All the Things We Don’t Talk About was a thoughtful, modern coming-of-age story.
We follow Morgan, a nonbinary teen navigating their first romantic relationship, and Julian, their autistic father struggling to find the best way to support his child. Their balance is disrupted as Morgan’s estranged mother Zoe tumbles into their lives once again. And our fourth POV comes from Zoe’s partner Brigid, who has developed a long-distance friendship with Julian over the years.
So … it's complicated. Add in Zoe’s struggle with alcoholism (and Morgan’s deep desire for acceptance) and you can see that this family is teetering on the edge of huge conflict.
The topics are heavy and the characters are complex (even Zoe, who typically serves as the antagonist, has an honest POV & you get to peek deeper into her behavior). But the characters are treated with care, and there are so many tender moments that kept me reading.
I appreciated that the characters’ identities (Morgan’s gender identity & Julian’s neurodivergent identity) are not used as big plot points/major sources of turmoil. Instead, they are deeply woven into the characters’ POVs and lives and written with nuance. Julian’s ability to parent is never in question. Morgan’s pronouns are respected.
I really wanted more time with Julian - I would have loved more backstory into his journey as a single parent, raising Morgan and learning routines together and navigating life.
Sometimes the writing was a bit dry. It was generally very raw & felt authentic, but there were times when Feltman was building up to a conflict where the pacing felt off/the scenes dragged. I was also confused at times about the space between scenes.
Finally, I felt the ending was a bit too quick, and too much was left unresolved. Not that things have to be tied up in a neat little bow - but I wanted a bit more closure around certain plotlines. And I felt disappointed & saddened about some major decisions made by the characters.
Overall, this was a caring portrait of a complex family. It gave me room to reflect on some dynamics in my own life. It was powerful and tender and an engaging read.
CW: addiction, alcoholism, abandonment, car accident, mass/school shootings, medical content, drug use, animal cruelty, death, death of grandparent, classism, emotional abuse, grief, gun violence, injury, medical content, mental illness, transphobia, toxic relationship, pregnancy (mentioned), abortion (mentioned)
(I received a free review copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Abortion