All This Could Be DifferentAll This Could Be Different
What it's about
Sarah Thankam Mathews's novel follows a young immigrant building a life for herself in 21st-century America: her first job, her friendships and a queer love story, amid the precarity of work and money.
Why it's worth reading
It was a National Book Award finalist. It's warm, dazzling and profound about friendship and belonging.
You'll love it if you liked
Normal People
Americanah
The House of Broken AngelsGood to know
It's a coming-of-age novel for adults.
By the numbers
- Readers50 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics30 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller14 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz26 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
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Quick answers
Is All This Could Be Different worth reading?
Yes. It was a National Book Award finalist. It ranks #1,706 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 66.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is All This Could Be Different about?
Sarah Thankam Mathews's novel follows a young immigrant building a life for herself in 21st-century America: her first job, her friendships and a queer love story, amid the precarity of work and money.
How long does it take to read All This Could Be Different?
About 8 hours (321 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after All This Could Be Different?
If you liked it, try Normal People by Sally Rooney, Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie or The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea.