Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng #BookReview #Mystery

Hey book lovers! I’m here with a book review for Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng. I borrowed this from the library in May for Asian Heritage Month. I can’t believe this was her debut novel! This is not a fun read. Be warned, it is depressing, and yet…somehow left me feeling hopeful. The adaptation was announced two years ago, but not much has been said since then. “Annapurna TV Wins Bidding War for Debut Novel From ‘Little Fires Everywhere’ Author Celeste Ng (EXCLUSIVE)“

About The Book 📚

Title: Everything I Never Told You

Author: Celeste Ng

Publication Date: 2014

Publisher: Penguin Press

Suggested Reader Age: 16+

Genre: Mystery

About The Author

Grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Shaker Heights, Ohio

Graduated from Harvard
MFA from the University of Michigan
Author of: Everything I Never Told You, Little Fires Everywhere, and her third novel will be published in October; Our Missing Hearts

My Review

“Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet. 1977, May 3, six thirty in the morning, no one knows anything but this innocuous fact: Lydia is late for breakfast.”

› Everything I Never Told You takes place in Middlewood, a small town of 3,000 just an hour from Toledo. Lydia’s mom, Marilyn, was raised by a single mother and had dreams of becoming a Dr of physics. She met Lydia’s father when he was teaching her class. Forty-six-year-old, James, is a Chinese American History professor. We get to see the many challenges they faced as a mixed-race couple in the 70s. Marilyn’s pregnancy derails her plans to become a doctor.

› Lydia’s brother Nath suspects the neighbour Jack has something to do with Lydia’s death. Hannah, Lydia’s younger sister, hasn’t told anyone that she saw Lydia leave the house at 2 am. Nath is the oldest child and can’t wait to move away, Hannah just wants to be noticed by her parents. Through flashbacks, we get to learn everything Lydia never told them.

› I use the CAWPILE method to rate books.
0-3 Really bad
4-6 Mediocre
7-9 Really good
10 Outstanding

› Characters: 7

› Atmosphere: 8

› Writing Style: 10

› Plot: 7

› Intrigue: 7

› Logic: 9

› Enjoyment: 8

Average 8

1.1-2.2 = ★
2.3-4.5 = ★★
4.6-6.9 = ★★★
7-8.9 = ★★★★
9-10 = ★★★★★

My Rating ★★★★

› Final Thoughts
• Everything I Never Told You is a dark and sad story about parents putting too much pressure on their children. The story ignites thoughts about grief, regret, race, class, and gender. Everything I Never Told You is a hard story to read yet has a pace that felt like a thriller. I recommend this to readers looking for an adult fiction story that will you hard in the feels.