"Sometimes you just can't see the things that are the closest to you."

All We Ever Wanted was a very thought-provoking read that addresses timely and pertinent subject matter for today's society and technological age. At first glance, Nina Browning seems to have it all. She is rich, focusing on doing charity work and her son has been accepted to Princeton. She has the kind of "ideal" life that others envy. Yet, she finds herself embroiled in a scandal that she never thought would happen to her. Her son, Finch, snaps a revealing photo of Lyla, his drunken underage classmate who is a scholarship student at the prestigious Windsor Academy. He captions the photo with a racist comment and shares it amongst his friends. The photo spreads throughout their upper class, privileged student body causing controversy amongst the students and parents.

The book's chapters are told in alternating voices/point of views. This made for an engrossing story as different tidbits were revealed by each character but also made you doubt everything - as we were left pondering whose version was actually true. I love how Giffin focused on the emotions of each character from their perspective as they dealt with the aftermath of the photo. We saw Lyla's struggle to be accepted in this upperclass world. We saw Nina question how money and privilege affected her choices and parenting style. Through her husband, we saw how ruthless and cold money can make a person. What happens when you are forced to see your partner and ultimately your child in a different light and you don't like what you see?

Life is full of choices. We face countless of them on a daily basis. Some are simply more far reaching and profound than others. As parents, we try to instill our children with the morals and ethics they need to make the right decisions. Ultimately, the choices and decisions they make are up to them and they have to deal with the consequences of their actions. As a parent I found this book thought provoking, especially the social media aspect which is so relevant today. I couldn't help but think about what I would do and feel if I were Nina or Lyla's dad, Tom. This one was engaging from beginning to end and made you think about the dynamics of marriage, money & power, morals & ethics and parenthood.