The Sunshine Sisters

Available: Now

Seriously – I waited like a year for this??? If I wanted to read about seriously dysfunctional families that barely interact with one another but all come together miraculously at the end when someone dies I’ll interact with my husband’s family thank you very much. The sisters are not likeable as adults and the mother, albeit with honorable intentions of making everything better, still makes it all about her. This wasn’t the typical Jane Green novel that I love and it wasn’t the sunny, fluffy beach read I was hoping for.

What I loved: I liked Meredith the best out of the three sisters – at least she seemed real and was trying in life instead of withdrawing completely like Nell or expecting everyone to fall at her feet and sail through life without consequences like Lizzy. Meredith realized that she needed to get away and then strived to find balance between a “serious” job and per passion for art. Sure she was a closet binge eater, but we all have that one thing we hide from everyone else.

What I didn’t love: The men throughout the entire novel seemed like an afterthought. Don’t know what to do with Dad so poof – he’s gone. Nell’s boyfriend? One scene and she’s pregnant two years later? Sean and James just add fuel to the Lizzy fire and Meredith’s fiancé is a d-bag. River is the only one who seems to have his head on his shoulders correctly (Nell seemed to have done something right) but he’s not there so why bother?

What I learned: Just a little more about ALS than I already knew and I wish I could have learned more instead of this being a by-product of the plot.

Overall Grade: C