastic, unique story about the different ways you can be a family. Laurie Frankel does a great job of telling the story both through India’s “adult” voice and the eyes of the many children.

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for the advanced copy of Family Family.
I rated this book 2.5/5 stars.

The premise of this book was intriguing and had me reflecting on both society and my own biases when it comes to adoption. However, I think the plot and the writing could have been done more effectively. I don't think the second pregnancy and adoption was at all necessary to the story. It felt more like a disingenuous "aha, gotcha!" from author to reader than an essential addition for depth of story.

The writing was too repetitive and really bothered me as the story progressed. I could have excused this as intentionally cringe because the story was focusing on the perspective of children and adolescents most of the time, but the next sentence would have some sophisticated vocabulary which resulted in the whole prose sounding pretentious yet immature and too try-hard. Additionally, the time jumps worked better in the beginning, but towards the end of the book I think they messed up the pacing a bit.

As far as characters, the kids were cute. India did read as more mature in her older years and more angsty and naïve in her younger years, so that was done well. I think Robbie's internal conflict was written well. I struggled with Davis and his complete lack of support and empathy for India. He was so self absorbed in his own misery that he couldn't just suck it up and support her through the most physically and emotionally painful experience a woman could go through? He made her go through it on her own while landing his dream job? Disgusting. I can understand being pissed off at her and her utter lack of responsibility that put them in that situation. That being said, men who don't want to get pregnant can take half the responsibility and insist on using a secondary form of birth control rather than putting the entire responsibility on their partner. And they can certainly reflect on that and support their partners through the trauma of birth rather than letting them do it on their own. I think it would have been powerful for India to tell Davis that and to tell him how utterly cruel and selfish it was for him to be absent and let her do it all on her own, not to mention placing the blame entirely on her shoulders and judging her moral character for "letting" it happen.

I am so grateful to NetGalley for the ARC of Laurie Frankel's newest masterpiece, Family Family. This book is filled with unforgettable characters, hilarious one-liners, and touching moments that will make you laugh through your tears.

India Allwood finds out that she's pregnant during her senior year of high school, and she and her first love agree that placing the baby with Camille is the best option for them all. Years later, when India is a well-known actress with two adopted children of her own, she stars in a movie that has critics doing what they do best - criticizing the message of the film. In an attempt to respond to the haters in a helpful way, she creates an avalanche of chaos. Soon all of her "family family" is brought together to diffuse the situation that India continues to escalate with her comically, inadvertently inflammatory comments.

Family Family is at times heartbreaking, always heartwarming, and undoubtedly one of the best reads of the year.

This is my first Laurie Frankle book and I will be immediately diving into her blacklist. I loved this book!

I loved the plot. I LOVED the characters. I loved the overall theme of family. This was such a heartfelt, thoughtful read. I am hoping this gets adapted into a movie because everyone that reads this will be impacted in the best way.

I work with at-risk teenagers and so many of them are struggling with their family. Some are raised by family members, others have legal agencies involved, but all of them are just looking to be accepted and loved. They want to know where they come from and how they got here. This book really explored the process of knowing yourself through your family and I devoured it.

I think this is going to be a favorite next year

As typical with my favorite books, here are some quotes that I loved!

“Regardless of how they get made, family is a force to be reckoned with.”

“Does this baby deserve love and care and the fucking moon is not the question. Of course she does. How is always the question. The idea that there’s a simple answer or that that answer is the same for every baby, every person who gives birth to one, every family? That's what’s absurd.”

“It was possible to lose but not be lost, to be sad, without wishing thrings were other than they were. It seemed to her that women did this all the time, weathered things that were hard and heartbreaking but also chosen and even strived for. It seemed to her they often made tough decisions to let go, to lay down, in order to pick up something else because they knew-maybe in their bones, maybe having learned it again and again-that having all the things you wanted all at the same time was rarely on the table.”

5 stars

Thank you@netgalley and @henryholtbooks for the early copy

A story about family and choices told from the perspective of an actress that chooses adoption. So well written. Characters are a bit quirk and memorable. The dialogue is filled with sentiment but not sappy. Told through alternating chapters of current and flashbacks . thought provoking. A wonderful read!

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

As someone who grew up in a family that adoption was such a part of, I thought this book was beautifully done. You cannot not love these characters. Great read!

Laurie Frankel has tackled the very personal issue of adoption in Family Family. It seems everyone has a different way of looking at this topic and Laurie Frankel has delivered a novel which looks at it from many sides. With a cast of diverse characters with unique backgrounds and dreams of what each wants for their own family, there is opportunity for much discovery and discussion.

This had the quirky family/quirky characters that are a hallmark of a Laurie Frankel novel. It is a very sweet story about adoption. For whatever reason, it was hard for me to get through, though. It started strong and then I lost interest somewhere around the middle and it just didn’t keep me engaged. It ended up being just okay for me. I wish I had loved it. I think some readers will love this book; it just didn’t resonate with me. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.