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A review by spellbindingtomes
Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-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
4.25
𝘞𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦. 𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦.
Randy Ribay has become an auto-buy author for me and I think it's a given I'll be crying at the end of any book he writes 🥹
Everything We Never Had brilliantly traces four generations of Filipino-American men in the Maghabol family—from Francisco in 1930s California, to Emil rejecting his father's ways in 1960s Stockton, to Chris discovering his heritage in 1980s Denver, and finally to young Enzo mediating family tensions during the 2020 pandemic.
What makes this book exceptional is how Randy weaved together all four narratives. The way he portrayed the wounds passed down through generations was raw and heartbreaking.
One of my favorite things about this book was seeing Chris and Enzo's father and son relationship. It was so moving, and offered a glimpse of healing and hope after decades of familial discord.
𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘺. 𝘐 𝘢𝘥𝘮𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘵. 𝘕𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘢 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘐𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘭𝘰.
Randy continues to excel at capturing the Filipino-American experience. Everything We Never Had is a powerful exploration of masculinity, identity, and inherited trauma. It's also a poignant reminder of how understanding our history can help us heal 🤍
Randy Ribay has become an auto-buy author for me and I think it's a given I'll be crying at the end of any book he writes 🥹
Everything We Never Had brilliantly traces four generations of Filipino-American men in the Maghabol family—from Francisco in 1930s California, to Emil rejecting his father's ways in 1960s Stockton, to Chris discovering his heritage in 1980s Denver, and finally to young Enzo mediating family tensions during the 2020 pandemic.
What makes this book exceptional is how Randy weaved together all four narratives. The way he portrayed the wounds passed down through generations was raw and heartbreaking.
One of my favorite things about this book was seeing Chris and Enzo's father and son relationship. It was so moving, and offered a glimpse of healing and hope after decades of familial discord.
𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘺. 𝘐 𝘢𝘥𝘮𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘵. 𝘕𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘢 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘐𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘭𝘰.
Randy continues to excel at capturing the Filipino-American experience. Everything We Never Had is a powerful exploration of masculinity, identity, and inherited trauma. It's also a poignant reminder of how understanding our history can help us heal 🤍
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Colonisation, Classism, Deportation, Pandemic/Epidemic