Everything I Never Told You By Celeste Ng
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Web ID: 2133405Ratings & Reviews
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10 reviews
Sad story about grief
A slow-burn tragic story that takes place in 1960s/1970s and centers around a dysfunctional, mixed race Asian American family who experiences racism and discrimination at every turn. The prose felt pretty detached as there’s a lot of exposition in past tense and flashbacks to explore the family’s history, so it was hard to empathize or relate to any of the characters. After all, most of the events are in the past, so there are no stakes. To be honest, this story is pretty mentally taxing to read as it also deals with heavy topics around grief, depression, societal pressures, and the weight of parental expectations. The story also starts off with dramatic irony in that no one in the family was aware Lydia, the middle daughter, was dead, which maintains a constant feeling of discovery to uncover the mystery behind her death. However, this writing strategy requires a lot of patience, especially when readers have yet to connect with any of the characters. Once you get to the end, I would say the story is worth it but it does take effort to get there.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
INCREDIBLY TOUCHING
Brought me to tears, it's the best book I've ever read. Definitely recommend!!! 100/10
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Good read, difficult topic
I really enjoy Celeste Ng's writing. This was a good read and I think it reflects the lived experience of many immigrants. Well worth the read.
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Everything I Never Told You Book Review
Lydia’s life makes me very sad. Playing pretend in so many different ways to satisfy her family. Nathan, so smart and his accomplishments go unnoticed. Jack, at blame, when he loved Lydia for who she truly was. Marilyn and James trying their best to raise a family with the means that they have but wondering if it was good enough. Both of them hiding their own secrets. Was Lydia’s death a suicide or a mere accident while trying to face what is her life?
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
This book is misunderstood.
Although I have not finished reading the book, I have read many of the reviews. I will agree with some and say this book is not a thriller, however, it is mysterious. The characters aren't likable and that is the point. The book is sad and can only be understood if you put yourself into the shoes of each and every character in the novel as they live their lives in the 1970s. Yes, the overarching themes of the novel are pressed into the reader in every chapter, but that is the point. The lack of communication and the conflicts between the dysfunctional family enforce the title: "Everything I Never Told You". This book is not about how "real" it is to the reader because the plot was not written to relate to the audience. The book is supposed to highlight racism, child trauma, love, parental pressures, and everyday miscommunications that can build up to destroy a family. It may be annoying, but it's not a happy book and for someone who only reads romance, this book deserves a higher rating.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Unfiltered and heart-wrenching
I LOVED this book and its rawness. If you're looking for some story that could never be based on real life, this is not for you. The themes of racism, classism, sexism, and the expectations put on each person in society's macrosystem is central to the story, and all is seen in the struggles faced within this one family. I have been looking for books similar and just as emotional, though have been unsuccessful. Truly one of a kind. For reference, my typical interests include realistic fiction, mystery, social justice, poetry, and psychology. This one hits them all.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Beautiful, tragic, unstoppable
You slowly realize what happened and as a parent, it's a nightmare. I related to the characters, the way siblings understand each other without saying a word. The hopes and dreams the parents have are what every parent has. I found the family to be completely relatable. I was a little confused with the way the story is written, but I appreciated it in the end. The flashbacks allow the reader to know the deceased character. I hurt for Lydia.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
For those that loved "Little Fires Everywhere"
A riveting book about a Chinese American family living in Ohio that struggles with an unforeseeable tragedy that happens in their family. Lydia, the middle and favorite child of Marilyn and James Lee, is missing and found dead in the local lake. The book jumps back in time giving the history of how the family came to be and then current day of how they are dealing with Lydia’s death. No one seems to know exactly what happened, was it suicide, was it an accident, was it the neighbor boy, Jack, that she started hanging out with. The story will keep you enticed and string you along with the plot to discover what happened. Each family member (maybe except the youngest sibling Hannah) has their own set of secrets and methods of deception. Their family dynamic is extremely intense, moments of harmony and bliss are few and far between. I loved the setting of the 1970s, all the nostalgia just came rushing back for me. The telephones with the corkscrew cords attached, being able to pick up the phone in another room and hear someone’s conversation, Loves Baby Soft Perfume, TV Dinners, swim lessons at the YMCA. For me, the most moving excerpt from the novel, “Everything that she wanted for Lydia, which Lydia had never wanted but had embraced anyway…Perhaps - and this thought chokes her - that had dragged Lydia underwater at last.” If you have read “Little Fires Everywhere” by Celeste Ng, then you will be completely engrossed by “Everything I Never Told You.” Thank you to Penguin Press for starting the Read-A-Long campaign on Twitter! This book has been on my shelf for awhile and this actually prompted me to pick it up. I think it was quite apropos that I read “Everything I Never Told You” now, with James (Chinese) and Marilyn (white) being in a mixed race marriage and raising biracial children in the 1970s. It just seems so relevant and significant to our current time, especially considering all the incidents of racism and violence against people of Asian descent. This is not a light read, but it is emotionally moving and the storyline moves at a great pace, it will keep you intrigued, and the book is just under 300 pages. This is the first physical book I have read in a long time and I forgot how much I missed dog-earing pages and underlining significant passages. My physical book addiction is definitely back in full force.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com