Sometimes I read a book and feel so utterly freaking gobsmacked by the sheer awesomeness of the story that all I can do is cry and feel grateful to be alive at the same time as the human who created such art. That’s how I feel today, having finished Fun for the Whole Family.

A sweeping tale of family spanning decades and told in multiple POVs, Fun for the Whole Family follows the Extraordinary Endicotts. Gemma, the eldest/caretaker who lives a seemingly normal life, Connor, the writer who found fame from his personal, but not true, book, Roddy, a professional soccer player nearing the end of his career, and his twin sister Jude, a famous actress. The siblings haven’t spoken properly in three years but a random text from Jude brings them all to small town North Dakota to face their past and discuss their future. Jude has three secrets to share with her siblings and only one weekend to find the courage to do so.

I can’t think of a single thing I didn’t love about this book. The main characters are amazing, their backstories are exciting, their current day dilemmas and partners are engaging, the sibling dynamic is moving, and the ending is so perfect it made me cry and feel everything. I can’t recommend this enough!!

I really enjoyed this book although it was much heavier than I was expecting - this is definitely a case of “don’t judge a book by its cover”! The characters were dynamic and even though I predicted several parts I still really enjoyed the read. Definitely recommend!

The writing in this book was good and I liked the characters, but I didn’t love how it jumped around so much and it was much heavier than I was expecting. Be sure to have tissues!

This was such a well written book, all the characters felt so real, all with flaws and virtues, just trying to live as best as they could, making mistakes along the way, as we all do.
The connection between all the siblings were strong, but all different, and even though they shared the same childhood, they all experienced it differently because they are different people.

Fun for the whole family is an enjoyable family saga that. Caught me by surprise with how much I liked it.

The four endicott siblings haven’t spoken in three years after a fight that transpired between them. Gemma is the oldest and the motherly figure of the 4 unable to have her own children- Jude is a famous actress who is never able to find fulfillment in relationships- Connor is a rising author reeling from a divorce-and Roddy is a gifted soccer player unable to commit to his fiancé. The four of them had N.A. inseparable bond as kids born from trauma with their chaotic mother, who would breeze in every summer to take them on cross country road trips. The four are now scattered and they receive a text from Jude summoning them mysteriously to a weekend in North Dakota. Unable to ever resist the call from one another, they all converge on the town and their insecurities, resentments, and secrets, and pain all rise to the surface over the course of the weekend.

For all of their mess, the siblings are real and fully realized characters-each with his or her own voice. The present timeline intercuts with the past roadtrips with their mom as kids and the readers get a full picture of why the endicotts became such complicated adults. Funny, sad, warm, empathetic-this book will take readers on a journey.

I recommend this book to all readers of fiction and family stories! Thanks to the publisher for providing this arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this book! The characters on their own are interesting and dynamic, and it was fun to learn more about their relationships. There were some predictable parts, but I found that I didn't mind that. I will definitely be recommending this to patrons and friends alike. Thank you Ballantine Books and NetGalley for this ARC!

Fun for the Whole Family is a character-driven novel that follows the four estranged Endicott siblings on a weekend reunion after years apart. The mix of past and present timelines showcases the complex bond of siblings: feeling less than your siblings, feeling like you're not the favorite, remembering family occurrences differently and essentially coming to terms with the fact that you all really did have *different* parents depending on your age, birth order, family status at the time, etc. ...which is something my siblings and I have talked about some in real life, also.

The siblings: Gemma, the safe, boring, oldest sibling experiencing infertility; Connor, the author who is struggling with writer's block and has separated himself from his wife/children; the twins: Jude and Roddy: movie star in LA and "old" soccer player in likely last season, respectively, meet in North Dakota at the request of Jude who ends up having secrets she needs to share. This is a story about growing up & apart and then reconciling relationships with the people who have known you the longest.

I think the biggest take away from this story, for me, can be applied to all relationships, not just familial or sibling relationships: Just because that's now how you remember it doesn't mean that's not how I felt during it.

That sentiment is the exact reason I feel conflicted in my dislikes of the story being: the parents' place in the story didn't feel big enough, and some (at least 1) of Jude's "secrets" didn't seem high stakes enough and/or we didn't spend enough time sitting with the feelings that would likely occur in real-life when these secrets are revealed.

Despite being an OBVIOUS Gemma (oldest sibling, feeling like the least extraordinary sibling) I felt connected to each of these adult siblings at some point in the story.

If you have siblings of any number, biology, history: this book will resonate with you to some degree.

What an amazing book!! This poignant family drama centers on a North Dakota reunion of the “Extraordinary Endicotts” - four siblings who have been estranged from each other for over three years after a dramatic sibling fight broke out between them. They’ve been summoned together by their sister, the ultra-famous Jude, who’s just been Oscar nominated for her acting and has paid for the trip. Turns out that Jude has brought them back together as she has powerful secrets she both needs to share, and fears to share, with her siblings, each of whom she deeply misses.

Jude’s twin Roddy has particularly missed his closeness with Jude, but has thrown himself into his now fading career as a soccer star. Roddy has brought along with him his fiancé, Winston, with whom he’s fighting as they live in D.C. and Roddy has accepted to play for one professional soccer season down in Florida with asking Winston. Attending means Roddy will miss their wedding date, and Winston questions his commitment to their relationship.

Older brother Connor has authored of a book that has gone on to win national awards, but that he’s based without permission on his siblings and their time growing up together. His siblings are suitably pissed at him. Connor’s divorced, has moved to Nashville to work on a new novel that’s going nowhere, and has brought his two children with him for the sibling’s reunion in North Dakota.

Gemma, the oldest who basically ended up parenting her siblings, lives a normal life in Chicago, happily married, but facing infertility and a husband who adores her but is desperate to be a dad.

The siblings grew up with a detached father and an absentee mother who decided to leave them to pursue her dreams as a small-time actress, but who spent every summer with them on a quest to visit all 50 states.

The novels continually alternates between everyone’s points of view, as well as individual sibling first person memories from summer trips on the road with their Mom. Each remember family stories that they see as defining who they emerged as adults. These growing up memories intermingle with the North Dakota weekend unfolding.

What emerges is the capturing of the drama, hurt and love that entangle sibling relationships, and what it ultimately takes to get over hurt feelings, face ugly self-truths, and find acceptance.

The depth of their emotional connections and powerful love for each other proves transcendent.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine Books, and Netgalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

Some family stories morph into legends over time. Others are legendary always, from the moment they're lived through the future retellings.
In Jennifer E. Smith's latest novel, Fun for the Whole Family, the Endicott siblings-- Gemma, Connor, Jude, and Roddy-- knew their week with their mom every summer would be...different. Their mom, who left them with their workaholic dad to pursue her acting dreams, would flit into their lives for a road trip every August. An old car, seedy motels, and a sense of adventure were the only constants of these trips. Until one fateful night when a fire changed their lives. Now as adults, the Endicott siblings have barely spoken in the past three years when a text from Jude brings them back together, a text requesting they come to North Dakota that weekend.

This novel enraptured me from the start. Each character is so well developed they feel real, and the way they speak to one another shows their childhood bonds.
Chapters are arranged in alternating timelines as the third-person omniscient narrator shifts focus among the siblings. Though the novel moves between flashbacks and present day, the memories are layered in such that they fit seamlessly within the narrative.
Smith's novel is a character study, analyzing each character's memories, lives, choices so the reader understands, intrinsically, their motivations and reasonings.
This is one of those unputdownable books you'll devour in days, then regret reading quickly because you don't want it to end. I laughed out loud, cried, rollercoastered my way through all the emotions. It made me look up plane tickets to see my sister (even though we're the farthest thing from estranged, this book made me miss my sister). Perhaps because these characters are so human, their sibling dynamic is so well represented, and it made me miss my sister for the same reason these siblings missed on another: because no one knows you better, more deeply, at a cellular level. And sometimes, you just need to hug your sister (or whomever your sibling is, reader!).

This is one of those books that gives me the tingles-- I look forward to seeing it on the bestseller tables, all over Instagram, and (in two to three years) as its made into a movie. Why? Because it is a beautiful mosaic of experiences, shown in a tender way amongst these flawed, relatable characters.

Much gratitude to the author, Random House/Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for an E-ARC such that I could share my honest opinions.

Fun for the Whole Family is now available.

Happy reading!

This was a fun family road trip novel that had me entertained the whole way through. While it had a little more family drama than I like, I thought that it was done well and everything wrapped up perfectly. Very cute!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I was really excited about this one due to the overwhelming amount of positive reviews and buzz, but this one fell flat for me. The major character conflicts that tore these siblings apart in the first place didn't feel major at all. They were quick to resolve with little to no conversation.

It is a slllloooowww burn. I wasn't really invested until the last 10% of the book. Though the last chapter had me emotional and the story was beautifully wrapped up.

Overall, it was entertaining, but just fine.

An enjoyable multiple POV read that explores sibling dynamics and past traumas. Books about families, especially siblings, are some of my favorites and this cast of characters was great! Each of the four siblings has a very different life/career and it kept things interesting to switch perspectives every chapter. Despite the turmoil, the siblings’ love for each other was clear, so even though it was emotional, it was also a heartwarming read. Recommend!

Fun For the Whole Family caught me by surprise, the cute cover gave me lighthearted snowy family vacation vibes but the story was so much deeper than that.

The Endicott siblings; Gemma, Connor, Jude, Roddy haven’t spoken in three years and Jude is determined to fix that. The siblings, responding to Jude’s urgent request, find themselves snowed in in rural North Dakota where they must come to terms with the secrets among them and heal old wounds.

This is a deeply poignant story off four siblings grieving the loss of their estranged mother and coming to terms with the truth behind the traumatic events of their childhood. They must also learn to let each other back into their lives while navigating their own personal issues.

Equal parts heartwarming and sad this book had me in its claws until the very end. A great and surprisingly multifaceted read about family and sibling bonds.

Fun For the Whole Family is out now! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine for my copy; all opinions are my own.

"Fun for the Whole Family" is equal parts funny, heartwarming, thought-provoking, and emotional. As a fan of "The Unsinkable Greta James," I looked forward to reading Jennifer E. Smith's next standalone novel.

When the four estranged Endicott siblings find themselves stranded in Colorado during a snowstorm after years apart, they're forced to confront secrets and unresolved past traumas. Their weekend opens up their hearts and old wounds, giving the siblings a chance to heal together.

Smith's prose has an ease to it, making it a delight to read. She does a terrific job making the Endicott's family dynamic realistic and nuanced. Anyone with siblings will find parts of this novel to be relatable. Smith does a great job of making each sibling unique while giving them enough flaws to make them realistic and likable. This novel was character-driven, and the characters were portrayed with authenticity and poignancy.

Smith hits all the right notes regarding the novel's tone. Some parts made me laugh out loud while others made me tear up. This book struck the right balance between humor and drama. I also loved Smith's road trip framing device as a backdrop to weave the past and present storylines. This framing device added a touch of nostalgia that served the story well. It was a refreshingly clever way to organize the story.

This book is perfect for readers who love well-written character-driven family dramas!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an ARC. All opinions are my own.

Don’t be fooled by the carefree cover art or the fact that the title has the word ‘fun’ in it. Although it has plenty of humor and lighter moments, this book is a thoughtful and sober examination of dysfunctional adult siblings Gemma, Connor, and twins Roddy and Jude Endicott and the trials and triumphs of being family.

Raised by a dad that was all but checked out and having only annual road trips to different states with narcissistic mom Frankie, who put her elusive dreams for acting stardom above raising her children, these four bonded as their own little family unit with oldest sibling Gemma being the de facto mom to her siblings.

When author Connor wrote an award-winning book that was a thinly veiled exploration of he and his siblings experiences growing up, including a traumatic event involving their mother, their little unit fell apart with each sibling drifting off to their separate lives.

Now Oscar-nominated actress Jude has reached out to her siblings out of the blue after three years of mutual avoidance asking them all to meet for a new state adventure in the most obscure and unlikely of places: Portree, North Dakota!

What’s this trip really about? That’s the emotional journey of this book, and it IS emotional. All of them are dealing with different major life events: Gemma struggling with whether she wants to be a mom after raising her siblings, Connor navigating his kids’ lives post-divorce and trying to write another book after the fallout of his last one, aging soccer star Roddy putting his hopes for one last season above his fiance Winston, Jude on the cusp of potential Oscar stardom, yet carrying so many secrets, and all of them afraid they’ll be just like mom Frankie with those they love. It’s messy in the way that only family can be, but it’s also rewarding for the same reason.

Everyone has a chip on their shoulder and at times that makes this an uncomfortable read, yet it’s so human and relatable that it resonates whether you’ve experienced those exact things or not. I deeply connected with the sibling struggles! I did feel that the drama got drawn out just a little too long, with the “I’ve got a secret (or three or four)” getting a little tiresome, as well as the number of things that went wrong, but ultimately the siblings’ dedication and support of one another won me over. Be prepared for all the big feels!

★★★ ½ (rounded to 4)

Wow this book took me by surprise! As someone who comes from a big family this storyline was deeply relatable— I love a sibling dynamic focused book. I thought the pacing was perfect and found myself sobbing at the end. This would make for a wonderful adaptation! I feel like fans of the show Parenthood or Gilmore Girls would love this read— speaking of- Lauren Graham narrates the audiobook and does a fantastic job! I highly highly recommend this read! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC :)

Thank you to @netgalley for the advance copy. #funforthewholefamily by Jennifer E. Smith. This book is about four siblings who are now adults. They have been summoned to North Dakota by the youngest sister after an estrangement for the last four years.
The story weaves between past road trips they took each summer with their mother to see all fifty states, and current day and how they are doing now and how they will navigate being around each other after that long estrangement.
The premise was great, but it was a miss for me. There is hint of a revelation, and I felt that I was just reading to find out if my prediction was true-it was.

This is a very solid family drama book. Don't let the cover fool you into thinking this is light and fluffy, because it is anything but. It is about siblings who were at least emotionally abandoned by both parents and physically abandoned by their mother. Things happened to blow the family apart, but the youngest sister has now called them all together after three years. They all go to a cabin in Montana and are forced to face the things that pulled them apart. Of course, they are all facing their own issues in their separate lives. This trip could either pull them all together or be the final blow to the unity of the siblings.

I thought this was a fantastic book. Secrets come out slowly and you learn exactly what is going on piece by piece. The ending left me in tears. It was incredibly touching. I would love to read more by this author.

Thanks to Random House Publishing/Ballantine and NetGalley for the ebook. All thougts are my own.

I LOVED THIS. Sibling/ family drama when done right is so good and this was done right! I was completely engaged the entire book, keeping up with the drama and the emotional toll. Absolutely fantastic book.

Fun for the Whole Family by Jennifer E Smith is an absolute masterpiece! I smiled, laughed, cried, and sobbed my way through this book in the best way possible. Told from the POVs of the four estranged Endicott siblings, Gemma, Connor, Rodney, and Jude, the story jumps between the present day reunion in North Dakota and past summer road trips around the USA to unravel the moments that molded, broke, and pieced this family together. 🗺📍 Simply superb! If you were a fan of the show "This is Us," you will thoroughly enjoy this read. I will be thinking about this book for weeks and months to come, no doubt! 😭

Thank you @netgalley for this ARC.