Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

This novel truly deserves all the love and praise in the world! It's not often that I find myself captivated by a book from the first page, but Celeste Ng has really outdone herself on this masterpiece. The story of the Lee family is gripping, captivating and absolutely thrilling. I find it hard to put my love for this book into words because I know I would NOT do it any justice. So read it. Please. 

"Everything I Never Told You" is a family portrait of the American-Chinese Lee family living in a small town in the 1970s. Marilyn and James have three children; Nathan, Lydia and Hannah. However, it is no secret that Lydia is the star of the family and her parents' favourite. Lydia is smart and kind. She does everything her parents tell her to do while she overshadows her two other siblings. Chaos breaks out when Lydia goes missing. Then she is found dead at the bottom of a lake and everything is put into question. 

This story is so real and raw. And that's why I love it so much! It tells the story of each character in the novel. Each of their longings, regrets and struggles. At the same time, it also portrays race, gender roles and love. My god, this book really has everything! The Lee family is broken by the loss of their girl. This is when everything comes to light. Lydia was the person who held her family together, but it was never in a healthy way.  Lydia was not truly honest about what she wanted or who she was towards her parents. She was so confused about everything and also had a hard time making any friends. Her parents saw her in a completely different way. They thought she was happy and that she had everything she needed. They put all their wishes and dreams in her and only saw what they wanted to see. The sad fact is that Lydia was never that girl. However, out of love for her parents, Lydia did everything she could to make them happy. Because that's how much she loves her family. 

And that's when you find yourself hating Marilyn and James. Because why in the world would they put so much unnecessary pressure on their daughter? Celeste Ng shows her magic when she throws us back in time to when Marilyn and James were young. Each of their upbringings are portrayed and you start to understand why they were shaped the way they were. For instance, we get a real insight into how it was to be a Chinese immigrant in America and the way the characters are met with racism. We see how James Lee tries so hard to fit in and never wishes to stand out. He wanted nothing more than to be like everyone else and it effected him all the way into his adulthood. He keeps all these thoughts to himself.

The young days of Marilyn are filled by her mother telling her how to behave as a woman and Marilyn fighting against the stereotypical gender roles. She is intelligent and hardworking. Marilyn's biggest wish is to become a doctor, but the rules of society makes it hard for her to pursue her ambition. When she is finally close to her goal, she finds herself pregnant and her dreams are stopped. 

Nathan and Hannah are living their own lives without the attention of their parents. Nath loves everything that has to do with outer space, but that is of no interest to his parents. Hannah is silent and tries hard not to be in the way while she observes her family. Everyone is going through something, but no one knows because everyone is keeping everything to themselves.

So what this novel teaches us is how important it is that we talk to one another. It is vital that we voice our struggles, problems and thoughts. It is never healthy to keep anything inside ourselves. What I’ve come to realise is that a lot of people think that they can handle their problems on their own. They have this idea that they are strong enough and don’t want other people to know or be “burdened”. But that is the biggest misconception ever. It is okay to talk about your feelings. It is okay to tell someone that you are hurting and that you need help. So speak up and let your voice be head. Everything I Never Told You shows us the consequences of silence. An honest work of pure art!! 

292 pages, 2014, Celeste Ng