Twisted Family Values by V.C. Chickering

☆☆☆☆
ebook, 352 pages
Published June 25th 2019 by St. Martin's Griffin
About the Book:
An unpredictable and entertaining tale of secrets, desires, and forgiveness spanning four generations of an American family. In WASPy Larkspur, New Jersey, social expectations and decorum rule, and Marjorie and Dunsfield Thornden are the envy of their neighbors. Their daughters Claire and Cat set the small town’s social calendar by throwing tastefully lavish family parties year round. Because it’s 1977, underage debauchery is to be expected—and Cat and Claire’s children, Bizzy and Choo, are at its very center. Underneath their well-maintained veneer, the Thorndens are quite dysfunctional, but have always had their entitlement to fall back on. And while some are finally ready to accept what they’re willing to give up for the life that they think they deserve, secrets that should’ve never been kept—especially not from each other—are bubbling unattractively to the surface. So when a scandal threatens to unravel this tight-lipped family and their secrets, the Thorndens will have to decide how much they’ll let decorum rule social mores dictate their decisions and how far they’ll go to keep some secrets just that. Any choice they make could mean freedom from expectations but will change the course of their family's legacy forever.

The title of this book is perfect, the family in this story is definitely twisted. And can I take a moment to say I absolutely love the cover!? Some readers may find this book funny, and there are some very humourous bits but I found it to be about a very mixed up family. It is filled with so many different aspects on life, the Thornden family is clearly dysfunctional. V.C. Chickering gives a clear message throughout this novel; it brings awareness to mental health, sexual assualt and alcoholism and it focuses on the effects it can have on people.

This book had great character development, we see Choo and Bizzy grow from babies to adults. I didn’t like some of the characters in this story, but I felt like I knew them, they all had such depth and so much depravity. Twisted Family Values is such a well-written novel. It sheds a light on a not-so-great functioning family. It describes the struggles that the kids had to endure from their parents, who, in fact, did not take care of their children in ways that they should have. This book is enlightening to new topics and has emotional scenes where you can sympathize or empathize with the characters.

This book shows the complexities of family life when the children are the adults and when the adults have made certain choices that at times seem selfish towards the children. On the overall an excellent read.

Thank you NetGalley, V.C. Chickering, St. Martin's Press and St. Martin's Griffin for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.

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