Shut Up & Read

I read Everything I Never Told You to pull myself out of a book slump, and it worked, and not to mention this book is good!

This book is about the fallout within a Chinese American family living in 1970s small-town Ohio after Lydia, the couple’s favorite child, disappears and is later found dead in a nearby lake. The tragic event shatters the delicate balance that has held the family together, unraveling secrets, exposing unspoken tensions, and revealing the deep emotional struggles each family member faces.

It was my first time to encounter Celeste Ng and as someone who has been reading literary fiction, her writing is something I appreciate. The narrative explores the characters’ history now and then to make sense of the present predicament in their lives with special attention to the characters. The characters are richly developed, with distinct personalities that make them easy to identify. I appreciate it when an author pays such close attention to every character, making them memorable and significant. Celeste Ng did an exceptional job in this regard.

The pacing of this book is perfect. Although there is special attention to the characters, this has been still a page-turner. When you read literary fiction, it would often be towards characters rather than plot development so most of what I have read like Welcome To Hyunamdong Bookshop is very slow. But this one had a very delicate balance towards its characters, plot and the thrill that supposedly this genre evokes to its readers. So overall, this book did exceptionally well!

final thoughts…

I’m always amazed by thrillers because there’s often so much going on behind the scenes, beyond what’s immediately revealed on the page. This book excelled in its character development, giving each person so much depth. The pacing was also perfect—it kept me hooked from the beginning, helping me overcome my reading slump. I was able to finish it within four busy weekdays!

I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a fast-paced read to help them get over a book slump. I also enjoyed her writing style. This is a well-crafted novel, and I’m looking forward to reading more from Celeste Ng—perhaps Little Fires Everywhere.

Content Warning: cheating, suicide, and death.