Everything I Never Told YouEverything I Never Told You
Score Modern
What it's about
'Lydia is dead. But they don't know this yet.' So begins Celeste Ng's debut, about a Chinese American family in 1970s small-town Ohio, exploring the divisions between cultures and the rifts within a family, and how mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, and husbands and wives struggle to understand each other.
Why it's worth reading
It spent 51 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It's a moving debut from the author of Little Fires Everywhere.
You'll love it if you liked
Little Fires Everywhere
Our Missing Hearts
The Joy Luck ClubGood to know
It's quiet and sad, more family drama than mystery.
By the numbers
- Readers33 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller67 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 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
- #201 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #277 of the 555 mysteries and thrillers we rank
- #909 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1684 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Gripping, Moving
More by Celeste Ng
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Gone Girl
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Piranesi
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Anxious PeopleExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Everything I Never Told You worth reading?
Yes. It spent 51 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It ranks #1,684 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 66.7 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Everything I Never Told You about?
'Lydia is dead. But they don't know this yet.' So begins Celeste Ng's debut, about a Chinese American family in 1970s small-town Ohio, exploring the divisions between cultures and the rifts within a family, and how mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, and husbands and wives struggle to understand each other.
How long does it take to read Everything I Never Told You?
About 8 hours (306 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Everything I Never Told You?
If you liked it, try Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng, Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng or The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan.