Review: Everything We Ever Wanted

Title: Everything We Ever Wanted
Author: Sara Shepard
Published: October 2011
Source: Once Upon A Twilight Book Tours


Synopisis: BN.com

A recently widowed mother of two, Sylvie Bates-McAllister finds her life upended by a late-night phone call from the headmaster of the prestigious private school founded by her grandfather where her adopted son Scott teaches. Allegations of Scott's involvement in a hazing scandal cause a ripple effect, throwing the entire family into chaos. For Charles, Sylvie's biological son, it dredges up a ghost from the past who is suddenly painfully present. For his wife Joanna, it forces her to reevaluate everything she's hoped for in the golden Bates-McAllisters. And for Scott, it illuminates harsh truths about a world he has never truly felt himself a part of.

But for all the Bates-McAllisters, the call exposes a tangled web of secrets that ties the family together: the mystery of the school hazing, the event that tore Charles and Scott apart the night of their high school awards ceremony, and the intended recipient of a certain bracelet. The quest to unravel the truth takes the family on individual journeys across state lines, into hospitals, through the Pennsylvania woods, and face-to-face with the long-dormant question: what if the life you always planned for and dreamed of isn't what you want after all?

Review:

I usually love Sara Shepard, I think she is an amazing writer and enjoy her books a lot. Except there was something about this book that I couldn't get through. It makes me extremely sad when I can't finish a book because it makes me feel like I'm letting down the author, and Yara from Once Upon a Twilight.

I got about 70 pages in and the book just wasn't holding my attention. My thing with books is if they don't hold my attention by page 50, I'm done. I have given the book ample time to get interesting and captivate me, so if it doesn't then sorry! You're done! 

That's what happened with Everything We Ever Wanted. I couldn't follow the book and when I can't follow a book I get confused and give up. The beginning started out well enough, but I got the characters confused and the flashbacks were mixed in and all jumbled up. Or at least to me. 

The characters were very static. They didn't seem to have any motivations, just were dull and life-less. They acted like they didn't care about anything and were a happy go lucky family in an old creepy house.

The synopsis had originally captured my attention. It seemed mysterious and interesting, but none of that was evident in the book. In the pages I read, they were just covering up everything and ignoring the White Elephant in the room. 

 Thank you Yara for giving me the opportunity to read it. I might pick it up again at a later time, but for right now it doesn't interest me. In no way am I telling you not to read this book. It's not highly recommended by me and not my cup of tea. Remember that I am a book blogger and this is my opionion. It wasn't meant to hurt anyone and 
~~Sam