Everything I Never Told You

This book by Celeste Ng is one of my favorite novels. It’s a beautifully told literary mystery that examines the lives of the five members of the Lee family. Ng masterfully writes from several points of view while unraveling the narrative that led to the death of the oldest Lee daughter by drowning. Was it suicide, or was she killed?

The story weaves in and out of the past, presenting each character’s aching need to belong and be accepted by those they love. There are no villains, but there are flawed parents who push their children to be reflections of… show more.

I thought I was reading a mystery thriller but found myself in a layered investigation of a family. Celeste Ng uses intrigue and family tragedy to explore parental trauma and the impacts of racism and sexism. I felt connected with every character at different points in the story, which shows how empathetically Ng told this story. She really understands the complicated dynamics of family—and all the love, yearning, and jealousy that comes with it.

I loved the book because of its sensitive portrayal of mixed-race marriage and its pressure on the children. As an immigrant, I related to James’ difficulty settling in the U.S.—a man always seen as ‘different’. When he has children, he wants nothing more than for his kids to integrate into mainstream American life, while his white, blue-eyed wife wants her kids to excel in academics because of her own lost opportunity. 

I loved the distinct characterization of the children and the relationship between them. The writer’s mastery of the key characters and their psyche is remarkable.   

I could not put this down. This book immediately drew me in and never let me go.

The way the characters were written made me feel like I intimately knew each person, and the many mysteries and secrets among and between each family member made me want to know more. The undeniable effect of how we deal–or don’t deal–with grief is a thread throughout the book, one that I definitely connected with.

But, it was how each family member pursued, put down, or attempted to pass down their hopes and dreams that made me think about the dynamics within my… show more.

Let's meet the Lee family: James Lee, a second-generation Chinese American and a brilliant historian, couldn't secure the coveted teaching position at Harvard because he "wasn't the right fit." Instead, he ended up teaching at a public college in a small town.

Marilyn Lee, an ambitious student aiming for medical school, abandoned her dream and married a Chinese man because she yearned for something different, only to find herself bored with the life of a housewife.

These two dissatisfied parents exert contrasting influences on their children, pushing them to pursue their own lost dreams regardless of their children's aptitude and… show more.

This edgy saga centers on secrets and emotional undercurrents in families. When Lydia, the family’s pride and joy, is found dead in a lake, the family unravels. While the mother sets out to solve the crime, it’s Hannah, the youngest child, who holds the secret to what really happened. A great story wrapped around the intricacies of family ties, which is what inspires my own writing. 

In Everything I Never Told You, Celeste Ng follows the Lee family as they deal with the repercussions of their eldest daughter's mysterious death. It's the 1970s and the Lees are the only mixed-race family in their community. When high school junior Lydia is found dead, it's unclear how much the isolation of being the only "Oriental" played a part. What does become clear is that her family didn't know her as well as they thought. With an omniscient narrator, the author is able to know the thoughts and memories of each character so the reader understands everything they… show more.

Nobody understands better than Ms. Ng that the driver of story is not in the plot’s arc, but within the protagonist’s head as she or he struggles to make sense of it. Everything I Never Told You reveals how the toxic expectations of a mother who accepts nothing but excellence from her children dismantles everything she loves. Ms. Ng’s ability to map a character’s tragic flaws and the internal struggles that result is unparalleled. I think I hate her. (Just kidding.)

This book has one of the most spectacular first sentences I've ever encountered in a book and continued to be spectacular throughout. I felt it was crafted almost like a mathematical proof, where you start from the end and work backward towards first principles, seeking to understand every detail of the intricate combination of factors leading to the result. I have been seeking more books by Asian people as I've read so few books that in any way reflect my own experience of growing up Asian surrounded by white people. I love the fact that this book sets an Asian's… show more.