The narrator tells us, “There is Lydia.” And then takes it back. For example, in this first quote, the reader sees his mother turn into Lydia and then turn back to Mom, just as Nath imagines. I like the parts when she uses her craft to really grab the reader’s attention and bring them into the moment. Although sometimes a little uninspired or too far-reaching in her metaphors, her writing is easy to follow and the way she frames the story kept me reading for more, although some parts do lull more than others.

But now I’m going to tell you why it was “pretty good.” The Writing Just because something’s not perfect doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still try it. Instead, I’ve thought it over, and my conclusion is: Everything I Never Told You is pretty good. The only reason I do this is because it saves me the trouble of wasting time deciding how many stars to give it, since it’s just a Goodreads review.īut since I’m actually writing a detailed review, and because I recently realized that I am far too nice in my reviews for fear of hurting anyone’s feelings, I am going to write with integrity and honesty I am not going to say that Everything I Never Told You is a phenomenal book, and it was beautifully written and masterfully structured. (I hope this doesn’t upset my book-reading peers who highly rely upon accurate Goodreads book ratings.) It’s not the best method, because then when I read a book I REALLY like, I have to rate it like all the books that were merely likable. So, going off on a slight tangent, here’s a fun fact about me: I give all the books I read and like five stars on Goodreads. I flew through this book, and despite how sad it made me, I enjoyed reading it. She studied at Harvard and earned her MFA at University of Michigan. Ng was raised in a family of scientists, and as a local to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Shaker Heights, Ohio, she commonly depicts the region in her writing. Everything I Never Told You is a novel that begins with the death of Marilyn and James’ middle (and favorite) child Lydia, and as her mom and older brother Nath swear to discover the root of her senseless death-her body having been discovered in the nearby lake-and as her dad and younger sister Hannah struggle to cope with her absence, a myriad of secrets within her family are unveiled.Įverything I Never Told You is Celeste Ng’s first published novel, and since its publication, she’s released a second novel, Little Fires Everywhere, which has been another widely acclaimed book. The Slanted Spines February book was Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng! In this haunting portrait of the Lee family, Ng illustrates a web of complicated relationships and unspoken emotional turmoil between the five members of a Chinese American household in smalltown Ohio during the 1970’s.

This book review is intended for readers who have already finished Everything I Never Told You! My analysis contains several spoilers.

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