TAB Book Reviews – March 2025

The Mercer County Library Teen Advisory Board is an active group of high school students who complete projects throughout the year to promote books and reading. Please enjoy this book review by Teen Advisory Board member Sharon, a high school junior with a passion for mystery books and a library full of them. SPOILER ALERT!

Do you ever feel pressured by so many different factors that you just want to take a break from all the stress? That’s exactly how Chinese-American girl Lydia Lee felt in Everything I Never Told You. The book begins with the heartbreaking news that Lydia is declared dead by drowning in a nearby lake. A star student with plans to follow in her mother's dreams, Lydia’s death was unforeseen by her peers. Her parents, Marilyn and James, as well as her siblings, elder brother Nathan and younger sister Hannah, never see life the same again as they find different ways to cope and recover from this tragic event. Each one has their own theories as to what happened: Nathan is suspicious of his troublesome neighbor, Jack; Lydia’s parents believe a kidnapping was orchestrated. However, shy, quiet Hannah seems to have a deeper understanding and is the closest one to the truth. Throughout the story, more and more secrets are revealed about Lydia’s once-innocent life. The societal pressures to fit in and the parental pressures to be successful in her life got in her head more than the average teenager, causing her to be more dependent on her family. In addition, she knew about her father’s secret affair with a younger woman, ultimately destroying the familial relationship that she, again, heavily depended on. The night before her death, Lydia decided to get in a boat in a lake near her house to prove that she was capable of being independent, ending up accidentally drowning in the process. Hannah, being a silent listener all this time, was able to realize this faster than the rest of them. Playing a pivotal role in this novel, she held the answers to Lydia’s life and was a source of comfort to her family, especially for her mother, who did end up finding out about James’s affair in the end. In essence, once Lydia’s true self is finally revealed to the rest of her family, they go through a journey during the novel to piece back the familial relationship that they once thought was perfect. By tying her family members together, Lydia’s death symbolizes the individuality of her family members, and how they stand independently without having to depend on each other. Ultimately, this book was a thrill to read, and I highly recommend it for growing teens.

My recommendation for this book is in one word: Relatable. Being children of immigrant parents myself, I know firsthand the parental and societal pressure to fit in and be more “American.” Even if you happen to not be children of this type of parents, this book is beautifully crafted in a way that helps readers to understand a different perspective, encouraging growth and knowledge in another field. The characterization of each main character was very detailed and well-developed, allowing the audience to feel themself in the body of the characters. The emotion and tone conveyed throughout the novel evoked feelings of respect, sympathy, sorrow, and bittersweetness. Everything I Never Told You allowed me to discover new facts I didn’t know about myself, especially about the struggles of being a teenager and the stress that comes with it. The style of the book was easy to read, appealing to many modern book lovers. Every chapter was a cliffhanger; it made you hesitant to place a bookmark in the book and close it. As more and more pieces of Lydia’s life were brought into life, I felt myself getting more and more immersed. I applaud the author for her attention to detail, her talent in hooking her readers, and her desire to share the story of immigrant teenagers and their struggles.

Everything I Never Told You does have a mixture of content warnings that should be brought to attention before one chooses to read the story. Romantic scenes are slightly embedded to the story’s plot, especially in the description of the courtship between James and another woman. Physical violence is also seen between Nathan and Jack. Mentions of sensitive topics such as suicide, cigarettes and pills, death, and abuse are displayed in the story. However, all of these trigger warnings are more mild than severe and do not take the “spotlight” in the narrative. There are many topics highlighted throughout the novel that are very positive, such as the importance of trust in a family, the negative effects of secret keeping, and the strong siblinghood between Lydia, Nathan, and Hannah. I highly recommend this book to those readers who enjoyed mystery stories such as The Lying Game or One of Us is Lying.