Twisted Family Values

by V.C. Chickering

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.

Genres: Fiction

345 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 25, 2019

About the author

V.C. Chickering has written the novels TWISTED FAMILY VALUES (dysfunctional family saga, June 2019) and NOOKIETOWN (funny/racy romp, March 2017) both published by St. Martin’s Press. She’s also written for BUST as “Tori Galore,” Cosmo, and The Washington Post magazines as well as MTV, Comedy Central, Lifetime, and Oxygen. Her essays have been published in the anthologies The BUST Guide to the New Girl Order, and The Girl’s Guide to Taking Over the World. Chickering is currently at work on a romance series and lives in New Jersey where she writes and performs original clever/catchy tunes for her band, Tori Erstwhile and The Montys. Find her on Insta as @vcchickering. She's highly entertaining on the Insta.

Reviews

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review coming soon.

[Michaela · Rating 1 out of 5]

---Full disclosure: I received this book for free from Goodreads. ---

Dnf within the 1st chapter. Opening is a bunch of flat descriptions of character & place in a W.A.S.P. neighborhood back when everyone spent their days smoking & drinking, even around the kids. That went on for a while. Then the pre-pubescent cousins start making out & were on the verge of screwing each other in a closet w/ a whole pile of people in the house. That was when I nixed it. Didn't even make it out of the 1st ch. These are dull, selfish people & I'm just not up for reading about upper-class incest, shitty adults, & otherwise just spoiled humans.

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this book! It's title really captured the essence of what this book was about. I literally could not put it down. V C Chickering's command of character development and understanding was very evident throughout the novel. These flawed characters were really brought to life on every page and by the time I reached the book's conclusion, I felt as though I was part of this dysfunctional family, whether or not I wanted to be, "Twisted Family Values" was such an incredibly unique read that is totally incomparable to anything else I have read before. I highly recommend this hugely entertaining and worthwhile book and will be eagerly awaiting more from this exciting author!

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

[Lorrea - WhatChaReadin'? · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Always do your Thornden best!" This is the family motto in Twisted Family Values. This book travels over 30 years following the lives of two of the Thornden's, Elizabeth and Charles. Elizabeth "Bizzy", is the daughter to Claire, a no nonsense woman who is the queen of keeping up appearances. Charles "Choo" is the son of Cat, the person who everyone in the family can trust. These two are cousins and best friends and we get to see them conquer the world from the age of 12 until they reach their 40s. A lot of things they get into are not acceptable to their family, most of all Claire. Will these two be able to remain friends long into their lives, or will they just have to settle at being family?

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

When I read the description of this book, I was very excited to read it. The beginning hooked me in right away, but then throughout each section, there was a lull, a point where it felt like there was a bit too much information. There were also times when it was predictable, but I don't really have too much of an issue with that.

Everyone has drama in their family and I'm sure we all have an extended family member out there, who feels more like a friend or a sibling than a cousin or aunt or uncle. Bizzy and Choo are best friends, as they go through life, they lean on each other to learn different aspects of life, sometimes their friends and family don't understand their relationship, but they don't care.

Through their teens, college, and adulthood, this family goes through a lot, but will Biz and Charlie be able to survive it all and remain friends.

Good book and I will read more by this author.

[Booksandchinooks (Laurie) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to St Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an ecopy of this book for review. This was a well written book focusing on decades in the lives of an extended family. At times the story is a bit cringe worthy and uncomfortable and at other times heartwarming and humorous. One thing that is maintained throughout the book is that the family wants to maintain a facade to keep their social standing in the community. Unfortunately this leads to many secrets that affect some of the family members for decades. It was fun to see the family grow and change over so many years and to see how expectations changed over the years. This was such a dysfunctional family and there were always different issues coming up. Ultimately the family remained strong through the years and we see it come full circle. I enjoyed this book and I was definitely invested in some of the characters. If you like character driven books this is for you.

[C Bess · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the first page to last, I could not put this book down. Chickering conjures a WASP world that feels both real and outlandish in a family romp that hurtles headlong through several generations to a satisfying ending. "Twisted Family Values" is an offbeat novel has a little something for everyone: intrigue, taboo, romance, sex and plenty of laughs along the way. It's a fast-paced, sweetly funny take on a particular set of people doing their best to keep up appearances as the world changes around them in alarming ways. I especially appreciated all the wonderful details that immerse this novel in a time every GenX reader will recognize — with all the attendant music, lingo, food and customs — while exploring relationships between family members, friends and lovers in unexpected ways. The characters are well-developed and their transformations true enough that they feel like old friends by the end, which arrived too soon. Bring a sweater, you will stay all day at the beach to finish this one.

[Carin Ganjon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciated the unraveling of all the characters. A great reminder that every family has their secrets and issues not one is perfect. It was a delight to read fun reminders of times past. Looking forward to reading again this summer! A perfect beach read.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

By the end of this book I absolutely fell in love with this family. I would give this 5 stars but I wish that there would have been some kind of warning on the kissing cousins plot. But, I found I really wanted them together. This whole family is very near and dear to my heart and I think we can all see our families in them. I can’t wait to read more from this author. Impressive.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me laugh and made me think. It's a funny satire and it's the realistic depiction of family life.
It's a page turner you can't put down, entertaining and full of food for thought.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

[Robert Larson · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Twisted Family Values" is the second novel by author V.C. Chickering. Her first novel, "Nookietown" was a sexy, comic farce about a group of divorcees and their married friends and a highly unusual arrangement they reached. Happily... for a little while. In her second novel, Chickering changes gears and focuses on a two families of privilege and all the fighting, loving and forgiving that ensues over the decades. Chickering writes with flare and wit and captures the stylistic details of each decade as the characters find their way. I was happy to be there for the trip to see if love would find a way.

[Bookgypsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a firm believer in Love is Love but reading about cousins being romantically involved made me cringe a bit. I almost couldn't finish because it was a bit odd at times. But the writing was well done and I liked the characters; the plot was intriguing and it was a really good romance, if I ignored the family connections, so I kept reading. I'm so glad I decided to finish it! There's an unexpected plot twist that really ties the whole story together. It turned out to be a really sweet story.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Chickering's family dynamics. Yes, the relationships are uncomfortable and messy at times, but that’s life and I found that discomfort interesting.

This story is complicated, uncomfortable, and messy. In other words, it’s written for adults. Don’t bother if you’re going to be impatient or judge the characters—this is as honest as it gets and I liked that.

Beautifully nuanced, honest, and real.

[Karen McClellan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Sure the story gets uncomfortable but life is uncomfortable. The story flows well between the years and the characters are well developed. Enjoyable read, worth the time. Flows well between decades and I appreciate all of the appropriate references to the items, music, food that we all remember. You won't be disappointed.

[Estella Haines · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! It perfectly captures a series of decades in a family...you can relive the fashions, trends, social standards and cultural references. There are quips, comments and situations that have you laughing out loud. The characters are well developed and you want to find out what will happen next in this family saga. I can see this as being a great summer read.

[Elly Lonon · Rating 5 out of 5]

What’s not to love about this plucky, irreverent, and deliciously-twisted family? In turns salacious and sarcastic, the dialogue is laugh-out-loud funny. And those steamy sex scenes….hubba. What a fun romp through the suburbs (and the decades)! It’s the perfect beach (or snuggling on the couch in pajamas) read!

[Jessica Greenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, highly entertaining read about a NJ WASP family through the years. I couldn’t put it down!

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the sake of disclosure this is one of several books that I was unable to download in time because I had lent my kindle to my mother-in-law. I was able to track down a copy and read it finally.

First off, I love this cover, that and the title are what initially drew my attention and the book description solidified that interest. This book is not for everyone, there is a taboo subject that some will find a bit too much for their taste. Also this book is "sex positive" in that there is quite a bit of it and it can be descriptive. There is an assault so be warned if that is a trigger for you.

I have often stated in reviews my personal distaste for explicit detail of intimate situations and I stand by that. My rating will reflect that. That being said, this book is much more that. It is bizarre but not overly. It is interesting and the characters are first rate. The reader likely knows some people like this though perhaps not to this extreme. In every town there is some family considered the creme de la creme, the ones who "rule", the ones the others envy or at least they think they do. This is a peek into the private lives, the things hidden away, never to be referred to. I kept picturing this as a movie. Shades of The Royal Tennebaums, The Hotel New Hampshire came to mind along with Flowers in the Attic.

[Linda Zagon · Rating 4 out of 5]

V.C. Chickering, Author of "Twisted Family Values" has written an entertaining, unique, sexy, witty,  dysfunctional family novel. This has almost the feel of a satire and dark humor. The title says it all. In this novel are deep family secrets, scandals, and is quite unpredictable. The Genres for this novel are Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, and Women's Fiction. The author describes her dysfunctional characters as quirky, complicated, complex and dramatic. This certainly would make a good soap opera or series. The timeline for this story is a period of about 50 years. Larkspur, New Jersey is where the story takes place.

The Thornden family in an affluent part of New Jersey have many social parties and have priorities and expectations about the proper way to act. The two daughters Cat and Claire are as different as night and day. One sister is all about what is the proper thing to do and only cares what others think.  The other sister is kind and compassionate.  The two younger cousins  Bizzy and Choo are brought up to be close friends. BUT, not everything is as it seems to be. Is it? You have no idea!!!

I recommend this novel for those readers who enjoy reading an unusual, quirky story.

[Linda Zagon · Rating 4 out of 5]

V.C. Chickering, Author of "Twisted Family Values" has written an entertaining, unique, sexy, witty,  dysfunctional family novel. This has almost the feel of a satire and dark humor. The title says it all. In this novel are deep family secrets, scandals, and is quite unpredictable. The Genres for this novel are Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, and Women's Fiction. The author describes her dysfunctional characters as quirky, complicated, complex and dramatic. This certainly would make a good soap opera or series. The timeline for this story is a period of about 50 years. Larkspur, New Jersey is where the story takes place.

The Thornden family in an affluent part of New Jersey have many social parties and have priorities and expectations about the proper way to act. The two daughters Cat and Claire are as different as night and day. One sister is all about what is the proper thing to do and only cares what others think.  The other sister is kind and compassionate.  The two younger cousins  Bizzy and Choo are brought up to be close friends. BUT, not everything is as it seems to be. Is it? You have no idea!!!

I recommend this novel for those readers who enjoy reading an unusual, quirky story.

[Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story that manages to be hilarious while also striking straight for the heart. All of the characters were deep and enjoyable, but the cousins were my favorites. All of the elements come together to highlight that no family is perfect and we’re usually wrong when we think the grass is greener on the other side.

This unbiased review is based on a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.

[Andrea · Rating 1 out of 5]

An awful book about horribly selfish people doing horribly selfish things.

[Becky Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect summer read! This family soap opera travels through the decades with wit and an honest eye. I didn’t always like these characters or their actions, but I needed to find out what happened next. And isn’t that the hallmark of a great novel?

[Vnunez-Ms_luv2read · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very good read. This family puts the “d” in dysfunction. Well written and engrossing. I highly recommend this read. The characters were well thought out and interesting. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the arc of this book in return for my honest review. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on my review.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review."

Loved this book very much. It had just enough sweet, funny romance and the storyline was great! I highly recommend!

[Tom Gavula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twisted Family Values is the funniest most engaging story I've read in years. I was planning on a "beach read" over vacation but got so hooked I devoured it in two sittings. The story opens with a cast of characters, family and family friends, who then weave in and out of each others lives. Looping out and looping in until a crazy quilt is woven. Once I got started with these characters I couldn't put the book down wondering where they they were going next. They are sincere and ridiculous, bawdy and strait laced, all at the same time.
I highly recommend for a great fun read!

[Catherine Mack · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. A well to do family gradually learns through the years how to set aside pride and embrace and understand each other for who they are. This story is well written and flows through the decades in an easy to read manner. Loved the music references throughout the story. The characters are well developed. A family secret that the reader knows but the characters do not makes it a book one wants to keep reading. The complicated relationships of the family keeps it interesting. I laughed out loud picturing the part where Georgia was throwing all of Foster's belongings out the window on her 40th birthday. The quick witted banter between characters makes it fun to read. Will watch for more from the author.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twisted Family Values is a great book, but it is certainly not for everyone. Incredibly well-written, this novel takes morally ambiguous characters and makes them almost likable. There were many points in the book where I questioned my own morals in sticking with reading this book, yet Chickering's writing kept me engaged until the last page. There will certainly be triggers for some while reading this book (incest, sexual assault), but those who are able to look past these subjects matters are sure to enjoy this book.

[Amy Zlatic · Rating 4 out of 5]

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

Hooked on this almost from the very beginning. The characters quickly drew me in and had me thinking about them even when I wasn't reading, which to me is a sign of a good book. There were parts that made me just burst out laughing, and other parts - the family dysfunction stuff - that hit close to home. I think anyone with a family (and that's almost all of you) will find something to relate to in this book. It's a quick, easy read that is highly entertaining, and I can see this becoming a hit for book clubs. It's super rich with material to discuss...might even take more than one meeting since there are so many juicy nuggets to dig into. Three cheers for Nana Miggs. We should all be so lucky have a Nana Miggs in our life.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should be required beach reading! Intensely funny and always surprising, Chickering adeptly captures the ‘80s through the trials and travails of one classic family. While the story keeps the book in your hand, the quick wit and well crafted banter will keep you entertained from the first page to the last. The only reason this book isn’t in your beach bag is you can’t put it down. Highly Recommended.

[Bookybethw · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was able to read this book thanks to NetGalley. I was thoroughly entertained by this quirky novel. I enjoyed the family dynamics as well as the fun cultural references and romance. It’s a fairly easy read that is perfect for upcoming summer vacation. I will be recommending to friends. Thanks again for the chance to read it.