Reviews with content warning for Mental illness - Everything You Ever Wanted

I’m confused and sad. What just happened. I was heavily invested. Iris and her world gripped me, I found myself taken by this book. I desperately hope for a happily ever after. I realise, now, the beauty of life… even though it’s not perfect, it’s all we have.

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radtj's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This book did a really great job at describing the monotony that comes with managing a shitty job, friend and family relationships, and also depression/anxiety. It really hammers in what that feels like day in and day out.

I also agree with another comment that talked about how the author does a good job of showing passive vs active suicidal ideation through our main character.

Over all, a quick read and very thought-provoking plot. That leaves the reader thinking about whether or not they’d make the similar choices if put in the same position as our MC.

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malsbang's review

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adventurous emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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miles's review against another edition

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sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

It's... fine. Dystopian, as I knew it would be from the blurb. I really need to stop reading/believing comments on the cover because the one that made me pick up the book now was simply not true. It reads, 'Uplifting, unputdownable and mordantly funny. A brilliantly relatable and ambitious ode to the humdrum and the sublime; a truly original novel that captures the pleasures and displeasures of modern, earthly life.' Especially for the first sentence. But the novel is neither, certainly not uplifting or funny in any way. Which is fine, but annoying when you go in with the expectation that it will be and with the want for something uplifting and funny. What you're met with instead is a deep permeating sadness and emptiness.

Iris, the protagonist, is depressed and suicidal and goes to live on Nyx to escape Earth, in the hopes of finding a more meaningful existence. This, of course, doesn't happen and Nyx quickly turns out to be an empty, boring, sad existence. The Nyxians miss Earth and many of the seemingly insignificant things. All the things they were promised (organically grown food, that more humans would follow and bring supplies etc.) are good for about a year and then supplies are running out, nobody follows and they receive less food every day, slowly starving to death. Unsurprising, to be honest. It is, after all, a dystopian novel and from the beginning I didn't think anything good could come from going to Nyx. The sameness of every day, of the never-changing landscape, of not being able to go outside and feel the sun or the breeze or rain, quickly becomes boring and oppressing. As I said: the novel is fine. Not much more than that, though.

Personally, I don't find Iris relatable, but rather annoying and I honestly don't care about her or any of the other side characters. Which, of course, makes it difficult to care for the novel as a whole. It all felt a bit superficial to me; nothing felt real. Sure, Iris's Earth existence is meant to feel like that because that's how she feels, but even Iris's depression and suicidal ideations feel flat and unimportant. Maybe that's the point? I don't know.

Considering how many dystopian novels there are, this one doesn't feel particularly original, either. The idea is interesting, but to me the novel focuses too much on Iris's Earth life. I enjoyed the switching between Nyx and Earth in the first two chapters and think it would have been more compelling to keep that up, or to at least include more instances of Iris commenting on the past on Earth from Nyx with asides. The Nyx part feels too rushed to build proper tension as to what is happening and the ending also falls flat as barely anything is explained. It leaves it open-ended, as in many dystopian novels but, instead of stimulating speculation about what happened, it feels very forgettable. Which is a shame, because the idea had a lot of potential, but it just didn't land for me.

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thepermageek's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A devastatingly emotional take on the heartbreak/loneliness that would likely accompany a one-way trip to another planet.

FYI The book literally left me in tears….probably best to read it only when yr in an emotionally stable state, as it’s got lots of themes of depression, suicide, alienation, isolation, etc.

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jmmreads's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

this is a perfect mix of literary fiction & sci-fi. the story follows iris, a deeply depressed woman who decides to leave earth permanently to live on nyx, a newly discovered planet where there will be no social media, no drinking, a community with purpose and no contact with earth where the residents are stars of a big brother style reality show broadcast on earth. It was fascinating to read about her life on earth and on nyx and to explore what it would be like to truly leave your life behind. anyone who likes black mirror would enjoy this book.

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miriameckl's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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saskia_ej's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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