Unfortunately this just wasn't the book for me. This book is about Ray and Sasha who share three sisters but have never met each other. The story features story lines from all the siblings and it was had to keep everyone straight and all the family drama.

This book just wasn't for me. I did not find the characters at all compelling and in fact found them all pretty problematic. This just felt like a bunch of rich kids with no real problems complaining. There were definitely more than a few moments that struck me as sexist and the fact that what little bit of diversity was added here (some of the characters are Indian) the fact that the Indian father hated and ignored his heritage was not the best way to celebrate different cultures. In the end this felt boring and unrelatable.

This book was a little strange and depressing. I feel like the author tried to bring too many different issues into the story so it ended up feeling not completely cohesive.

I am probably the only person who hasn't read The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series (seriously, never read it - don't know why, either), but when I got the invitation to read and review Ann Brashares's newest novel, The Whole Thing Together, I jumped on it, because I have heard nothing but amazing things about her books.

When I first started reading The Whole Thing Together, I'm not going to lie - I was kind of overwhelmed with all of the names and characters in the book, especially when it came down to remembering which character was a part of which family (as the parents for some of the characters were divorced and had married others, and had more kids, etc.). It was a bit rough, but there's a family tree in the beginning of the book that was incredibly helpful in remembering. I highly recommend bookmarking this page when reading the book so that you can keep track, at least at first, until you remember who is who.

While I found myself not really caring about some of the characters in this book, I absolutely loved the two main ones - Ray and Sasha. It was interesting to see how their lives intertwined without actually ever meeting - they traded the cabin every other week, meaning Ray's family would stay there one week and Sasha's the next, and the two of them essentially shared the same room, and had since they were kids. It was cute to see how they kind of grew up together, and more or less called each other imaginary friends - for example, they built a Lego city together, each one of them adding something to the city every week and surprising the other with what they built. I honestly haven't read anything like this, and I loved the fact that it was not only so different, but so touching as well.

I absolutely love how much emphasis is put on family in this novel - I always find myself drawn to books that feature strong family bonds and relationships over everything else. This book might have a lot of characters and a lot of family relationships going on, but it's so worth getting to know the families in this book.

This book would be a perfect summer read for pretty much everyone - and it's coming out right in time for the summer season, so you need to pick a copy of this one up, even if you aren't familiar with Ann Brashares's writing (like me)!

I really enjoyed this book. At first it was hard to keep the family memembers straight but then it got easier. I hate that it took a tragedy to bring the two families back together.

This has a copy cat plot to me. It is very similar to We Were Liars, the difference is that We Were Liars was BOMB. And this book was like biting into burrito. The tortilla(cover) is so appealing, and the insides are everything you could want(drama, family issues, friends coming together), then you take a big bite out of it, expecting greatness. And then there's a cockroach in your burrito and it's crunchy and nasty and ruining your experience and it JUST RUINS EVERYTHING.

You think you're getting a great book, that has tons of drama and family issues, but there's friends and there's a gorgeous beach. SOUNDS APPEALING RIGHT? SOUNDS LIKE WE WERE LIARS RIGHT? I was expecting greatness. And I got rottenness, hatred, and just an all out horrid storyline. The characters are so self centered and just they had soo man problems with each other. SO MANY. It's like there was never a peaceful moment with this book.
THE first indication that I was going to hate this book, was within the first 20 pages. We meet this character named Lila who has a "dark" boyfriend. And she was using his darkness as a shove into her ex-boyfriends and families face?? Like they were supposed to be absolutely shocked that their white daughter would date a dark man. I WAS SO PUT OFF. I instantly was like BYE.

And then we have a character, I cannot even remember her name, I think it might be Sasha. But she's going to this funeral and she's trying to get dressed. And she's so worried about how sexy she'll look for this guy she hasn't even met. She was so wrapped up in her own beauty and worried about her body. And she has this attitude like it would be absolutely horrid if she wasn't skinny and wasn't good looking. I HATE CHARACTERS WHO ARE LIKE THIS.

There are soooo many problems with this book, and I won't list them because you know, spoilers. But I will say the books has some problems. I was super put off and just didn't want to finish it. THANKFULLY I MADE IT THROUGH AFTER ALMOST CRINGING MYSELF TO DEATH DURING THE LAST CHAPTER.

There were things I enjoyed about this book, but there were also a few flaws that caught my attention. However I have to say I was hoping for something that I would love as much at The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and unfortunately I don't think this novel was as strong.

Pros:
​-There was a POC.
-The novel was a quick and easy read.
-The idea and the family tree was interesting.

Cons:
-​The change between characters was VERY confusing and when you finally got it the book was over.
-I felt like the ending was too abrupt.
-There was this idea of "boys will be boys".

I was intrigued by the families and how they got around each other. Ray acted like an average guy, but at times it was just inappropriate? Ray and Sasha may not be related and at time they were definitely cute, but other times it felt somewhat incestuous?? I actually supported them for the majority of the time, until the end of the book where there relationship, family-wise, was much too close for them to like each other anymore.

This novel was definitely an intriguing read that I'm glad I picked up to experience its interesting setting. Although it was not the ultimate novel and it can be slightly unfair to compare this back to the classic The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, it did fall a bit short of my expectations, though I would still recommend others to give this book a try!

There were a lot of characters in this book and a WHOLE lot going on. I think I liked it though? I'm still not sure. It bounces all over the place from sentence to sentence. It's a bit of a hot mess but there were aspects I liked. Just not sure if it worked for me as a whole. It was a little too disjointed for my liking.

Thank you to Random House and Delacorte, as well as NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for this review.

I loved the Sisterhood of Traveling Pants. I was really excited to read this novel.

However, I could not get into this book. There are just too many characters, too many different perspectives, and I found that the writing lost me. I did not finish.

The premise for this book was promising! It sounded like it would be an interesting story of two young people navigating the strange family dynamics they've grown accustomed to since birth. And it was all of that. However, I felt like it really lacked character development for anyone. I didn't feel like I got to know any one character specifically at all, I didn't become attached to any of the characters, and trying to figure out who was telling the story at many points was just confusing. I felt like there were too many "main characters" competing in the entire book and it became a mess.
Honestly, maybe I expected too much from the book? Who knows, but I did have to push myself to finish it. I don't think I would recommend this book to friends.
Thanks to Netgalley, Ann Brashares, and Delacorte Press for the early look at this book.

I was a fan of the author's previous work, "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" series (book and movie) and thought I'd take a look at this one. And am I glad I did!

I loved the cover and the story inside. As a child of divorced parents, I know what it's like for Emma, Quinn, and Mattie. I loved how the story wasn't just centered from Ray or Sasha's point of view, but the half sisters as well. I loved the settings, and could imagine it. The story is very believable, and it kept me guessing and was never blunt in answering my questions.

I rate this book a 4 out of 5 stars (mainly because I'm not a fan of some of the foul language in it)

Sasha and Ray share three sisters, a summer job, and a bedroom at the family summer beach cottage, but they've never met. Before they were born, Sasha's dad was married to Ray's mom, but that marriage ended in disaster. Even though they are kept apart their whole lives, for the simple reason that her father and his mother can't stand to be in the same room, they still feel a connection. For years, they communicate almost subconsciously through shared objects in their bedroom. Then one summer, their paths finally cross. It winds up being a summer of drastic changes for their family dynamics.

This book is written in third person omniscient, which is a perspective choice I despise. More importantly, it's not done well here. There are a lot of characters, and the author bounces between their story lines often and rapidly. I don't feel like I got to know any of the characters. While it's stressed at least a dozen times that Ray and Sasha aren't related, but their relationship still feels wrong. The three older sisters they share have subplots that are pretty much snooze fests. All three of these women are adults: one of them is hiding a "big secret" that she's dating a nice, normal guy; one is a grown-up manic pixie type who is too good for this world (view spoiler); another is trying to find herself. The parents are clueless and cruel. The way Sasha is described in the book is a bit odd to me-- as having a tiny waist and large breasts (the state of her figure is mentioned more than once), and what makes her a "true beauty" is that boys don't seem to notice what a knockout she is (why would that matter?).

I don't think this is a YA book. While Ray and Sasha are both seventeen, the book focuses as much on the older sisters and the parents as it did them. I have not read Ann Brashares' previous work, so I don't know what I was expecting, but certainly not this. All in all, this book is filled with unnecessary and predictable drama, and is written in a style to match. The romance is a gray area, and there's nothing that makes up for it. It's an easy enough read, but I can't say I much enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed this! This is a story about a very complex family dynamic. Broken marriages, sharing of houses and children, two kids on two different sides of the family...not related...and drawn to each other beyond their control. This book tugged at my heartstrings. When the whole family is convinced to come together for a celebration, the night turns to tragedy. What a great reminder to love your family. Throughly enjoyed this!

If you're a fan of Ann Brashares, you won't be disappointed. This book is filled with love & hope, loss & grief. There's no shortage of dysfunctional family antics (think a YA/PG version of The Nest).

Some relationships lacked the character development you craved (Sasha & Ray). A couple of loose ends that leave you unsatisfied. Maybe a sequel to look forward to?

This is the story of two families sharing the same house due to an ugly divorce. Both parents have remarried and had subsequent children so there are yours, mine and ours but other than the shared sisters, the children born to the new parents never see each other and don't know anything about each other even though they share a room. So Sascha and Ray share a room and a bed but they don't know anything about each other, except what is in their shared room, until they meet unexpectedly. They share half sisters and share their lives but the parents have a relationship that is non-existent. Dad has money while mom and her new husband struggle and the children are somewhat used as pawns. When tragedy strikes, they all have to look at the secrets they have and what they all have in common.

Told from the perspective of the children, the book is hard to follow since there are no headings for the narrator so you're halfway into the paragraph when you realize it's a different speaker. That was a bit confusing but the actual story is one that is played out in homes everywhere.

A good solid read that many will appreciate - a good summer read - quick, solid and a good ending!

While I’ve watched and been inspired by Ann Brashares’ first series, Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, I’d never actually picked up the books to read them, and hence I’ve never experienced Ann’s writing style.

Which is why that is the first thing I’m going to talk about.

The writing was so… ethereal. It was subtle yet delivered its point all the way, it narrated but didn’t bore and HOLY CRAP I could spend years just reading the way Ann wrote this book, because of regardless of my problems with it, it was GORGEOUS WRITING.

What is this about?
Lila and Robert used to be married. They had three lovely daughters – Emma, Quinn and Mattie and then after an undisclosed falling out, they separated and go re-married to have children born one month apart – Ray and Sasha.

Their parents would do anything to avoid staying in the same room as each other – anything.

And so despite sharing three sisters, a house and a bedroom, Ray and Sasha have never met. They have a relationship that never existed; they’re deeply considered strangers.

Over the span of one summer, the lives of all five siblings will change. One will move on to another place, one will get married, two will fall in love and one will question who she is in a house they alternate, always split, never together.

“What if she’s unknowingly traded her greatest dread for her oldest wish?”

The things I LOVED about this book include the WRITING. Holy crap it was beautiful and enchanting and I wanted to wrap myself in it and never leave.

Another thing I LOVED was the simple complicatedness of everything. There was nothing far-fetched or unbelievable about this, and yet the web of everything was so intricately knotted that I JUST HAD TO KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT IT. I loved the basic premise of the story (even though it took me a while to get used to the names) and the characters.

Like I said, I did have a few problems.

The first was Sasha and Ray. I didn’t have an issue with the potential half incestuous thing, but what DID BOTHER ME was that THEY WERE SO IN LOVE WITH THE IDEA OF EACH OTHER and the whole FORBIDDEN FRUIT thing that they didn’t stop to see that THEY DIDN’T KNOW EACH OTHER. In the whole book, they would have had TEN DIRECT EXCHANGES, if even that. I don’t know WHAT that conclusion of theirs was, but UGH. DID. NOT. GET. IT.

I also hated what happened at the ending. As is switch viewpoints, everyone asked Quinn, “Did you plan it like this?” BECAUSE NO. NO, SHE DIDN’T PLAN IT. WHAT SENSE DOES THAT MAKE.

All in all, I was definitely captured by the magic of Ann Brashares. A poignant, beautifully written tale on what it means to be a family. 4 stars.

I did not finish this book as I did not engage with the characters or their story.

I really enjoyed this book. It is the first I have read this author and I am now interested to look into her other books. The only complaint I have is the ending seemed abrupt.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of this novel.

I didn't like the writing style, I felt it was a bit choppy & I couldn't get into the way the direction the story took.
I did like the characters and most of their interaction, but ultimately this wasn't for me; however, it could be for someone else.

Not my favorite...I had to keep going back to the family tree/timeline at the beginning to make sure I understood the family relationships. I appreciated parts of the book but to me it felt forced at times. There were also some strange comments thrown in that I thought I were unnecessary and a little off-putting.