The Whole Thing Together by Ann Brashares

by LiterallyLenny - 11:53 AM

What's it about?

"Summer for Sasha and Ray means the sprawling old house on Long Island. Since they were children, they’ve shared almost everything—reading the same books, running down the same sandy footpaths to the beach, eating peaches from the same market, laughing around the same sun-soaked dining table. Even sleeping in the same bed, on the very same worn cotton sheets. But they’ve never met.

The choices we make come back to haunt us; the effect on our destinies ripples out of our control…or does it? This summer, the lives of Sasha, Ray, and their siblings intersect in ways none of them ever dreamed, in a novel about family relationships, keeping secrets, and most of all, love." - Goodreads Synopsis

My Thoughts:

This reminded me a lot of We Were Liars and I think that’s why I didn’t enjoy it so much. It just seemed like something I had already read. Granted, there are many differences between the two, but the whole “rich family drama” thing was very much the same. I guess I struggle enjoying those types of plots because I in no way can relate to anything that is going on. Nor do I even have any ounce of sympathy for rich people and their family dramas.

Storyline:

I really enjoyed the relationship that formed between Ray and Sasha, as it was them against their family. But that’s almost where my enjoyment for the book ended. I had a really hard time getting through this book because it was just so difficult to read. There were too many characters, too many jumps in scenes with no introduction, and it was really difficult to keep track of what was happening with who.

Overall, I gave this book 2/5 stars. I had really high hopes for this, but alas, it felt short and I was left disappointed.