All We Ever Wanted

All We Ever Wanted  by Emily Giffin (2018) 331 pages

Finch Browning, a senior from a private high school, has just found out that he's been accepted into Princeton. However, a scandal arises when he sends our a photo from a party. The photo shows sophomore Lyla Volpe lying on a bed, apparently drunk, in a short dress with a breast mostly exposed. A caption on the photo refers to a green card, which some see as racist, since Lyla is half Brazilian. This touches off an investigation at the school, and if Finch is suspended, it's possible that his admission to Princeton could be rescinded.

Alternating points of view are those of Lyla, her father, Tom, and Nina Browning, Finch's mother. Lyla just wants the adults to ignore the whole issue. Tom, her father, is furious and wants justice, hoping, but not at all sure whether a rich kid like Finch will be held accountable. Tom is not wealthy, and he is regretting getting Lyla into this private school that seems to be filled with students who have way too much money. Nina doesn't know what to believe, but she's fearful that the story about Finch is true, which seems to mean that he is turning out more like his father, someone who thinks his wealth means he can do whatever he wants. She wants justice for Lyla, who reminds her of her own younger self, who was assaulted in college.

The storyline evolves and it's not clear what really happened, whether Finch is taking the rap for someone else, or whether he's responsible for the photo. I sometimes wondered why I was reading this book, but as the possibilities emerged, and the main characters tried to view the multiple ways to see the situation, I needed to see the story through to the end.