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A review by littleducky231
You Are the Everything by Karen Rivers
5.0
Yes, we know, the plot was predictable.
The plot wasn't the point, obviously. This story was about knowing what's actually happening but also not knowing. It was about being where you are but also being somewhere else at the same time. It was about blurred lines between what's happening inside of your head and what's happening outside of it. It was about feeling confused and like you might be going crazy, or you might not trust your ability to judge what is and isn't real. It's about waking up and not knowing what day it is and seeing things you've done that you don't remember doing, and what that feels like. And honestly, it was really hard for me to read. Because reading this book felt exactly like existing with the thoughts inside of my own head.
If you read this book and feel confused and irritated and disappointed and like you've just gone down a rabbit hole and wasted your time, and like the characters didn't make any sense, and like the scenes were stupid, good. That means you understood. That means, whether you realize it or not, that you experienced a little bit of the very complicated emotion that the author was trying to describe. An emotion without a name that so many of us have tried and failed to communicate so many times. The one that, when people ask how you're doing, you say "I don't know, never mind, it doesn't matter" because you don't know what else to say, or if it's even worth trying.
And maybe the characters weren't very deep, but they did something incredible. They saw someone struggling with mental illness and didn't bully or push or discount her. They gave her space and supported her and tried to help her. Who cares if it wasn't real?
The plot wasn't the point, obviously. This story was about knowing what's actually happening but also not knowing. It was about being where you are but also being somewhere else at the same time. It was about blurred lines between what's happening inside of your head and what's happening outside of it. It was about feeling confused and like you might be going crazy, or you might not trust your ability to judge what is and isn't real. It's about waking up and not knowing what day it is and seeing things you've done that you don't remember doing, and what that feels like. And honestly, it was really hard for me to read. Because reading this book felt exactly like existing with the thoughts inside of my own head.
If you read this book and feel confused and irritated and disappointed and like you've just gone down a rabbit hole and wasted your time, and like the characters didn't make any sense, and like the scenes were stupid, good. That means you understood. That means, whether you realize it or not, that you experienced a little bit of the very complicated emotion that the author was trying to describe. An emotion without a name that so many of us have tried and failed to communicate so many times. The one that, when people ask how you're doing, you say "I don't know, never mind, it doesn't matter" because you don't know what else to say, or if it's even worth trying.
And maybe the characters weren't very deep, but they did something incredible. They saw someone struggling with mental illness and didn't bully or push or discount her. They gave her space and supported her and tried to help her. Who cares if it wasn't real?