This book was not what I signed up for, however I enjoyed it immensely. I do feel the cover and the title do this book an injustice. What you glimpse from the outside and what lies beneath the pages of this novel are vastly different.

This novel is full of imperfect humans who are selfish and make mistakes. The author has written real people who despite their ‘extraordinary’ status are just like you and I in every other way. Their fears, hopes and dreams are just as rudimentary. You will likely find a piece of yourself in one of these characters or maybe a loved one.

Firstly, we have Gemma the eldest of the ‘Extraordinary Endicotts’ who spent most of her childhood raising her siblings and now faces the dilemma of whether she wants to pursue having a family of her own.
Roddy, an aging soccer star who is getting the chance at a career revival, but possibly at the expense of his relationship. Connor, a writer whose last book tore the family apart and is now suffering from writer's block and Jude, the famous movie star who has held onto family secrets for far too long. Secrets that might break her estranged relationship with her siblings even further.

This is very much a character driven novel and we get to dive into each character's lives in both a past and present timeline, following their dysfunctional upbringing and how it has shaped them into the people they are at present.

What I admire most about the character development in this book is while they each have their own faults and problems, the characters genuinely undergo growth. Are they perfect by the end of the novel, absolutely not, but growth is a continual process after all.

I loved the author's writing style. I was hooked from the get go and every time I picked it up I was locked in. Everything about her writing feels visceral, from her character's inner monologues to her descriptions of the cold miserable North Dakota Winter.

My advice is, do not go into this book thinking it will be a warm, fuzzy, family holiday. It won't. There will be moments of hope and joy, but overall this is not a happy-go-lucky book as the cover might lead you to believe. You will go on a roller-coaster of emotions, disembarking the ride at the end, feeling maybe a little nauseous, a bit tousled about, but overall having enjoyed every moment of this spectacular novel.

📚 review 📚

fun for the whole family - jennifer e smith

i’m not crying there’s just something in my eye. 😢
i love jennifer e smiths books, they’re always so much fun but with enough depth to make you really root for the characters. this one starts out as a bit of a family road trip but come the end i was weeping.

fun for all the family is the story of the endicott siblings - three of the four are famous, their older sister has a normal every day job and basically raised them. they grew up in a dysfunctional family that featured an annual road trip with their largely absent mother - only they haven’t spoken in three years. not until jude, the youngest sister, fresh off her first oscar nomination invites her siblings to come on a random trip with her… reluctantly they come together but a lot as changed in 3 years and after this trip nothing will be the same again.

there was some brilliantly raw family dynamics here, each of the siblings is relatable and although there is the usual fun of jennifer e smith’s narration, this is hugely emotional. it’s going on my list of favourites for 2025.

fun for the whole family comes out this month. thank you @netgalley for the early copy.

oh this was such a wonderful book. and all the more so because i totally didnt see it coming. i thought it would be a nice book sure. but this was beautiful. and this author stole my whole heart in this book. the characters and the story stayed with me long after. the themes though not the same can somehow fit and relate to us all. if you have family, if you have siblings, if you are alive this is a must read. i cant really say enough about it. and dont have the right vocab to do so. but you know when one of those books hit you closer,hit you harder, hit you in all the right places at all the right times in your life. well, this was that book for me.
and it made me want to contact the people i love. and made me think of our moments and memories. and how things can seem one way and be the other.
i love how the book represent a family. an in this case a group of siblings who although drifted have that things you can get lucky with. that bond that never leaves. love. the binds and bonds and creates a strength you all might need at some point and can be one of the only things that gets you through.
we learn about each siblings past in there own Pov and then it brings you right up to the present.
Jennifer writes her characters so well. and i thank her for giving us all a stellar read.

Oh, my heart. Fun for the Whole Family is a heartfelt and deeply emotional family saga that swept me in from page one and I couldn’t stop reading until I knew what had happened to the four siblings in the past and what would happen to them going forward. This is my second Jennifer E Smith book and once again her beautiful style of writing spoke to me, I felt every heartache, every moment of fear or frustration, and every ray of hope. An absolutely stunning story and I will hold Gemma, Connor, Roddy and Jude close to my heart forever. ❤️

I absolutely adored this book and devoured it over a couple of days! It has easily been one of my favourite books of the year and I can’t wait to read more from the author in the future

Very pleased with this read. Some great characters. Would definitely recommend to other readers. Funny in places, a very lightheaded read

Character connection:💫🧩😊:
One of the things I like 🖤 about the book 📖 is how even though the siblings have drifted🏎️ apart, there’s still this magnetic 🧲 pull between them. 💔 You can feel the unspoken🗣️ bond they share, even if they don’t act on it😭. That tension of wanting to reconnect but not knowing how?

Multiple Perspectives👥💞👀:
My favourite 🌟 thing was how the story bounces🐇 between each sibling’s🧍🏽 perspective. Particularly in one part of the book where each sibling had a page🧾 or less then we saw the next. 🤯 It was kinda fascinating 😱to see how they each appear in each other’s daily lives and how they all want to reach out 🖐🏽 but just… can’t bring themselves to do it. And I have to be honest, but the labels with the year, name, and place saved me from getting confused. 😮‍💨 With all the time jumps and perspectives, it would’ve been chaos without them!

Gemma🙈🌟🖤:
I really wanted🙏🏽 more from Gemma. 🤔 She had so much potential, but it felt like she was just… there.😞 It’s like we only got a glimpse, and I needed more! Though it could just be bc she didn't have much going on.

Thanks Netgalley and the author for the ARC 💮🌟🐇