I hesitate to ever give less than 2 stars on a book and especially when I think it is a case of "not a bad book but a bad book FOR ME."  Then again, I'm not entirely sure I know anyone personally who would love this one.  For one thing, it is a massive book at over 500 pages with a big cast (the main family alone is 6 people) and multiple POVs and hitting a lot of topics that would be triggers for people (death, eating disorders, depression, miscarriage, drug use, alcohol, cheating).  It is not a badly written book and Lombardo clearly put effort and thought into her characters.  She knows them, knows their motivations, their thoughts, their desires.  The good, the bad, and the ugly.  She weaves together all of the storylines until you get as tidy a bow at the end as a family drama ever gets.  This is good and takes skill.

Unfortunately, in giving these characters such clear life, Lombardo also made the book unpalatable to me.  Hardly anyone in this book was likeable.  Even the ones you could feel sympathy for were still headaches.  The drama was shared around widely like some bizarre merry-go-round where I went into each chapter wondering which character I would loathe the most in that round.  Jonah, the poor kid, usually stayed under my umbrella of protection because he honestly had a rough foundation from the get-go (but I totally guessed who his dad was and was relieved that it wasn't the Most Drama Causing One - only the second most).  Also Violet's poor kids - she's 100% giving Wyatt every chance at a really lovely anxiety disorder.  But the others?  It was like watching multiple train wrecks at once.  Some were not avoidable.  Some definitely were.  

Maybe it's me, maybe it's the time (you know, this oligarchy-favoring hellscape), but it was certainly not the most fun I ever had reading about a cis white upper-middle-class family with loving (yes, we get it, you'd save at least 100 pages if you stopped writing it) parents who all managed to screw themselves and people around them spectacularly.

The differences between the sisters, who were raised in the same environment and take very different directions in "The Most Fun We Ever Had," skillfully balances family bonds and drama. The story unfolds across two timelines, following the Sorenson sisters from childhood through adulthood. The engaging narrative, despite being raised in the same environment, the sisters take very different paths in life, keeps the readers intrigued and highlights their contrasts. 

This book, a substantial 624 pages, may seem daunting at first, but it proved to be a fast, page-turning read, keeping me engaged from start to finish. 

Book read: Audio/Libby; paperback/bookstore 

Very enjoyable the way the story jumps through time for all of its characters, so your constantly unfolding bits of the past that help you capture the details of their relationships. Constant discovery in that way. I found Wendy and Jonah to be a few of my favorite voices.  Love this book. 

The writing of this book is reason enough to read it. I found myself immediately enthralled by the first chapter and wanting to know what else this author could possibly have to say about this dysfunctional, typical family going about their lives. If you grew up with siblings (specifically sisters) this is one that you should consider reading at your own introspective peril. Not for the weak of heart, this book had me viewing myself and my family in a light I didn’t really want to, especially at the beginning of the year. Am I happy I read it? Yes! Will I read it again? Dear god, no.