Laurie Frankel's "Family Family" is about a complicated but happy, functioning family. It's also  about a successful, single, career woman and her experiences with adoption. 

Despite its long, nearly 14-hour length -- with an author's note and interview between the narrator -- it is a very enjoyable read. And a quite progressive look at a modern family.

I love that adoption is positively portrayed.

4.5 stars, rounded up

Special thanks to Macmillan Audio for the advanced listener copy of this audiobook via the NetGalley app.

3.5*
Frankel set out to tell the story of adoption from a positive viewpoint. She felt most stories centered on adopted children who are victims of emotional or even physical trauma. In this book her main character India Allwood is an aspiring actress. She finds herself pregnant as a teen and decides to carry the baby to full term and then give the infant up. In doing so, her dream of becoming an accomplished actress can remain on course.

Years later, India is a major celebrity. She takes an acting role in a movie that portrays adoption in a negative light. When interviewed about the film, she creates a firestorm when she admits she didn’t like the movie’s portrayal of adoption and this results in the media learning how she herself had willingly given up a child.

Adoption and also foster care are often fodder for fictional stories showing the horrors that sometimes occur. My parents were foster parents to many children and it was a loving environment. So I understand the desire to show a favorable portrayal of a situation that is often cast in a negative light. However, I’m not sure this story focused so much on the effect on the children as it did on how India dealt with unwanted pregnancies.

The media frenzy that ensued with India’s revelation brings the children and her role as birth mother into sharp focus. The children in the story bring their own stories to light. Two of them who are not her biological children, are especially endearing. They bring another aspect to this story of adoption. Frankel is skilled with creating strong, interesting characters and they are the strength of the book.

Frankel’s point about what constitutes a family is valid and is appreciated. Furthermore, her effort to shine a positive light on adoption is commendable. Readers are encouraged to read her note at the end where she addresses her own adoption connection and validates her motivation for the novel.

The audio was capably narrated by the Patti Murin and the interview at the end gives Frankel’s own voice a chance to share her commitment to the topic of adoption. Listening to this commentary is crucial to a better appreciation for those who listen to the audiobook.

This book was both parts amazing and frustrating. The reader is exceptional. She is the star here. Five stars star. The book has some funny moments. Some heartwarming moments. Some totally absurd moments. There are a ton of plot holes, but there are some really easy things that should have been hard and some hard things that should have been easy. Still. I am super glad I picked it up. Thank you.

Family Family was a new perspective on the adoption story. I appreciated the various perspectives employed in telling the story, and I especially liked Fig's narrative style. The book deals with adoption not as a last resort or as something that is inherently traumatic, but rather a conscious and beneficial choice. I also liked the portrayal of the media to try to put someone in a distinct box about their values, and I liked India's strong desire to not be labeled. Overall, there were a few issues I had about believability of a few plot points, but overall it was an enjoyable read of a different type of "family family."
i liked the audio narration as well.

This book is about how family’s are made and chosen and the beauty of adoption. But it’s not all light and easy, it was told with grace and humor and made you feel for these kids and the mom who had to make so many difficult choices in her life.

My first netgalley audiobook review! I tandem read this but I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook experience. I feel as if the narrator perfectly voiced the main female character. I will search out more audiobooks done by this narrator.

This was a great family drama. I love the topic of adoption in this one as it’s not written about often enough.

A family drama with such rich commitment to preserving the past and tying it to the future. I really liked this one and will read from this author again.

This audiobook was incredible. I could not stop listening. It will absolutely open your mind to the definition of family and found family. The narrator was so, so good. Laurie Frankel is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

I have always adored Laurie Frankel's adoration of family--and all the complexities that come with family units of all kinds. She truly pushes herself to the limit in Family Family as she tackles adoption and the ups and downs--as well as the preconceptions from society. An audiobook that shines thanks to a brilliant writer and a wonderful narrator (Patti Murin)!

This was my favorite book of the month. I loved the complex family and the deeper narrative of choice and family and what should be mourned and what should be celebrated. I loved the cancel culture exploration. Mostly I loved the characters and the relationships and the way the Family came together. Were the characters all likeable? Nope, but in this book it did not matter, in a book that can make me like the unlikable I always call that a win and this one I call a home run!

I was not expecting the intricacies of adoption and the intelligence level of India, especially as a pregnant 16 year old. Actually, most characters in this book seemed highly intelligent, except for those involved in media. As I was reading, I kept thinking "stars - they're just like us" but in a very ironic way.
<i>Family Family</i> is a deep dive into the difference or cohabitation of the family your are given and the family you choose.
I ended up deleting a bunch of my review for fear of spoiler alerts. I will just say that there some parts that I'm still questioning. ButI did find this book very endearing, especially seeing the perspectives of the biological kids and the adopted kids and how they all accepted/welcomed each other.

I absolutely adored this story and the perspectives it gives on adoption, family, and love. The narration is top notch and the writing is brilliant. This has been one of my favourite audiobook listens of 2024! Thank you to MacMillan Publishers and NetGalley for the ARC version of this audiobook.

Frankel really excels in creating lovable characters and great dialogue that is often humorous. I wasn't so fond of the plot in "Family Family". The transition between the past and present didn't flow well at times and it was quite long and meandering. Sometimes I had a hard time following it and after a point it became more like a soapbox than an actual story.

The audiobook done by Pattie Murrin was done really well. Her voices for the various characters were distinct and easy to follow.

Yes, the book is uplifting, hopeful, and the positive look at adoption. While this was a great take on a very emotional subject, the story itself did not hold my attention like I thought it. would. The characters were fine, but not so engaging enough for me to want to keep going back to the book. The only character I liked was India, both young and older, and I realized I only cared to read about her to an extent.

This is definitely an unpopular opinion as most people seemed to devour this book. I felt it was boring throughout most of it as it became a chore to keep going chapter after chapter. India duped her own movie, ok so...? The kids wanting to know about the girl India had given up as a teen, ok so...? There wasn't an anchor for me to really keep me so invested to really enjoy the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This novel is about how complicated families are. There’s family, and then there’s family family. The title of this book appears multiple times throughout the novel, but there is one particular instance that brought the tears. In fact, I cried multiple times reading this book. The relationships are written to perfection, especially in some of the backstory segments. So is it weird that the characters don’t feel like real people to me? The dialogue is not at all natural. The wordplay reminded me of the Tree Stooges, and somehow of Wes Anderson. Everything is kind of surreal and exaggerated. The characters use words like “dwebs” and “smears” to describe the press. There is world building for a superhero Viking character that does not appeal to me at all. But in the end I feel like I got to know this family. They made me laugh and cry, they even bored me a little bit in the middle, but I love them and I care what happens to them. It doesn’t make sense, I know.

The audiobook narrator was fantastic.

This title was archived and removed from my net-galley account (even though I had downloaded it) before I was able to finish so I am unable to give feedback of this audiobook. I will post a review of the book itself to the eBook!

Family Family by Laurie Frankel is another delightful look into family dynamics, our relationships with our blood and chosen family, and unconditional love. This book specifically explores adoption and the relationships that adoption creates within families. This book read as a puzzle that was slowly being put together piece by piece.

I enjoyed the story and the writing, the authors note is a nice layer of context for why this story was personal to the author, which clearly elevated this story. Overall, another fantastic read from Laurie Frankel.

Patti Murin did a fantastic job with the audio recording - the performance was entertaining and easy to follow.

Thank you to the NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC - Family Family is out now!

Classic theatre actress India Allwood - instantly recognizable after adding the lead in a highly a successful tv series to her name records a pandemic project that she is not to thrilled about - an adoption story full of tragic loss and drugs. This portrayal of adoption does not reflect India‘s lived experience neither does it she supposes that of a big number of adoption cases. When she voices this opinion in a maybe less than ideal way while doing promotion for the movie her comments go viral and she finds herself in the center of a media shitstorm. Since adoption has played into quite a few key moments in India‘s life there are quite a few interested parties aside the usual paparazzi (or „smears“ as India‘s 10-year old twins call them). The twins Fig and Jack were my very favorites among so many lovely characters since they were precocious but so well captured for 10 year olds and their worldview.
If you enjoy quirky, unforgettable character driven stories with family and found family drama, this may be just the kind of story for you as well. It is a fabulous story about family, belonging, adoption, quite obviously, but also friendship and love. It is a beautiful multi-layered and multifaceted story that I devoured and highly recommend - Laurie Frankel is a brilliant writer and I loved this one just as I loved This Is How It Always Is and One Two Three.
I listened to the beautifully narrated audio and it was a joy to listen to. As things were piling up I found myself unable to stop listening, inventing chores and lengthening my dog walk to keep going.

3.5 stars
Laurie Frankel always gives us stories full of complex & complicated interpersonal & family dynamics. That is especially true with “Family Family”! India is a force of nature and so are her children. This is a great selection for your book club groups- lots to talk about.
*I would have given this book 5+ stars for Patti Murin’s narration alone!!