Wow! I was very surprised to find myself so invested in Cassie and Zoe's story. While some of the music aspects reminded me of Daisy Jones and the Six, the actual characters and storyline are very different. I felt as though one could identify with both characters' emotions and motivations. I really enjoyed it and plan on reading more of Ms. Weiner's works. Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow Publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy.

I really liked the premise of this book. This is the story of two sisters - Zoe and Cassie- who enjoy a whirlwind time in the spotlight. However, the sisters couldn’t be more different and when the unthinkable happens, the band breaks up. The characters are all very unlikeable… except for Cassie who I was rooting for. I liked what Weiner was trying to say about women’s bodies and the double standard of being perceived as beautiful vs not aligning with modern standards

I love the author and I always look forward to her books, she seems to explore womanhood in a way that really speaks to me and I was interested to see how she would examine this through the lens of the early aughts. As with all of her work, this is very character driven as it focuses on sisters Zoe and Cassie and Zoe’s daughter, Cherry. It’s a family drama told in the present day and in the past and it also alternates between all of their perspectives. I didn’t connect with Zoe at all, I thought she was awful actually, but I adored Cassie. She deserved so much more than what she got, but the author did a great job exploring her loneliness and melancholy, my heart ached for her. It wasn’t all sad and dramatic, the nostalgic aspect was so fun but also eye opening looking back at that time period as an adult instead of a child. Overall this was great, I loved the messy family drama and the 2000s throwback and if you enjoy books that focus heavily on music try it!

I have been a Jennifer Weiner fan since her book Good in Bed and have read most of her catalog. The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits is now one of my favorites. I completely enjoyed this novel. Fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid would devour this book. Set both in the present and past tense, a story of life, love and loss is carefully unrolled and will leave reader simultaneously feeling sorrow and happiness. I was captivated.

Good for upper high school.

Thank you NetGalley, William Morrow Books and Jennifer Weiner for the opportunity to read and review The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits.
I enjoyed this story of complex relationships between mothers, daughters and sisters trying to succeed in the world of music. I was immersed in the plot from start to finish . There were many ups and downs and life on the road was painful and filled with emotions. It was quite the roller coaster ride with my seatbelt securely fastened. I live for all the twists and turns.
The characters are well developed but many have unlikeable qualities which snowball until the end , when finally everyone figures life out. A little too predictable and fairytale -like. In my world once a narcissist always a narcissist. We cannot forget how we are treated and able to get over it and move on. All the loose ends conveniently fall into place . It happened too quickly without any bumps in the road.
This will make a great adaptation to screen as the story is solid and fast paced. I have read all of Jennifer Weiner’s books and look forward to more.

3.5 stars. I love books about music and fictional rock bands like DAISY JONES AND THE SIX, LADY SUNSHINE, and MARY JANE. The story of rock and roll sisters Zoe and Cass who hit it big right out of high school in the early 2000s had a lot of potential, but needed more character development. And I get that body image was a central theme to the novel, but banging that drum non-stop became repetitive. I would have added another half-star, but there's a huge plot point that was never resolved, and that bothered me, along with some other small inconsistencies that may be cleaned up in the final version since this was an ARC (for example, a halter top, by definition, cannot be long-sleeved; that would be more of a cold-shoulder top, I believe). That being said, I have read all of Jennifer Weiner's books and will continue to do so every time she publishes one, this one was just middle-of-the-road for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher William Morrow for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

So fun! This book is full of nostalgia, drama, family strife, friendship and romance and insecurities at every age. The book was a perfect mix of emotion and practicality. Loved the rise to fame, but also the grounded-ness of the characters. The scenery was great, from being on the bus to the wilderness of Alaska, and small town middle class New Jersey. All around a great book, and a fun read. 4.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the preview copy in exchange for a review.

5 stars / This review will be posted on BookwormishMe.com & goodreads.com today.

I’m a fan of Jennifer Weiner, but also a fan of these rock star novels. (Rock star wannabe?) This one absolutely hits all the notes for a tragic story of two sisters, one musically gifted, one not. Of course the one with little talent is the one who wants to be a rock star. And the other, the prodigy, just wants to be a classical musician.

Cassie has always been different. So when her teacher asks how long she’s been taking piano lessons, her parents are stunned. Cassie simply has a gift. She can play anything once she’s heard it.

Zoe is the pretty one. The one who makes friends easily. The one who gets what she wants. When a battle of the bands comes to their town, and Zoe’s bandmates drop her before the contest, Zoe begs her sister to come with her. What they don’t expect is the whirlwind they will get caught up in for the next year.

Flash forward twenty years, Zoe is a housewife. Cassie is hiding out in Alaska. What happened to cause not only the breakup of what was destined to be a history making band, but also to cause Cassie to flee?

This story is told in present day and past, giving us glimpses into the women they’ve become, and the girls they once were. How they made it to the top, but came tumbling down just as quickly. It’s definitely a tale of sisterhood and the desire to have everything, even when you’re not deserving.

Great novel. Really loved this one.

I've been reading Jennifer Weiner's books since the release of Good In Bed. And every book is better than the last. The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits has the feel of a tell-all behind the music vibe, but with the added drama of being sisters. Zoe and Cassie are sisters who are very close in age. Zoe wants to be a famous rock star, but she lacks the talent for this to happen on her own. Cassie is a musical prodigy, but has issues socially. Zoe convinces Cassie to perform with her in a battle of the bands, they are discovered by a music producer, and a band is formed. The story is told from alternating points of view of Cassie and Zoe in the past and present. Cherry, Zoe's daughter, also tells the story from the present.

I loved the characters in this story. Weiner knows how female relationships work, especially sisters, and that shines through in this book. Zoe is traditionally pretty and moves through life with ease. Cassie is fat and hates being in the spotlight. Enter Russell, the guy hired to help Cassie write the songs, plus play in the band. Cassie and Russell hit it off immediately as they bond over their love of music. Zoe is jealous of this connection and one night convinces Russell to sleep with her. A love triangle forms and ends in tragedy.

My only complaint in this story is Russell. I disliked how easily he agrees to sleep with Zoe. He's supposed to be a bit older than the girls, who are in their late teens/early twenties. Yet he leads Cassie on a bit and tries to hide his relationship with her sister. Zoe's actions are terrible for a sister, but Russell's character plays into the stereotype that men are only interested in sex. Especially because his other actions suggest he has more respect for women than how he behaves with Zoe. I understand his actions are what lead to the rest of the story, but I feel the story could have been told without him being an ass.

What I disliked about Russell is overshadowed by how much I love the other characters in this book. They are well written women who feel real on the page. Cassie's struggles with how she looks, during a time when being as thin as possible was the only acceptable form for women, hit home for me. The early 2000s made any woman bigger than a size 2 feel fat. Zoe's growth in her understanding of her sister and her daughter was also done well.

If you loved Daisy Jones and the Six, The Favorites, and stories about strained sibling relationships this is a great book for you. And if you enjoy Jennifer Weiner's writing then you will love her latest novel!
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This story is about Cassie and Zoe who are sisters that became famous for 1 album in the 2000s. The story is about what happened to these sisters and why they never produced another album. Told in present time in Cherry's POV, she is daughter of Zoe and her quest to pursue her dream she learns more about her mom's former life.

I enjoyed reading the rise for Griffin Sisters and it made it frustrated how selfish Zoe was. I was curious about what happened that caused the riff between the sisters even though you sort of know.

There were some things that I thought was a bit left unfinished for me. Bix was one item that was talked about but wasn't really addressed - it felt almost unnecessary. I also thought the reconciliation between Zoe and Cassie was just a little too easy after 18 years of not talking to each other.

Thank you @williammorrowbooks for a copy of this.

If musical stardom has been your dream, this is the novel to read. It portrays, in my opinion, a more realistic representation of what life is actually like for those lucky enough to be in demand to perform concerts across the States. The handful of main characters are emotionally well developed. One draw back for me was the author’s relentless references to the physical appearances of the two lead female performers. There were also a few sudden jumps in the narrative where it felt like pages had been omitted. But the story is strong and the overall writing is good.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for the ARC to read and review.

I appreciate being given this advance reading copy by William Morrow in exchange for an honest review. DNF (did not finish) at 44% unfortunately. Love a music book, especially with Jewish representation, but hate a sister rivalry/love triangle, especially a fatphobic one.

Could not put this down. I really liked- as always- Jennifer Weiner's stories about women and their relationships with other women. This book is giving Daily Jones and the Six vibes but set in early 2000s. While Eve's relationship with Russell is a major plot point, I would argue that's not the most important relationship she has in the book, obviously it's with Cassie. I do wish there had been more intimate interactions between Eve and Cassie because I think while Eve did resent Cassie, she still would have that sister bond to tie them together. Which Cassie does mention, she would have known if Eve had a baby - but obviously at that point the tie has been severed. This book could have been 800 pages on just mother-daughter-sister relationships. I understand why she put in the stepbrother Bix part but I didn't love it. I felt like it didn't add a lot of depth to Eve because the reader already knows she's shallow and selfish and if she would do horrible things to her sister, it isn't far off that she would still put herself first before her daughter. I did like that the reader had a POV of a stepparent not liking a stepchild (but with good reason.)
While we get one chapter from Russell at the very beginning, I wish there would have been a last chapter of Russell at the end to sandwich the story together and to get his last thoughts on the baby/him becoming a father - if Eve allowed it to get that far. I want to believe he was happy he was going to be a dad even if he was miserable with Eve. And we all know Cherry isn't biologically his daughter, it's definitely Tommy who is her dad.

I am a sucker for any book that involves music. I loved this story. Anyone who has a sister knows how complicated that relationship can be and I felt that this story perfectly showcased that. Told by multiple POVs in different timelines, it was well executed and a great book.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this arc.

Enjoyable- follows the story of 2 sisters, close in age but very different personalities.
The younger sister seems to be a self taught musician & she & her beautiful but less talented sister get drawn into the music industry.

There are some moments & I truly felt Cassie's uncomfortable feelings but she was the star, she just didn't know it.
Parts of it slowed the story down a little for me, but overall I liked it. There were many times when I really did not like the older sister, Zoe & if I say more, there would be spoilers.

Good read!

I am convinced that Jennifer Weiner doesn't write a bad book. I love her stories, love her characters, and cherish the way her books make me feel seen/heard and identify with the characters. This one is no different. It is an amazing story about sisters, family secrets, and jealousy. I loved the historical fiction feel of the story about two sisters and a band that broke up and the daughter of one of them that pieces things together. Both sisters and the daughter/niece are well written and identifiable. Great characters and storyline plus excellent writing. I'll keep reading all the Jennifer Weiner.

Well written but honestly I had a hard time getting through this book. I typically love Jennifer Weiner but I just did not connect with or like any of these characters, which made it hard for me to care about what they were going through.

This novel follows sisters Cassie and Zoe Grossberg, who were born a year apart, but who couldn't be more different. They became famous and changed their name to Griffin. The story follows them and their bandmates in the early 2000s as well as a character named Cherry whose timeline takes place in 2024.

I thought the book dragged until I got about 60% into it, and then I flew through it, because that's when it got interesting. Weiner's books are hit or miss for me.

The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits is a heartfelt symphony of sisterhood, secrets, and the price of chasing stardom. The story follows Zoe and Cassie, two sisters whose bond propels them into rock star fame — and ultimately tears them apart. Told through three points of view and shifting timelines, the narrative takes a little time to find its groove, but once it does, the chapter switches become seamless, weaving past and present into a rich melody of memories, regrets, and revelations.

At its core, this is a story about sisterhood — the kind forged in shared dreams and tested by ambition, heartbreak, and long-buried truths. As the layers peel back, we uncover what shattered their connection and the band itself, while Zoe’s daughter Cherry navigates the echoes of those choices in the present day. The music is more than a backdrop; it pulses through the story, shaping the characters and echoing their emotional journeys.

I did find the repeated focus on Cassie’s size and lack of beauty a bit heavy-handed, though I understand the significance of these themes within the era and the music industry’s often unforgiving standards. Still, the emotional beats hit hard, and the characters reveal themselves like verses in a ballad — raw, flawed, and real.

Fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid will feel right at home here. The story carries a similar rhythm to Daisy Jones & The Six, exploring fame’s high notes and devastating silences. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this one adapted for the screen — the drama, the music, and the unraveling of sisterly bonds would make for perfect viewing.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @WilliamMorrowBooks for the advanced reading copy.

When Jennifer Weiner announced the plot for her latest novel, The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits, I knew I had to get my hands on a copy. Weiner is well known in publishing for her exploration of the complicated female relationships we all experience, especially as mothers, daughters, and sisters, and this book examines all that and more against the backdrop of the music industry in the early 2000s.

From the book:
“People back then—and probably, people right now—thought that they owned their female stars, that their fandom gave them a say in what they wore, how they looked, who they loved.”

Growing up in the 1980s and 90s, I was drawn to the female powerhouses in the music industry, from The Bangles, The Go-Gos, to Sarah McLachlan, Tori Amos, Pink, and later on, the fun and upbeat tunes of both Jessica and Ashlee Simpson. You’ll catch inferences to all these artists and more, as well as older bands such as Fleetwood Mac and The Mamas and the Papas, in this novel.

Zoe and Cassie Griffin don’t just head out on the road on their own, they are joined by a band, including lead songwriter and guitarist Russell D’Angelo, setting up the reader for a complicated but predictable love triangle.

The book takes place in present day, as Cherry, the daughter of Zoe, makes her way to California to participate in a popular television talent show, while her mother has absconded to suburban life and Cassie has cut herself off from her former bandmates and the family by living in the remote terrain of Alaska. Weiner then weaves in flashbacks to illustrate how the sisters inked their first record deal and set out on the road, where we soon learn Cassie was the true talent of the two. But Cassie never wanted to be in the spotlight, while that’s all Zoe ever wanted. Cherry believes if she can reunite the two sisters, they will help propel her own musical aspirations forward, but many challenges lie ahead of her. The sisters haven’t spoken since the band broke up.

I did have a few criticisms of the novel, but they are minimal. The story of how Cassie and Zoe are discovered, after singing together live only one time at an open-mic event, is a bit unrealistic. Most artists work for years before getting in front of industry professionals, and even then, they don’t experience immediate success. I took issue with the lightning-speed at which the two sisters were matched with a band and produced a chart-topping album. The younger version of Zoe, self-centered, spoiled, and selfish, is difficult to relate to, but every character must have a redemption arc and hers wouldn’t be possible without that growth.

As a reader, I felt immersed in the time period thanks to Weiner’s references to the popular television shows, celebrities, gossip magazines, and fashion. Although they were popular in the 1990s and not the early aughts, I also couldn’t’ t help but compare Zoe and Cassie to real-life sisters Wendy and Carnie Wilson, who were part of the musical trio Wilson Phillips as well as the daughters of Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson.
I personally believe Weiner has set us up for a follow-up to The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits, as the book ends with a few different storylines still left open to more exploration and interpretation.

Many thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for letting me read an advance copy of the book!