A review by hoodsicle
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Everything I Never Told You is expertly written, brilliantly developed, and lovingly conceived. Exploring notions of grief, identity, race, love, expectation, and the duty we have both to ourselves and to our families, this novel explores the complex and layered issues that surprised the Lee family after the unexpected death of their middle child, Lydia. This book is not only riveting by way of plot, but creates a cast of characters so complex and so intimately crafted that the reader has no choice but to come to love them as their own, understand their feelings as though a dear friend, and feel deep, personal investment in their journeys throughout the story. A gut-wrenching ode to family, to love, and to the difficult but necessary duties we have toward ourselves, Celeste Ng's book is one for the ages. 
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