Everything I Never Told You
The acclaimed debut novel by the author of Little Fires Everywhere and Our Missing Hearts "A taut tale of ever deepening and quickening suspense." --O, the Oprah Magazine "Explosive . . . Both a propulsive mystery and a profound examination of a mixed-race family." --Entertainment Weekly
"Lydia is dead. But they don't know this yet." So begins this exquisite novel about a Chinese American family living in 1970s small-town Ohio. Lydia is the favorite child of Marilyn and James Lee, and her parents are determined that she 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 them into chaos. A profoundly moving story of family, secrets, and longing, Everything I Never Told You is both a gripping page-turner 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.
"Lydia is dead. But they don't know this yet." So begins this exquisite novel about a Chinese American family living in 1970s small-town Ohio. Lydia is the favorite child of Marilyn and James Lee, and her parents are determined that she 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 them into chaos. A profoundly moving story of family, secrets, and longing, Everything I Never Told You is both a gripping page-turner 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.
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Community Reviews
This one surprised me for sure. I expected a slight mystery about a girl who is missing and what I got was an exploration of family relationships, parental expectations, and loneliness.
The author has created characters so real and so relatable that I feel weird finishing the book and not being able to check in on them to see where they are now.
These characters resonate with my soul, especially Lydia. She is quite possibly the most heartbreaking character I've come across for a while.
She's a teen struggling to figure out who she is and what she wants while also balancing (too much) pressure from her parents and their expectations. And her parents have so many problems of their own, her mom's regret and missed life experiences and her dad's constant pressure to be popular and have friends, these things weigh heavily on her, who really just wants to please them. They are really not great parents if I'm being honest here. Sure they may not be the worst but they're definitely not what I would consider good parents either. This reflects not only in Lydia, but in her two siblings as well. Nath and Hannah both are also products of their parents flaws, these poor kids will definitely need therapy for different reasons in their lives.
This is the second book I've read by this author and it's been a min since I read the last one but I do remember being moved by that as well. I would definitely recommend anything she writes, just be prepared for something way more moving than you're expecting.
I was so emotional after I finished reading this one, it's ending was such a rollercoaster for me. Had to rethink half of my life after it, but in a good way.
Content warning for death, violence, suicide, racism, and related topics. This wasn't the book for me, but I know exactly why. It's a slow, character driven book about identity. There isn't much plot to speak of, it just isn't the point of the book. I liked some of the characters, especially how the siblings related to one another. But overall, not my favorite book from Ng.
the author did an excellent job of portraying a family’s grief after suddenly losing a loved one. i read this in one night! i couldnt put it down!
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