Rating: 5/5
Blurb (taken from Goodreads):
Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet.
So begins the story in this exquisite debut novel about a Chinese American family living in a small town in 1970s Ohio. Lydia is the favorite child of Marilyn and James Lee, and her parents are determined that Lydia will fulfill the dreams they were unable to pursue. But when Lydia’s body is found in the local lake, the delicate balancing act that has been keeping the Lee family together is destroyed, tumbling into chaos.
A profoundly moving story of family, secrets, and longing, Everything I Never Told You is both a gripping page-turner and and a sensitive family portrait, uncovering the ways in which mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, and husbands and wives struggle, all their lives, to understand one another.
Review:
I very rarely review books that aren’t from Netgalley but I feel like this one deserved a short blurb. I loved Little Fires Everywhere (Ng’s latest book) so I was very excited about this one and boy did it deliver. Her books have a way of really hitting home that life is hard, but it is done in such a beautiful way. People aren’t perfect; people are messy; and this book can explore just how much families can depend on and hurt each other through their love for one another.
I read this book in only about two days – the writing just flows so beautifully. The mystery kept me on the edge of my seat while the truth that bled through the pages made me cry more than once.
I would say that this book deals with very hard topics so please bear that in mind before picking it up. If your mental health is doing well these days and you want a gripping read, however, I strongly recommend this book.
JulieLiterary 