Everything I Never Told You

One of the novels I read during first semester was Everything I Never Told you by Celeste Ng. It is 298 pages long, and it is a gripping novel about a mixed-race, middle class, Chinese American family, the Lee’s, whose middle daughter, Lydia, is found dead in a lake. Her sudden death shocks her family and tumbles them into chaos as they try to come to terms with her death and revisit painful memories in order to uncover the mystery of her death. The book explores the interpersonal relationships of the family members as they try to understand more about each other. 

I personally believe that a variety of readers will be able to relate to at least one of the multiple characters in this book. The multiple points of views paint a picture of what life in America was like in the 1970s as an Asian family. I found myself being able to relate to many of the characters in this book in one way or another. The novel covers topics such as ambition, prejudice, loneliness, disappointment, deception, and grief. 

I really enjoyed this novel because of how well-written all the characters are. Celeste Ng’s beautiful writing and storytelling kept me captivated as I learned more about the Lee family and what lead to Lydia’s death. I could barely tear my eyes away from the novel because of how interesting it was. I was driven to tears after finishing it. I highly recommend this novel for anyone who is interested in reading adult fiction.