Reviews with content warning for Sexism - Everything I Never Told You

Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

83 reviews

katharina90's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.0

The characters are unlikeable with zero redeeming qualities, there's so much abuse and trauma being inflicted that was triggering for me, and in the end it feels like there's no real resolution and no accountability for what these people did to one another.

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adriennegg's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad fast-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? Yes

4.0

Beautiful storytelling by Celeste Ng that takes you inside the world of each of the Lee family members as their story unfolds. Her writing included accurate depictions of racism, relationships, hidden desires, finding one’s place, love and self-loathing. I loved that the book shared each member’s perspective on the events that unfolded and allowed you to see the family’s unraveling from different views. It’s a great study on the pressures parents put on children and the sometimes unrealistic expectations we groom them to live up to. It’s tough to love due to the themes but hard not to in Ng’s portrayal of them. It’s a well-written piece that I’d recommend.

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dowleyrachel's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective 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

4.0

honestly still trying to find my thoughts with this one. I like Ng’s storytelling style, how it jumps in time and weaves threads together. I found the parts about her mother having to give up her dreams and putting them on her daughter as very compelling. The generational storytelling also did a good job of reminding the reader how much things have changed and progress has moved forward in just a couple generations. Sometimes the lack of communication in these books frustrate me. I can see how it captures real family dynamics, especially in indirect family cultures. But I wish for more of a payout ending where words are shared. Like I wanted Nath and Jack to have a much more real conversation. I honestly don’t know what to think of Lydia’s suicide. Like, was it suicide or did she actually think she could reach the doc if she tried hard enough? I suppose her logic was the product of mental illness all the same. I just don’t know what to think of it being accidental and I’m curious what those who have either attempted suicide or experienced the suicide of a loved one think of this.

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fancyjess_party's review

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emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.75

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frey's review

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challenging emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-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

5.0

Absolutely devastating read, in the best way possible. Not the genre i usually read but by the quarter-way point i was unable to put it down for long. Even as a non-American it was such a beautiful read with beautifully believable characters. The way of telling the story was so well done and my heart hurt so much for Hannah the longer I read.

Not to mention, finding out at the very end that Lydia didn't actually mean to kill herself broke my heart. The last chapter of the book was so beautifully sorrowful that it nearly broke me. The line from Nath's point of view at the very end of the book: "When, a long, long time later, he stares down at the silent blue marble of the earth and thinks of his sister, as he will at every important moment in his life." I still think about this line weeks later. Nothing encapsulates grief better I think in the book than this line. I will never get over it: "I will always think of you in the most important moments of my life" is grief in its most beautiful form.

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schlady's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

4.0

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jenniferbbookdragon's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.5

Celeste Ng does an amazing job writing about trauma, racism, misogyny, and dysfunctional families. This gut-wrenching story of a teen girl's disappearance and death moves back and forth between before and after the tragedy and demonstrates how experiences from childhood can create generations of pain. The main story takes place in 1977 Ohio, but reaches back to China, California, Virginia, and Boston.
I found it a painful reading experience, especially the scenes with parents lashing out at their children, and the amount of secrets every single family member is carrying will break your heart. I am glad I read it for a book club because I need to discuss and process it with others.

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