All We Ever Wanted: A Review

All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

All We Ever Wanted is worthy of the buzz it's receiving this summer. I had a hard time putting this one down, but I did on occasion to process the story. It is riveting and thought-provoking and so very current.

With alternating points of view (a favorite literary device of mine), we gradually learn the truth of what happened that night: the night when Tom's daughter and Nina's son are involved in a scandal that threatens their peace of mind, their sense of safety, and their very futures.

Teens, alcohol, and Snapchat are a dangerous triumvirate. As a high school teacher, I know how prevalent social media is in many teens' lives, Snapchat in particular (and yes, I've been on there without my permission, so there's that as well). And while I and other teachers have preached and taught the lessons about responsible digital citizenship and the permanence of online presence, I often sense an ignoring of those lessons and at the same time a sense of entitlement among my students. Until it happens to them, they don't really seem to care.

All We Ever Wanted shows us what can happen, and how justice is not always served in the way we believe it should be. It also shows us in this age of #metoo that we cannot judge based upon outward appearances (and dare I say, Facebook and Instagram photos), and that each of us is a walking library of stories and experiences.
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FTC Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book on NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.