I think that this was my favorite novel by Jennifer Weiner. The story enfolds from several different angles. The reader meets both Zoe and Cassie, the famous Griffin Sisters, more than a decade past their meteoric rise to fame. The Griffin Sisters captured the world's attention and then almost as quickly as they rose- they were gone. What really happened to the Griffin Sisters? Will Zoe's daughter Cherrie, who is trying to win a national televised singling competition, be able to bring the sisters back together? Lot's of questions and great character development keep the reader engaged and wanting to know more. I would definitely recommend getting to know the Griffin Sisters!

This much anticipated book by a favorite Author will captivate the reader right from
the start, and remain strong for most of the story. The story of sisters Cassie and
Zoe really is the story of several extended families, with all of the messiness
for both girls and their hopes and dreams for their lives and their future dreams.
The deceptions in their lives extracts a toll on the sisters and those they love,
making a good part of the story lead down dual paths: how their choices impacted
them and how the choices made by others also took its toll on their lives.
There were some chapters that seemed a bit extraneous, but for the most
part the streaming details were well, placed and provide the reader with
little bits of past and present and details that, as the story progresses, made
me feel deeply for the characters and how choices made by each of them
affected everyone’s lives.
Overall, a good book with a lot of raw emotion and dig down deep scenes
that kept me turning pages.
My thanks to William Morrow Publishing for this download copy of
the book for review purposes.

Jennifer Weiner's The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits is a captivating novel that follows the lives of two sisters, Cassie and Zoe, as they navigate the complexities of fame, love, and sisterhood. Each with their unique struggles and triumphs, the sisters' stories unfold in a heartfelt and engrossing narrative. Weiner has a gift for creating richly developed characters and weaving intricate storylines, making this novel a delightful and satisfying read. If you're in the mood for a story that explores the strength of family bonds and the pursuit of happiness, don't hesitate to pick up this fantastic book.

No summary here, just my honest opinion. I loved this book. I envy you. You get to read it for the first time. The interactions between sisters; the stress and pressures of stardom; the love of a parent for a child - all are present in this book. Weiner hits another home run with The Griffin Sisters Greatest Hits.

@jenniferweinerwrites #thegriffinsistersgreatesthits Thank you @netgalley and @williammorrowbooks for the ARC. This is my honest opinion.

Who hasn’t compared themselves to someone else and wished for their own version of success? This book explores the lives of Cassie and Zoe, two sisters who long for what the other has—beauty, confidence, or talent—while navigating the highs and lows of fame and its lasting effects.

Zoe’s daughter, Cherry, has always dreamed of singing and doesn’t understand her mother’s silence about her own time in the spotlight or her lack of support for Cherry’s dreams. When Cherry decides that an aunt she’s never met might hold the key to her rise to fame, she sets out to find her and uncover the truth about what happened to The Griffin Sisters. The story unfolds through multiple points of view and timelines, each offering a unique perspective—like the saying that there are three sides to every story, ultimately leading to the truth.

The book contains minimal spice, and when it does appear, it feels purposeful rather than gratuitous. I enjoyed getting to know each character and appreciated the way Jennifer Weiner wove the different viewpoints together. I found the breaks between perspectives a bit too far apart, but that could just be my personal preference for short chapters.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I am so enjoying this story of two very different sisters, a rock band, a love story, a story of loss & friendship & what it feels like not to 'fit in'
The characters are real; not always likable, but real.
The story moves back & forth in time from the present to the beginning of when The Griffen Sisters were discover & signed. Their fast rise to fame & their fall.
The story kept unfolding & I kept turning the pages to see what happened & to see how it was all going to turn out.
A very readable & enjoyable book!

I am always pleased to read a new Jennifer Weiner book and the subject of this one - girl band in the early 2000s - was right up my alley.

While I enjoyed the book and was always eager to keep reading, something about the characters felt flat to me. It’s almost like they weren’t written distinctly enough for me to connect with in a deep way, I sometimes had to refer back to whose perspective and timeline I was in because the voices didn’t stick with me. Body image always features in Weiner’s books, but this time Cassie = fat/talented vs. Zoe = pretty/talentless being their defining characteristics didn’t work for me, to the point where if Zoe had so little to offer and Cassie was such a once in a generation star I didn’t even see how this band would be put together in the way it was to begin with and if I started thinking too far down that road the whole story would fall apart.

Sorry this wasn’t more of a home run for me but I still appreciate Weiner’s stories and will always read another.

I’ve been a devoted fan of Jennifer Weiner for years and have read every one of her books, so I was thrilled to receive an ARC of her latest novel. Thank you, NetGalley! While this one wasn’t my favorite of hers, it showcased her signature strong female characters and plenty of drama, and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

The story follows two very different sisters who briefly achieve success as the Griffin Sisters, a music duo. The depiction of their rise to fame and entry into the music industry was gripping and full of vivid detail. However, I felt the narrative missed an opportunity to delve deeper into their relationship during their time in the spotlight. Despite spending a year on the road together, sharing a room, their interactions felt oddly sparse. I would have loved to see more of their dynamic during this period.

One of the things I love most about Weiner’s books is her ability to create relatable and likable characters. Unfortunately, I struggled to connect with the characters in this story. None of them, aside from Aunt Bess—a minor character—truly won me over. Told through multiple points of view and shifting timelines, the characters often felt stuck in their teenage insecurities and flaws, without much growth as the years passed. That said, I still found myself invested in their journeys, which kept me engaged.

Weiner often explores themes of weight and body image in her novels, but in this case, I felt the focus on Cassie’s appearance and weight was overly harsh. While her struggles with self-perception were relevant, the emphasis felt excessive at times.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read that offered an intriguing exploration of beauty versus talent, the complex bonds between sisters and mothers and daughters, and a nostalgic dive into early 2000s pop culture.

this book was very tough to read.. lots of fat phobic comments and i understand the plot is based in the 00s but it felt like the comments were never ending.

There is a lot to like in this book, but there’s also a lot I took issue with. First, the good - I am a sucker for musician stories, always chasing that Daisy Jones vibe, and the parts about traveling with the band were so fun and the descriptions of song writing are magical. The early 2000s pop culture references took me on a trip down memory lane in the best way. At almost 400 pages, it felt like there could have been some trimming, but it was still compulsively readable for me because I was invested in finding out what happened.

Here’s what I had a harder time with:
- almost every character is terrible. Janice? Terrible. Zoe? Double terrible. Russel? A weenie. Jordan? Also a weenie. Cherry? Beyond selfish, even for an 18 year old.
- I understand the diet culture of the early aughts deep in my soul. I lived it. And still, this message is delivered so harshly. Even her own sister doesn’t see any value in her because she lives in a bigger body. If you are triggered by body shaming or diet culture, consider yourself warned.
- Cass isn’t given any personality beyond “fat musical prodigy”
- there’s not a single plausible reason that Cass wouldn’t know her sister had kids - the mother and Aunt Bess (the only decent woman in the book), knew how to reach Cass. And for almost two decades it didn’t occur to them to mention it??
- for the love, what is Bix short for? Did it say and I missed it?

Weiner is such a great writer and has written some of my favorite books. Many people will love this book, and though it missed the mark for me in many areas, it was still a three star read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy and a chance to read this early. All opinions are my own.

Warning: Highly Emotional Content

Zoe and Cassie were The Griffin Sisters. One had looks and the other had extraordinary talent. They produced one epic album, then completely disappeared after a terrible tragedy. The sisters had not spoken in 20 years. In fact, neither even knew where the other lived or what their lives had become. Then Zoe’s daughter set out on a mission to find her aunt and bring the Griffin Sisters back together again.

This book is absolutely wonderful. It is nuanced, emotional, and deeply compelling. Jennifer Wiener is a master at wringing every last emotion out of her characters and ultimately out of her readers.

The Griffin Sisters Greatest Hits by Jennifer Weiner
I have never read a Jennifer Weiner novel. When the offer came in to read an ARC I thought, sure why not? I kinda regret it if I can be honest. I am not sure why I slogged through it.
Did I want to see if there was a resolution? I suppose.
Did Cherry (the daughter of one of the main characters) get her American Idol like coach that she wanted? I don’t think that really mattered.
Did I want to find out what caused the death of one of the main characters in the story of two sisters who found a spotlight in the music scene? Yep.
Did I want to see if the sisters who became estranged find one another again? I guess?
I really do not know. But I slogged through it.
Sure, the writing about the music industry was on point for that time, if not a little rushed in the timeline. I appreciate the research that it must have taken to get that really written well. The writing about the 90s female singer songwriter band era was spot on. Did I love the fact that Jennifer Weiner name checked Lucious Jackson…. You betcha.
But I have this sense that Cassie was autistic or on the spectrum and it wasn’t called out at all. I think that the author should have committed to that more. I found her character as written to have a vibe that wasn’t fully fleshed out and it bugged the crap out of me. Zoe the other her sister was vapid and selfish and that was committed too because it was easier maybe? Not my call, I didn’t write the book, they aren’t my characters to flesh out. It was maddening for me.
No one character seemed to care about anyone else. There wasn’t any love in this book. This is an incredibly bothersome sticky point that made the book bothersome to read for me. I didn’t like the characters at all. They just were miserable unhappy joyless characters. And that is a shame because I really wanted to like them.
The timeline of the book was bothersome to me as well, it jumped around from 2024/current time to the past, which lent itself to string the mystery along I suppose but it took me out of the story, having to reset in mind the characters and where they were at. The overwhelming theme is manipulation I felt as I was reading this story. Everyone was manipulating one another to get what they wanted. It just simply wasn’t enjoyable for me.
At 80% (I checked in my kindle) I gave up. I just didn’t care enough to find out what happened to Cassie, Zoe and Cherry. I found out what happened to Russell, but it didn’t make any sense to me, that wasn’t fleshed out either. That timeline didn’t vibe check either. He died but there were no (and no spoilers here) no repercussions other than Cassie leaving and Zoe having a baby and that baby being Cherry? Meh. Lots of loose ends that just … bloop stopped. And I suppose I did stop too.
I wish those made-up ladies well and hope that they can come together as family, but I wasn’t invested enough to care enough to see it through to the end of the book.
In reading other reviews on Goodreads (as this was an advance release version prior to publishing) folks really enjoyed it and I appreciate their joy and enthusiasm. It just was not a story for me.
AND PS it was not Christine McVie but Stevie Nicks that was with Lindsey Buckingham which is what Rumors is based on. I hope that gets fixed in the final edit or maybe that was a quality check to prove that these characters really don’t care about anyone but themselves? I dunno.
I am not going to push this out to the normal places… but will post it to my substack as linked below.
I wanted to like this book, I have always heard that Jennifer Weiner’s writing and books are amazing. I will agree that the writing was great in parts, lyrical even. This was not the right book for me.

It's been a while since I've read anything by Jennifer Weiner and this was the perfect way to jump back in! The book centers around the story of a singing sisters, Zoe and Cass - who give Michelle Phillips-Mama Cass or Wendy and Carnie Wilson vibes. We have Zoe, ambitious and beautiful, and her sister Cass, painfully shy, overweight, but a musical prodigy with the voice of an angel. And we also have Cherry, Zoe's daughter who has inherited the best of both worlds - looks and musical talent.

The story shifts perspectives between our three female protagonists, as well as timelines between the early 2000s when the sisters were young and had their brief period of meteoric fame, and present day as Cherry seeks her own musical path and to get there needs to learn about her mom and the aunt she never knew.

The storyline is somewhat formulaic and not likely to surprise readers much, but the characters are interesting and the story is engaging. I ready it quickly and could see it as a super fun spring break/beach read. Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!

🎶 Summary:
In The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits, Jennifer Weiner delivers a heartfelt and glittering novel set in the pop music world, exploring the intricacies of sisterhood, ambition, and the impact of fame. Cassie and Zoe Grossberg, sisters with starkly different personalities, rise to stardom as the pop duo the Griffin Sisters. Cassie, a musical prodigy, prefers the shadows, while Zoe, with her natural charisma, craves the spotlight. Their meteoric rise in the early 2000s is both dazzling and tumultuous, leading to an unexpected split that leaves fans in shock. Two decades later, Zoe is navigating suburban life, Cassie has gone off the grid, and Zoe’s daughter, Cherry, is determined to unravel the mystery behind their breakup, uncovering long-hidden truths about her family’s past.

🌟 My Thoughts:
This book was an absolute page-turner! I was captivated from the first chapter and couldn’t put it down, finishing it in just one day. Jennifer Weiner masterfully crafts a narrative that seamlessly shifts between the sisters’ rise to fame and their present-day struggles, creating a compelling, multi-layered story.

The characters were vivid and emotionally rich. Cassie’s internal battle with self-worth and Zoe’s protective instincts toward her daughter were beautifully portrayed. Cherry’s quest for the truth added a fresh perspective, tying the past and present together.

The depiction of early 2000s pop culture was spot-on, filled with nostalgic references that brought back fond memories. What stood out most was Weiner’s exploration of the pressures of fame, the sacrifices made for success, and the enduring bonds of family. It’s a story with profound emotional depth.

This one was a miss for me. While I liked the premise and was interested in finding out what happened to break this family apart, I felt it was too long and dragged. I also felt offended by the way Cassie was described (her mother found her hard to love because she was overweight and clumsy? what??). Cassie was described as ugly throughout the book but the only reason given for her ugliness was her weight. But she wasn't too big to fit in a normal airplane seat, so how big could she really have been? I also felt frustrated by the way she beat herself up throughout the book. Like, get some therapy and move on. And her voice was described as being so amazing, better than any other voices, a voice unlike any other, so good it wasn't even human, etc. I kept wondering how ugly could this person be and how good could her voice really be? It was too much, too extreme to be believable. Other little things bothered me too--like this band had one hit album 20 years ago but they are being courted by producers for a Vegas residency? Unlikely. This book was likened to Daisy Jones, which I loved, but wasn't anything like it. I don't know, maybe it just wasn't for me.

When I sit down to read a Jennifer Weiner book, I feel I am in for a treat. I know I will be reading a book about relationships and families. She is such a prolific writer though, and I don't love all her books equally. I did like this book, it was a fast read, and I enjoyed the plot and subject matter. I did feel that the beginning third of the book could have been edited a bit and could have included a bit more show and not tell us. I couldn't really get a handle on Russell or why they both fell head over heels with him. I would have liked to know more about who he was and what his character was. I really enjoyed the last two thirds of the book, and the way the niece Cherry, was incorporated into the book. And I was very satisfied with the ending.

This had a 'Daisy Jones & the Six' vibe to it. I love a story that involves rock bands but didn’t love the past and present format. I also felt it was too long and repetitive at times. As other reviewers have noted there were lots of references to how fat and awkward Cassie is and how beautiful Zoe is. That being said, this would likely be good as a film/series adaptation where some of these short-comings could be addressed.

@jenniferweinerwrites #thegriffinsistersgreatesthits Thank you @netgalley and @williammorrowbooks for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits is at the surface the story of a band that broke up in the 90's, but is in reality a story of the complex relationships in families between mothers, daughters, and sisters. As a child who teenaged in the 90's the nostalgia was strong with this one, but the story pulled at all my heart strings. Jennifer Weiner did what she does so well weaving an engaging story that kept me up well past my bedtime to see what happened next. This story is the perfect mix for those of us of a certain age who may have found ourselves barefoot at Lilith Fair and are now dealing with teenagers of our own.

I am a huge Jennifer Weiner fan and was thrilled to get an ARC from her.

This is a heartfelt story of two very different sisters that rose to fame in their teenage years. It highlights the course of their relationship, their differences, their strengths, and their weaknesses. The story jumps between points of view and timelines, fast forwarding to 20 years later when one of the sister's daughter Cherry has also been gifted musically. Although there are several view points/timelines, the story is straightforward and its written in a way that keeps things interesting.

Highly highly recommend her newest read!

Thanks to Jennifer Weiner, NetGalley, and William Morrow Books for the ARC!

I adored the novel by Weiner. The nostalgic part of me with the music and sisterhood felt real. Two sisters get pulled into the music world, Cassie and Zoe Grossberg. They are opposites in every way and the fame they endure comes fast and crashes after a significant event which separates them for years.
Two decades later Zoe is a housewife and Cassie is living in seclusion in Alaska. Zoe’s daughter Cherry has never known about her aunt but finds out about her after a shopping trip with her mom. Cherry is talented and after she auditions for a music show she wants to find out more about Cassie.
Cherry ends up bringing them all together under false pretenses. Can the two sisters heal and move forward or will they drive further apart. A fun read that went by way too quickly.