A review by smillas_tales
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
It’s been ages since I was last really surprised by a book, but this blew my expectations WAY OUT of the water!!!
I only picked this up cause I found it at a secondhand bookshop, and I didn’t actually have super high hopes, but it was INCREDIBLE! I flew through it in two days, and was absolutely hooked from start to end.
Not only is Ng a truly phenomenal writer, it’s also such a heartbreaking and well-plotted story centered around generational trauma, complex family relationships and racism in the 1970s’ small-town America. It really, truly shattered my heart!!
We follow the Lee family through a split timeline, telling the story of everything leading up to and following the death of the oldest daughter, Lydia, and while every character is flawed and hurt one another, I felt deeply for all of them by the end!!
The story unfolds slowly (perfectly) and we get gradual insights into each character and their motivations, and while there aren’t any big tragic reveals, it was still absolutely gut-wrenching!
I honestly have nothing bad to say about this book, cause I just loved it SO SO MUCH! So if you enjoy character centered stories and it sounds even a little like something you’d enjoy, hurry up and give it a shot!!
I only picked this up cause I found it at a secondhand bookshop, and I didn’t actually have super high hopes, but it was INCREDIBLE! I flew through it in two days, and was absolutely hooked from start to end.
Not only is Ng a truly phenomenal writer, it’s also such a heartbreaking and well-plotted story centered around generational trauma, complex family relationships and racism in the 1970s’ small-town America. It really, truly shattered my heart!!
We follow the Lee family through a split timeline, telling the story of everything leading up to and following the death of the oldest daughter, Lydia, and while every character is flawed and hurt one another, I felt deeply for all of them by the end!!
The story unfolds slowly (perfectly) and we get gradual insights into each character and their motivations, and while there aren’t any big tragic reveals, it was still absolutely gut-wrenching!
I honestly have nothing bad to say about this book, cause I just loved it SO SO MUCH! So if you enjoy character centered stories and it sounds even a little like something you’d enjoy, hurry up and give it a shot!!