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romeoreadssometimes's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
While not as good as Little Fires Everywhere, this book is still fantastic and worth the read!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Racism, and Racial slurs
encryptedorchardpest's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Child death
rosieryel's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
really beautifully written, i loved how the various flashbacks and present scenes and repeated moments were woven together, i especially loved how strong the characterization was - all 5 family members felt so real and believable fully fleshed out and somehow consistent while also being allowed to contradict as real people do and sympathetic and understandable even while making mistakes and hurting each other and the family dynamics were so painfully well-presented. surprisingly didn’t make me fully cry though i got very close many times. i feel like maybe the ending was a little anticlimactic it maybe could’ve done a little more but honestly considering there’s barely a plot i don’t even know what that would mean and it fits fine with the meandering kind of reflective tone of the rest of the book
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs
Moderate: Child death
likkida's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
4.75
Wäre definitiv eine 5, wenn ich nicht die ganze zeit so mega wütend auf die Entscheidungen mancher Charaktere gewesen wäre. Wollte eigentlich erst nur 4 geben, aber als dann endlich ab Seite 200 auch Queerness thematisiert wird, musste es so hoch bewertet werden wie das halt mit Marilyn als Charakter möglvih ist ne ?
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Death
Minor: Medical content, Racial slurs, and Suicide
michaelion's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Heartbreaking in a way that makes you smile? Or maybe I'm just a little skewed. It's so real. The beauty of the writing style alone hooked me but the story? Too real. There's a paragraph where mom is thinking about Lydia and how she can mold her future and everything her daughter is going to be that she couldn't and in the middle Hannah is mentioned, as mom is pregnant, and so quickly is she forgotten. She is sandwiched between Marilyn and Lydia, in story and in sentence, just barely acknowledged, but nothing more. That's only ONE example of the writing that had me hooked much earlier than that scene. So painful. And despite everything that happens the family loves each other so much, in a bad, terrible, abusive and abused way, but as the title shows, none of them know how to tell each other that. None of them know how to be better to each other, but they all want to. I fucking love it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Abandonment, Racism, Racial slurs, Sexism, Xenophobia, Death, Bullying, Child abuse, Grief, and Infidelity
Moderate: Misogyny, Blood, Physical abuse, Body horror, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Outing, Alcohol, Suicide, and Vomit
mx_sunshine's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Death, Racial slurs, Abandonment, and Infidelity
Moderate: Death of parent, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Sexual content and Bullying
sarahsbooklore's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
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
This book is devastating. The characters are all so real and broken and lost. I went from loving them, to being so mad at their choices, to understanding them more deeply. It was a whirlwind, just like with the actual messy people who are closest to me.
Also, without spoiling anything, this ended on a hopeful note, so don’t let it’s sad reputation dissuade you from reading!
Also, without spoiling anything, this ended on a hopeful note, so don’t let it’s sad reputation dissuade you from reading!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Infidelity, and Child death
Moderate: Racial slurs and Alcohol
shedasortareads's review against another edition
sad
tense
slow-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
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Child death
phantomgecko's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Everything I Never Told You is aptly named because none of the characters talk to each other in the whole book. There's dialogue, but no one is saying anything important and especially not what they're thinking. The reader knows what they're thinking because that's most of the book.
At one point, I remember thinking, this is the most depressing book I've ever read. And I was reliving some wild childhood traumas. (Though my childhood was blessedly different than this dysfunctional mess, I still resonated strongly with some of the sentiments of all three children.)
But it honestly gets better. The ending is hopeful though still sad. It does leave you feeling bereft tho (my favorite kind of novel takeaway.)
The "twist" in Lydia's death felt like missing a step on the stairs. I was so so so certain that she just straight up killed herself. But to find out it was actually an accident... Oof.
At one point, I remember thinking, this is the most depressing book I've ever read. And I was reliving some wild childhood traumas. (Though my childhood was blessedly different than this dysfunctional mess, I still resonated strongly with some of the sentiments of all three children.)
But it honestly gets better. The ending is hopeful though still sad. It does leave you feeling bereft tho (my favorite kind of novel takeaway.)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Infidelity, Death, Grief, Racial slurs, and Racism
cell0girl's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Alcoholism and Drug use
I loved the exploration of race in this book, as I learnt more about Chinese culture, as well as the interesting sub-plots about immigration, illicit affairs and school life. Though, it can be hard to follow at times due to the constant flipping before and after Lydia’s death.