Reviews

Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri

rafasaur's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful 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

samrhymeswithham's review against another edition

funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

4.5

trnelson's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring 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? No

5.0

broob's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

very beautifully written, and very thought-provoking. 

librarianlockwell's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

skaellner's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-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

3.75

spiderfelt's review against another edition

5.0

Funny, charming, endearing and insightful, this book was so much more than the description implied. While it is categorized as a young adult book, this is one of the harms labels do to books: it limits the audience instead of saying broadly to everyone, this book will make you smile and feel compassion for the strangers we all are, at some point in our lives when we enter a new city, an unfamiliar gathering or a new friend’s home. 

booksrachelreads's review against another edition

5.0

“I don’t know how my mom was so unstoppable despite all that stuff happening. I dunno. Maybe it’s anticipation. Hope. The anticipation that the God who listens in love will one day speak justice. The hope that some final fantasy will come to pass that will make everything sad untrue. Unpainful.”

So good. Made me cry. Made me want to hug Khosrou and also everyone. Made me weepy at the thought of our stories and how each one of us is just made up of thousands of stories and how we’re all part of a big one we can’t even imagine. If you can vibe with the non-linear storytelling and the tangents (which felt so accurate to imagine them being told by an 8-year-old) this book is precious and meaningful

timwilson's review against another edition

hopeful inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

aliciaflattt's review against another edition

5.0

Stunning.

It took me a third of the way into the book to understand what it was and why it was important.

And then I just continued on spell bound.

I learned the highlight function of Libby just so I could cling to some of the beautiful observations made by the author. This was painful and captivating, and spoke of faith and courage I wish I had, but would never want tested to this extent.

The protagonist is in fifth grade, attempting to tell the tale of his life and his family's life before they left Iran and came to Oklahoma with refugee status. He speaks with such earnest clarity and poetic honesty. I think this one will stay with me a long time.