Everything I Never Told You

Author: Celeste Ng
Genre: Fiction, Mystery
Rating: 3 out of 5
Pages: 297
Date Started: 30 November 2023
Date Finished: 6 December 2023

Celeste Ng's "Everything I Never Told You" masterfully delves into the intricate lives of a Chinese American family in 1970s small-town Ohio, unraveling a poignant narrative that explores the profound impact of parental expectations, secrets, and the strains of understanding among family members.

The heart-wrenching tale opens with the tragic death of sixteen-year-old Lydia, the cherished middle child of Marilyn and James Lee, whose mixed-race background shapes their family's experiences and interactions within their community. Race intricately weaves through the storyline, adding depth to the characters' struggles.

The book meticulously examines the consequences of parental aspirations and inadvertent neglect on their children's lives. It illuminates how the parents' unfulfilled ambitions profoundly affect their offspring, painting a vivid picture of the resulting behavioral patterns and emotional turmoil faced by each family member.

However, the novel isn't without its unsettling moments. Nathan's passion for astronomy is ridiculed by James, which is a stark display of parental insensitivity. Furthermore, the infidelity of James and Marilyn's temporary abandonment of her family amid frustration are disconcerting elements that add to the complexity of their characters.

Hannah, the younger sister, is a poignant yet overlooked figure throughout the narrative, almost fading into the background, highlighting the pervasive sense of neglect within the family dynamics.

While the exploration of familial complexities is gripping, the resolution of Lydia's death feels somewhat lacking. The denouement could have heightened the mystery or provided a more captivating resolution instead of presenting it as just another incident.

"Everything I Never Told You" is a compelling portrayal of family intricacies, maternal and paternal aspirations, and the enduring struggle to comprehend one another. Celeste Ng masterfully navigates the delicate balance between love and unintended consequences, weaving a narrative that resonates long after the final page.

Favorite lines from the book:

• Before that she hadn’t realized how fragile happiness was, how if you were careless, you could knock it over and shatter it
• What made something precious? Losing it and finding it.
• You never got what you wanted; you just learned to get by without it.
• People decide what you're like before they even get to know you.
• At least I know who I am. What I want.
• If her mother ever came back home an told her to finish her milk, she thought, the page wavering blur, she would finish her milk. She would brush her teeth without being asked an stopped crying when the doctor gave her shots. She would go to sleep the second her mother turned out the light. She would never get sick again. She would do everything her mother told her. Everything her mother wanted.