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All the Things We Never Said
Sixteen-year-old Mehreen is overwhelmed by her anxiety and depression, and she doesn't believe anyone in her life will understand if she tries to talk about it. She's been thinking about suicide for a while when she discovers a website called MementoMori.com. The site matches people with partners and assigns them a date on which to end their lives, together. Mehreen is partnered with Cara and Olivia, strangers dealing with their own struggles.
But as the girls get to know one another in preparation for their "date of termination" they find themselves developing a strong bond—even becoming friends. For the first time, they're each able to share their darkest secrets with people who won't judge them. They realize that, with the right support systems, life is worth living after all. So they decide to abandon the suicide pact.
Except the website won't let them stop.
As their assigned "date of termination" draws nearer and MementoMori continues to manipulate them, the girls will have to rely on one another to survive.
If you or a loved one is experiencing suicidal thoughts, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for free, confidential 24/7 support.
But as the girls get to know one another in preparation for their "date of termination" they find themselves developing a strong bond—even becoming friends. For the first time, they're each able to share their darkest secrets with people who won't judge them. They realize that, with the right support systems, life is worth living after all. So they decide to abandon the suicide pact.
Except the website won't let them stop.
As their assigned "date of termination" draws nearer and MementoMori continues to manipulate them, the girls will have to rely on one another to survive.
If you or a loved one is experiencing suicidal thoughts, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for free, confidential 24/7 support.
398 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 11, 2019
453 people are currently reading
10829 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 631 reviews
October 1, 2020
This is an exciting YA contemporary dealing with very heavy topics and focusing on Friendship. The story is about 3 girls who join a website that pairs them together for a suicide pact but while going through the assigned tasks they form a strong friendship that makes them want to keep living. Only the website won't let them back out.
It's an interesting concept and all three girls personalities were so different and yet worked well as they grew together. It's also super diverse. Mehreen, arguably the main character of the three, is a British Muslim with anxiety and depression. There's also a wheelchair user and a survivor of sexual assault. it's all about the power of friendship between them, about love and grief and healing, and it really shows just how much strength it takes to fight with yourself every day and keep going.
So, why the 1 star?
Simple. The outright, blatant mocking of invisible disabilities.
At one point in the book Cara, a wheelchair user and one of the three main characters, has this to say about it:
"I watched a YouTube video about invisible disabilities a few weeks ago, and it’s been stuck in my mind ever since; they were talking about how having an invisible disability is just as bad. Total bullshit of course."
Because we don't have enough people talking about how those of us with invisible illnesses are lazy or exaggerating? I'm not sure if it's better or worse that this page is a completely throwaway aside. There is literally no need for it to be there and yet it is. And not only is it there AND never refuted but another character AGREES:
"‘Invisible disabilities?’ Mum asks. The sarcasm in her voice is the first thing I’ve been able to relate to her about in ages."
I've been chronically ill for over ten years. I'm use to the dismissal. To people thinking we're lying or lazy. Ignorant to the fact that our whole lives are turned upside down as we're sick and in agony and thinking instead that we're just being melodramatic or a scrounger. I've read the comments. I've seen the bad rep in books about disability like Everything Everything or Me Before You. But in a book that's supposed to be so diverse? So inclusive? About kids who come together and are accepted and loved the way they are? To still be shunned and used as a punchline in a book I thought would be a safe space? It felt like being gut punched out of nowhere. It HURT.
I'm not exaggerating when I say these are the most hurtful and HARMFUL ableist comments that I've read in a book. And I can only imagine how much more it would have hurt to read these words as a newly chronically ill teen who'd just had their life ripped away from them and knows what it feels like to have their friends make mocking comments just like these. If I'd read it then instead of now it would have broken me. To see it written so casually in a book about acceptance. To know the author and editors and publishers had no issue including it (it would have been SO easy to take out because it doesn't affect the plot at all). To know others are reading those comments and deciding that point of view is acceptable because the way it's phrased implies it is. It's not okay.
It's not only the hurt at reading the comments but knowing the harm that those comments perpetuate, of how easily they feed into the rhetoric of hating on people like me. I wish I could have supported this book. We need more books of and by poc in UK YA (and everywhere, and with MI rep). But there's nothing that can erase the harm of those words to me.
Rep: British Muslim with anxiety and depression, lesbian wheelchair user.
Trigger Warnings: Suicide, suicidal thoughts, suicide pact, self harm (cutting), sexual abuse, attempted rape and mentions of past rape, death of a family member, private photos going viral.
EDITED TO ADD: it looks like this issue might have been edited out of the audiobook and hopefully the ebook/later editions.
It's an interesting concept and all three girls personalities were so different and yet worked well as they grew together. It's also super diverse. Mehreen, arguably the main character of the three, is a British Muslim with anxiety and depression. There's also a wheelchair user and a survivor of sexual assault. it's all about the power of friendship between them, about love and grief and healing, and it really shows just how much strength it takes to fight with yourself every day and keep going.
So, why the 1 star?
Simple. The outright, blatant mocking of invisible disabilities.
At one point in the book Cara, a wheelchair user and one of the three main characters, has this to say about it:
"I watched a YouTube video about invisible disabilities a few weeks ago, and it’s been stuck in my mind ever since; they were talking about how having an invisible disability is just as bad. Total bullshit of course."
Because we don't have enough people talking about how those of us with invisible illnesses are lazy or exaggerating? I'm not sure if it's better or worse that this page is a completely throwaway aside. There is literally no need for it to be there and yet it is. And not only is it there AND never refuted but another character AGREES:
"‘Invisible disabilities?’ Mum asks. The sarcasm in her voice is the first thing I’ve been able to relate to her about in ages."
I've been chronically ill for over ten years. I'm use to the dismissal. To people thinking we're lying or lazy. Ignorant to the fact that our whole lives are turned upside down as we're sick and in agony and thinking instead that we're just being melodramatic or a scrounger. I've read the comments. I've seen the bad rep in books about disability like Everything Everything or Me Before You. But in a book that's supposed to be so diverse? So inclusive? About kids who come together and are accepted and loved the way they are? To still be shunned and used as a punchline in a book I thought would be a safe space? It felt like being gut punched out of nowhere. It HURT.
I'm not exaggerating when I say these are the most hurtful and HARMFUL ableist comments that I've read in a book. And I can only imagine how much more it would have hurt to read these words as a newly chronically ill teen who'd just had their life ripped away from them and knows what it feels like to have their friends make mocking comments just like these. If I'd read it then instead of now it would have broken me. To see it written so casually in a book about acceptance. To know the author and editors and publishers had no issue including it (it would have been SO easy to take out because it doesn't affect the plot at all). To know others are reading those comments and deciding that point of view is acceptable because the way it's phrased implies it is. It's not okay.
It's not only the hurt at reading the comments but knowing the harm that those comments perpetuate, of how easily they feed into the rhetoric of hating on people like me. I wish I could have supported this book. We need more books of and by poc in UK YA (and everywhere, and with MI rep). But there's nothing that can erase the harm of those words to me.
Rep: British Muslim with anxiety and depression, lesbian wheelchair user.
Trigger Warnings: Suicide, suicidal thoughts, suicide pact, self harm (cutting), sexual abuse, attempted rape and mentions of past rape, death of a family member, private photos going viral.
EDITED TO ADD: it looks like this issue might have been edited out of the audiobook and hopefully the ebook/later editions.
July 10, 2019
Menreen is an Asian girl who lives with her Muslim family. She suffers from anxiety and depression. Cara lost a parent and her ability to walk due to an accident. She also has depression. Olivia lives with her abuser, her mother's boyfriend. She is extremely vulnerable and mentally unstable. All three girls join a website that matches people and gives them a shared date when they must commit suicide together. As the day comes closer, the girls don't want to go through with the suicide pact anymore, but the website won't let them.
I read this book a few days ago but I've had to take time to think about it before I could write this review. It's a story that will stay with you long after you've finished it. The story is told by the three girls point of view. The girls have been put together by the website MementoMori. The girls soon formed a strong friendship and they stop doing the tasks they are sent. The chapters of Olivia's character are written in verse which puts a different spin on it. This is a fabulous debut novel that's a bit dark and heartbreaking at times. I was sobbing by the end of the first chapter. A breathtaking read.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Bonnier Zaffre and the author Yasmin Raham for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I read this book a few days ago but I've had to take time to think about it before I could write this review. It's a story that will stay with you long after you've finished it. The story is told by the three girls point of view. The girls have been put together by the website MementoMori. The girls soon formed a strong friendship and they stop doing the tasks they are sent. The chapters of Olivia's character are written in verse which puts a different spin on it. This is a fabulous debut novel that's a bit dark and heartbreaking at times. I was sobbing by the end of the first chapter. A breathtaking read.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Bonnier Zaffre and the author Yasmin Raham for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 19, 2019
All the Things We Never Said is freaking amazing.
This book has multiple POVs and I find it very interesting because I really like books with multiple POVs.
This book is about three girls who are dealing with depression and anxiety. Life seems too much for them. Especially Mehreen. She’s the main focus in this book, I suppose.
Mehreen is sixteen years old. She has depression and anxiety that taken over her life. One day, she signed up for the suicide website called MementoMori, a website that matches people with partners and allocates them a date and method of death. This is where she met Cara and Olivia who happened to dealing with their own serious issues and think that ending their lives could solve all the problems.
Mehreen, Cara and Olivia were trying to follow all the instructions from the website. They will need to do this and that to complete the task. As they did all the things together, they built their friendship and things started to change.
These three girls have their own issues with their family. Mehreen with her anxiety and depression and she named it as “chaos”. Cara is blaming herself for her father’s death while Olivia is suffering from the things that happened to her when she was fifteen. They talked to each other about their issues. But none of them are brave enough to speak up about how they feel to their family. All the things they never said are just eating them out.
The concept of this book is something I was looking for and I loved how this book focuses more on family and friendship. The writing is so good and beautiful. I liked it when I feel those three girls are really close to me. Like I know them for so long and I just don’t wanna let them go. I’ve been laughing, cussing and almost cried for them. There’s no romance part in this book and I feel okay about it because the main focus was on Mehreen, Cara and Olivia.
The very important thing I learned about this book is don’t be scared to voice out. Just find your voice. Be brave and do what you gotta do.
The ending of this book was just perfect. Overall, it was an amazing read for me because I didn’t expect it to be this good. Highly recommend. Keep an eye on this author.
Disclaimer: Thanks Pansing for sending me a copy of All The Things We Never Said. This book will be available July 2019 onwards.
This book has multiple POVs and I find it very interesting because I really like books with multiple POVs.
This book is about three girls who are dealing with depression and anxiety. Life seems too much for them. Especially Mehreen. She’s the main focus in this book, I suppose.
Mehreen is sixteen years old. She has depression and anxiety that taken over her life. One day, she signed up for the suicide website called MementoMori, a website that matches people with partners and allocates them a date and method of death. This is where she met Cara and Olivia who happened to dealing with their own serious issues and think that ending their lives could solve all the problems.
Mehreen, Cara and Olivia were trying to follow all the instructions from the website. They will need to do this and that to complete the task. As they did all the things together, they built their friendship and things started to change.
These three girls have their own issues with their family. Mehreen with her anxiety and depression and she named it as “chaos”. Cara is blaming herself for her father’s death while Olivia is suffering from the things that happened to her when she was fifteen. They talked to each other about their issues. But none of them are brave enough to speak up about how they feel to their family. All the things they never said are just eating them out.
The concept of this book is something I was looking for and I loved how this book focuses more on family and friendship. The writing is so good and beautiful. I liked it when I feel those three girls are really close to me. Like I know them for so long and I just don’t wanna let them go. I’ve been laughing, cussing and almost cried for them. There’s no romance part in this book and I feel okay about it because the main focus was on Mehreen, Cara and Olivia.
The very important thing I learned about this book is don’t be scared to voice out. Just find your voice. Be brave and do what you gotta do.
The ending of this book was just perfect. Overall, it was an amazing read for me because I didn’t expect it to be this good. Highly recommend. Keep an eye on this author.
Disclaimer: Thanks Pansing for sending me a copy of All The Things We Never Said. This book will be available July 2019 onwards.
July 16, 2019
Really hurtful ableism for people wih invisible disabilities. Goes so far as to make fun of them. Thanks.
April 20, 2020
Velmi silný příběh s důležitými tématy a realistickým koncem. Tři hlavní hrdinky vypráví své kapitoly z různých úhlů pohledu, a tak text pokaždé vypadá trochu jinak. Tohle je kniha, kterou by mladí lidé měli číst!
4/5*
Můj krátký názor a doporučení najdete tady na blogu.
4/5*
Můj krátký názor a doporučení najdete tady na blogu.
November 27, 2018
All The Things We Never Said is freaking fantastic - do yourselves a favour and add it to your tbr NOWWWW!
This debut novel is an absolute triumph in voice and style - each of the 3 POV characters are so fully realized, you will feel like you've known them your entire life and will not want to let them go.
The chapters of one character (Olivia) are written in verse and the author does an incredible job with it - even though these chapters are probably shorter than the others, I found I read them more slowly because I had to pause every few seconds to marvel at Rahman's genius (and simmer with a tad bit of jealousy, OK I admit it).
I won't go too much into the plot because I don't want to spoil anything, but this book manages to be both a page-turner and a heart-breaker that treats the subject at its core sensitively and realistically. It also somehow manages to make you laugh out loud in between all of that and will make you want to insert yourself into this fictional friendship group.
This is a stunning and breathtaking debut and Yasmin Rahman is definitely one to watch!
This debut novel is an absolute triumph in voice and style - each of the 3 POV characters are so fully realized, you will feel like you've known them your entire life and will not want to let them go.
The chapters of one character (Olivia) are written in verse and the author does an incredible job with it - even though these chapters are probably shorter than the others, I found I read them more slowly because I had to pause every few seconds to marvel at Rahman's genius (and simmer with a tad bit of jealousy, OK I admit it).
I won't go too much into the plot because I don't want to spoil anything, but this book manages to be both a page-turner and a heart-breaker that treats the subject at its core sensitively and realistically. It also somehow manages to make you laugh out loud in between all of that and will make you want to insert yourself into this fictional friendship group.
This is a stunning and breathtaking debut and Yasmin Rahman is definitely one to watch!
May 28, 2019
Disclaimer: I receive a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
"Anxiety and depression are illnesses, right? Not everyone accepts that, but it's scientifically correct. So anxiety is making you feel like this and depression is making you want to do this. The thing with mental illness is that it dominates your mind, pushes out everything that was originally there. So you could argue that it's not you making this decision, it's the anxiety and depression. Or your 'Chaos'."
Reading books on mental health is such an important read. It raises awareness on mental health, gives reader an understanding of how people deal with it, in a way how people can help and see trigger warnings of people who suffers from it. I believe all of us have demons in our heads that messes around with us, but each individual deals with it differently.
All The Things We Never said is one of the books that was written so raw, honest, no filter beautiful but heartbreaking. The issues the girls deals with are real, their attitude and personality reflect back to us in real life. All of us in some ways can relate to these issues and understand the pain and suffering.
We get 3 POV in the book. It is a much needed POV. It shows even though we all go through something different, we deal with it different, the depression, anxiety, demons in our head, suicidal thoughts and everything but in a way all of it feels the same. We get different personality from 3 POV, with culture differences, different issues from depression, anxiety, sexual abuse, grief but they all share a common suicidal thoughts.
I don't want to spoil anything. But through the website that help them to decide their own fate of deaths, you will see the journey they go through and how it shows communication, finding your own voice and bravery is a big part of the girls journey. Through the storyline, you can see the irony of how they try to comfort each other of their own problems but in a way it's parallel of how if they try to accept the help they are receiving the same as they are trying to give to the other girls. I think it shows how that is us as humans, we try to help others but we don't want to accept the help from others because of fear and more.
We also see bits of the girl's family or especially their mothers. Their relationship with them and how their mother's have their own problems but they too deal with it differently. The way they communicate or trying to help their daughters are too different. It is honestly heartbreaking because we all know our mothers try their best to be the absolute best for their children but they too have their flaws.
Towards the end where something big happens, I couldn't take it. The emotion felt so real, the situation felt so real and the pain it felt like I could feel it but in honest fact the person who was dealing with it definitely feels much worse. It reflects back to reality how many of us feel that way and wishes all of it could go away.
Being brave and finding the strength to voice our feelings, thoughts take such a big step. But that step, could change everything. Whoever you are, wherever you are in the world, whatever pain you are dealing with, there is help. Talk to your family, friends or professional help or just someone you could trust and am comfortable with. There is so many solutions, it might not be easy, but help will always be there to help. The pain might never go away, but in those hard times, there will be love and comfort when we have somebody to go through it with.
All The Things We Never Said is another mental health awareness book that is important to be read by everyone to understand the issues and someone we can help, or to know we are not going through it alone.
"I never imaged I'd be standing here, feeling as content as I do right now. That's all down to you and the people you've brought into my life. I've realised that things will be hard. There will be many tests and hardships in life. But I've also learned that I can survive it. I have survived it, and I will continue to survive it."
"Anxiety and depression are illnesses, right? Not everyone accepts that, but it's scientifically correct. So anxiety is making you feel like this and depression is making you want to do this. The thing with mental illness is that it dominates your mind, pushes out everything that was originally there. So you could argue that it's not you making this decision, it's the anxiety and depression. Or your 'Chaos'."
Reading books on mental health is such an important read. It raises awareness on mental health, gives reader an understanding of how people deal with it, in a way how people can help and see trigger warnings of people who suffers from it. I believe all of us have demons in our heads that messes around with us, but each individual deals with it differently.
All The Things We Never said is one of the books that was written so raw, honest, no filter beautiful but heartbreaking. The issues the girls deals with are real, their attitude and personality reflect back to us in real life. All of us in some ways can relate to these issues and understand the pain and suffering.
We get 3 POV in the book. It is a much needed POV. It shows even though we all go through something different, we deal with it different, the depression, anxiety, demons in our head, suicidal thoughts and everything but in a way all of it feels the same. We get different personality from 3 POV, with culture differences, different issues from depression, anxiety, sexual abuse, grief but they all share a common suicidal thoughts.
I don't want to spoil anything. But through the website that help them to decide their own fate of deaths, you will see the journey they go through and how it shows communication, finding your own voice and bravery is a big part of the girls journey. Through the storyline, you can see the irony of how they try to comfort each other of their own problems but in a way it's parallel of how if they try to accept the help they are receiving the same as they are trying to give to the other girls. I think it shows how that is us as humans, we try to help others but we don't want to accept the help from others because of fear and more.
We also see bits of the girl's family or especially their mothers. Their relationship with them and how their mother's have their own problems but they too deal with it differently. The way they communicate or trying to help their daughters are too different. It is honestly heartbreaking because we all know our mothers try their best to be the absolute best for their children but they too have their flaws.
Towards the end where something big happens, I couldn't take it. The emotion felt so real, the situation felt so real and the pain it felt like I could feel it but in honest fact the person who was dealing with it definitely feels much worse. It reflects back to reality how many of us feel that way and wishes all of it could go away.
Being brave and finding the strength to voice our feelings, thoughts take such a big step. But that step, could change everything. Whoever you are, wherever you are in the world, whatever pain you are dealing with, there is help. Talk to your family, friends or professional help or just someone you could trust and am comfortable with. There is so many solutions, it might not be easy, but help will always be there to help. The pain might never go away, but in those hard times, there will be love and comfort when we have somebody to go through it with.
All The Things We Never Said is another mental health awareness book that is important to be read by everyone to understand the issues and someone we can help, or to know we are not going through it alone.
"I never imaged I'd be standing here, feeling as content as I do right now. That's all down to you and the people you've brought into my life. I've realised that things will be hard. There will be many tests and hardships in life. But I've also learned that I can survive it. I have survived it, and I will continue to survive it."
December 23, 2020
Úplně mě dojala, překvapila, uchvátila... Prostě dokonalost, doporučuju všem, s výjimkou lidí, kteří jsou na takové vážné témata (sebepoškozování, sebevražda, násilí...) choulostiví a čtení by pro ně mohlo být nepříjemné. ❤️
February 28, 2020
i’ll be frank here: i’ve used pro suicide websites.
i’ve seen it. i’ve fucking lived it.
and this? this was not it.
it felt like the most melodramatic thing that could’ve happened, the blue whale game meets people who aren’t actually suicidal.
i have to say though, aside from meheern, i really likes the two other POV girls “reasons” for suicide. and i loved the experimental POV chapters, they were the highlight of this book for me. more of that, please and thank you. it didn’t even begin to grind on my nerves after 400+ (holy shit) pages. they were just kinda perfect.
meanwhile the other two POVs were kinda annoying. their voices and reactions felt forced and unrealistic and it made for a painful read.
there are much better books about suicide. look up cynthia hands “the last time we said goodbye”. harrowing, and more grief focused, but very good. i’ve yet to find a book that handles suicide so rawly & close to my heart.
i’ve seen it. i’ve fucking lived it.
and this? this was not it.
it felt like the most melodramatic thing that could’ve happened, the blue whale game meets people who aren’t actually suicidal.
i have to say though, aside from meheern, i really likes the two other POV girls “reasons” for suicide. and i loved the experimental POV chapters, they were the highlight of this book for me. more of that, please and thank you. it didn’t even begin to grind on my nerves after 400+ (holy shit) pages. they were just kinda perfect.
meanwhile the other two POVs were kinda annoying. their voices and reactions felt forced and unrealistic and it made for a painful read.
there are much better books about suicide. look up cynthia hands “the last time we said goodbye”. harrowing, and more grief focused, but very good. i’ve yet to find a book that handles suicide so rawly & close to my heart.
May 21, 2019
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change, courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.
~ Cara
*thank you #pansing for the arc. Will update the review soon 💕
~ Cara
*thank you #pansing for the arc. Will update the review soon 💕
July 24, 2019
A full review can be found on my blog, Headscarves and Hardbacks!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review!
Trigger warning for self-harm, sexual abuse, rape, depression and suicide.
This is an extremely dark story about three girls – Mehreen, Cara and Olivia – that shines a light on the power of friendship. Although the story is narrated in multiple perspectives, Mehreen ultimately feels like the main protagonist of the novel and, unsurprisingly, it was Mehreen’s character that I related to the most.
More than anything, I loved her unwavering relationship with her faith. The novel begins with her standing in prayer and really captures how peaceful the act is for many Muslims. This feeling of tranquillity juxtaposed with Mehreen’s Chaos was a particularly powerful image. I also loved the conflict she faced in justifying suicide when it goes against the teachings of Islam.
Through the three perspectives, the author manages to convey how mental health issues can affect anyone and everyone regardless of whether they have a reason. It often feels like we, as a society, focus too much on the why something is rather than how we can help. Unlike Cara and Olivia, who have both been through traumatic experiences, Mehreen’s Chaos isn’t induced by trauma. But that doesn’t mean she’s struggling any less than the others. In fact, all three girls are brought together by MementoMori because they collectively feel the same way despite how varied their backgrounds and experiences.
The author also does well to keep each voice distinct from the other, with Mehreen’s Chaos scribbled onto the page, Cara’s use of profanity and Olivia’s chapters written in verse. This being said, Mehreen and Cara’s voices sometimes felt too similar when they were sharing scenes to the point where I forgot whose perspective I was reading. Without the profanity or Chaos, they would feel almost the same which makes Olivia’s short and poetic chapters feel incredibly out of place in the story.
However, I did really love the way Olivia’s character was written. From an outside perspective, Mehreen and Cara observe how Olivia isn’t someone who looks depressed. She’s incredibly chirpy for someone who makes a suicide pact with two strangers she hardly knows. But on the inside, when we read from her point of view, we see a completely different story. This, for me, was one of the most important aspects of the novel, stressing that you really don’t know what someone else is going through.
Until you talk to them. And talking, as the novel ultimately shows, can make all the difference. Despite their disagreements, it was heart-warming to see the girls find common ground in order to be there for each other. What started as a fake support group turns into something real and special – friendship. And it’s not just about the importance of talking to strangers but also to your family and your therapist.
Overall, I knew I was going to relate to this novel on many levels. Sometimes representation is something as small as a samosa production line. And other times, it’s feeling completely seen and heard by the visual depiction of mental health issues on the page. This book delivers on both of them.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review!
Trigger warning for self-harm, sexual abuse, rape, depression and suicide.
This is an extremely dark story about three girls – Mehreen, Cara and Olivia – that shines a light on the power of friendship. Although the story is narrated in multiple perspectives, Mehreen ultimately feels like the main protagonist of the novel and, unsurprisingly, it was Mehreen’s character that I related to the most.
More than anything, I loved her unwavering relationship with her faith. The novel begins with her standing in prayer and really captures how peaceful the act is for many Muslims. This feeling of tranquillity juxtaposed with Mehreen’s Chaos was a particularly powerful image. I also loved the conflict she faced in justifying suicide when it goes against the teachings of Islam.
Through the three perspectives, the author manages to convey how mental health issues can affect anyone and everyone regardless of whether they have a reason. It often feels like we, as a society, focus too much on the why something is rather than how we can help. Unlike Cara and Olivia, who have both been through traumatic experiences, Mehreen’s Chaos isn’t induced by trauma. But that doesn’t mean she’s struggling any less than the others. In fact, all three girls are brought together by MementoMori because they collectively feel the same way despite how varied their backgrounds and experiences.
The author also does well to keep each voice distinct from the other, with Mehreen’s Chaos scribbled onto the page, Cara’s use of profanity and Olivia’s chapters written in verse. This being said, Mehreen and Cara’s voices sometimes felt too similar when they were sharing scenes to the point where I forgot whose perspective I was reading. Without the profanity or Chaos, they would feel almost the same which makes Olivia’s short and poetic chapters feel incredibly out of place in the story.
However, I did really love the way Olivia’s character was written. From an outside perspective, Mehreen and Cara observe how Olivia isn’t someone who looks depressed. She’s incredibly chirpy for someone who makes a suicide pact with two strangers she hardly knows. But on the inside, when we read from her point of view, we see a completely different story. This, for me, was one of the most important aspects of the novel, stressing that you really don’t know what someone else is going through.
Until you talk to them. And talking, as the novel ultimately shows, can make all the difference. Despite their disagreements, it was heart-warming to see the girls find common ground in order to be there for each other. What started as a fake support group turns into something real and special – friendship. And it’s not just about the importance of talking to strangers but also to your family and your therapist.
Overall, I knew I was going to relate to this novel on many levels. Sometimes representation is something as small as a samosa production line. And other times, it’s feeling completely seen and heard by the visual depiction of mental health issues on the page. This book delivers on both of them.
May 30, 2020
ZAPRASZAM do mojego filmu o tej książce https://youtu.be/BTERlIaDH6A :)
+ trzy perspektywy nie tylko rozróżnione językowo, ale też typograficznie
+ nadzieja bijąca z książki
+ silne emocje, które wpływają na czytelnika
+ różnorodność i reprezentacja wśród bohaterek
- niewykorzystany potencjał wątku strony
Nie wiem co powiedzieć – niekiedy książka ta pozostawiała mnie z uczuciem ogromnej pustki, innym razem zaś przepełniała dobrą energią... Czytać ostrożnie.
December 22, 2020
Mehrín. Cara. Olivia. Všechny tři mají tajemství. Všechny tři jsou tak bezradné a cítí se tak samy, že nevidí jiné východisko.
Všechny tři se chtějí zabít.
A tak se přihlásí na stránku MementoMori, která má určit čas i způsob jejich smrti a přidělí jim kamaráda na sebevraždu. A tak se Mehrín, Cara a Olivia seznámí a zjistí, že společně mohou být jedna druhé oporou. Jenže už není cesty zpět.
Wow! Tolik pocitů, tolik emocí. Klobouk dolů. Tohle je za mě jedna z nejdůležitějších YAknížek. Rozebírá totiž tolik vážných témat! Deprese, úzkosti, panické ataky, sebepoškozování, pocit méněcennosti, zneužívání, znásilnění, rodinné vztahy, náboženství...
Stránky mi ubíhaly pod rukama, měla jsem přečteno za dva dny #ctemesyoli . Jen v půlce se to zadrhlo, měla jsem pocit, že se chvíli plácáme na místě. Pak se vše ale zase dalo do pohybu a byla to (emocionální) jízda až do konce💛 .
\\ V průběhu čtení mě chvílemi dost mrazilo. Představte si, že jste ve fast foodu a u stolku vedle sedí tři holky. Kamarádky, řeknete si. Možná si jich ani vůbec nevšimnete. Jenže co když se ty kamarádky seznámily skrz společné nutkání se zabít a právě teď přede všemi a před nikým sepisují dopisy na rozloučenou rodičům? Může to být kdokoliv. Co když ten člověk,co sedí naproti vám v metru,jede metrem naposled?\\ .
Nesmím také opomenout zmínit výborné a nápadité grafické zpracování! Každá z hlavních hrdinek měla své vlastní osobité zpracování jednotlivých kapitol😍 Ne že by jinak splývaly dohromady, ale velice to knihu ozvláštnilo a učinilo čtení poutavějším.
Trošku mě mrzí, že anotace na přebalu knihy prozrazuje hodně z děje, myslím, že bych byla z akce mnohem víc překvapená, kdybych anotaci nečetla, na druhou stranu tomu rozumím, tohle rozhodně čtenáře přiláká.
Co jsme si nikdy neřekli, je titulem, který má rozhodně co předat a moc mile mě překvapil a zasáhl. Je to přesně to a ještě víc, co bych si přála od povedené youngadultovky s velkým přesahem🙏🏻
Jsem opravdu ráda, že jsou takovéhle knížky vydávány, jelikož zmíněná témata jsou rozhodně něco, o čem je potřeba mluvit!
Všechny tři se chtějí zabít.
A tak se přihlásí na stránku MementoMori, která má určit čas i způsob jejich smrti a přidělí jim kamaráda na sebevraždu. A tak se Mehrín, Cara a Olivia seznámí a zjistí, že společně mohou být jedna druhé oporou. Jenže už není cesty zpět.
Wow! Tolik pocitů, tolik emocí. Klobouk dolů. Tohle je za mě jedna z nejdůležitějších YAknížek. Rozebírá totiž tolik vážných témat! Deprese, úzkosti, panické ataky, sebepoškozování, pocit méněcennosti, zneužívání, znásilnění, rodinné vztahy, náboženství...
Stránky mi ubíhaly pod rukama, měla jsem přečteno za dva dny #ctemesyoli . Jen v půlce se to zadrhlo, měla jsem pocit, že se chvíli plácáme na místě. Pak se vše ale zase dalo do pohybu a byla to (emocionální) jízda až do konce💛 .
\\ V průběhu čtení mě chvílemi dost mrazilo. Představte si, že jste ve fast foodu a u stolku vedle sedí tři holky. Kamarádky, řeknete si. Možná si jich ani vůbec nevšimnete. Jenže co když se ty kamarádky seznámily skrz společné nutkání se zabít a právě teď přede všemi a před nikým sepisují dopisy na rozloučenou rodičům? Může to být kdokoliv. Co když ten člověk,co sedí naproti vám v metru,jede metrem naposled?\\ .
Nesmím také opomenout zmínit výborné a nápadité grafické zpracování! Každá z hlavních hrdinek měla své vlastní osobité zpracování jednotlivých kapitol😍 Ne že by jinak splývaly dohromady, ale velice to knihu ozvláštnilo a učinilo čtení poutavějším.
Trošku mě mrzí, že anotace na přebalu knihy prozrazuje hodně z děje, myslím, že bych byla z akce mnohem víc překvapená, kdybych anotaci nečetla, na druhou stranu tomu rozumím, tohle rozhodně čtenáře přiláká.
Co jsme si nikdy neřekli, je titulem, který má rozhodně co předat a moc mile mě překvapil a zasáhl. Je to přesně to a ještě víc, co bych si přála od povedené youngadultovky s velkým přesahem🙏🏻
Jsem opravdu ráda, že jsou takovéhle knížky vydávány, jelikož zmíněná témata jsou rozhodně něco, o čem je potřeba mluvit!
February 1, 2023
Mehreen, Cara and Olivia.
Three girls, different in countless ways, yet alike for one thing only:
Each of them are desperate for a way out.
Mehreen is controlled by 'The Chaos'- an embodiment of her own constant self-doubt and self-deprecation. At home, she feels neglected. Her family refuse to acknowledge the signs of her depression, and in her religion- mental health isn't even recognised.
Cara lost her father and the ability to walk due to a fatal car accident a few months ago. Her once friends have stopped visiting her, she doesn't attend school anymore, and her mum has become obsessively paranoid for her safety and cannot leave her side for more than six seconds.
Olivia appears to have the perfect life. She's from a wealthy family, she's sociable, she's kind... but that's all she lets on. Underneath the faultless costume her mother has constructed, Olivia is a victim of sexual abuse. And her abuser is moving in next week.
Each of them has hit rock bottom. They have reached their lowest lows.
It seems like a miracle when they sign their lives away to 'mementomori.com'; it seems like their fantasies of escaping this world can finally become an actuality.
As stated on the terms and conditions, the three of them are forced to establish a suicide pact, and are required to complete a series of challenges before their termination date.
But when they realise suicide isn't the only option- it isn't the right option, the course of their lives begin to change. But what can you do if you've already signed your life away?
With a sickeningly twisted plot, 'All The Things We Never Said' shines a light on the power of friendship, and has inspired me to nurture the friendships I have, and form new ones.
Three girls, different in countless ways, yet alike for one thing only:
Each of them are desperate for a way out.
Mehreen is controlled by 'The Chaos'- an embodiment of her own constant self-doubt and self-deprecation. At home, she feels neglected. Her family refuse to acknowledge the signs of her depression, and in her religion- mental health isn't even recognised.
Cara lost her father and the ability to walk due to a fatal car accident a few months ago. Her once friends have stopped visiting her, she doesn't attend school anymore, and her mum has become obsessively paranoid for her safety and cannot leave her side for more than six seconds.
Olivia appears to have the perfect life. She's from a wealthy family, she's sociable, she's kind... but that's all she lets on. Underneath the faultless costume her mother has constructed, Olivia is a victim of sexual abuse. And her abuser is moving in next week.
Each of them has hit rock bottom. They have reached their lowest lows.
It seems like a miracle when they sign their lives away to 'mementomori.com'; it seems like their fantasies of escaping this world can finally become an actuality.
As stated on the terms and conditions, the three of them are forced to establish a suicide pact, and are required to complete a series of challenges before their termination date.
But when they realise suicide isn't the only option- it isn't the right option, the course of their lives begin to change. But what can you do if you've already signed your life away?
With a sickeningly twisted plot, 'All The Things We Never Said' shines a light on the power of friendship, and has inspired me to nurture the friendships I have, and form new ones.
June 17, 2019
Thank you to Hot Key Books and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I first read Yasmin’s short story in A Change is Gonna Come and really loved it so I was really looking forward to reading her debut book. So I knew as soon as I heard about this book that I would love it and it did not disappoint!
This book had me sobbing by the end of the first chapter. I had never read a story where the mental health rep so completely accurate to mine and reading it felt like I had finally been seen, that someone else really understood everything that goes through my head. I have related to other characters in other books but there has never been a rep where the characters religious beliefs also influences how they feel. This book finally incorporated all aspects of my life.
I wish I had this book as a teenager when I felt that I was alone and didn’t understand why I felt this way. I even read the first chapter out loud to my husband because through Mehreen I was able to explain how it feels and how difficult it can become to manage. It’s safe to say that he was pretty shocked yet it really helped him to understand. So I hope that this book helps a lot more people too.
The book has three points of view but it is easy to distinguish between them as they each have distinct voices and personalities. All three girls are struggling yet when they meet each other, even they cannot understand why the others would want to commit suicide and I thought it was so important to see that. That just by looking at someone, even if they are smiling and laughing, they could still be drowning inside. They could still be struggling to cope with everything that is happening in their life. So it’s important not to dismiss someone, just because they look okay.
Another important theme throughout the book was friendship. How having true, understanding friends, who don’t judge you can help you get through your worst times and even save your life. Having friends that you can open up to about your mental health and they will be there for you. That’s the friendship that they found in each other, when they felt that they couldn’t speak to anyone about how they were feeling, and what made them realise that actually they want to live. There does however need to be a balance, that although friends can help you a lot it is still important to seek professional help.
Mehreen is such a wonderful character, she’s unapologetically, unflinchingly Muslim. We see her pray and talk about how that helps her, we even get a scene where the girls go out for a meal and they find somewhere halal so Mehreen can eat and I loved that Cara and Olivia were so understanding and accepting of it. I know how you can feel so left out if you’re the only Muslim in the group. But one of my favourite things that Yasmin spoke about is something that is SO IMPORTANT when speaking about mental health and especially suicide in Muslim communities. That Mehreen did not commit suicide because of her love for Allah, and that takes strength.
This is a raw, honest, heart breaking story yet it also has hope that we see as the story progresses. I absolutely loved this book and I wish I had this book as a teenager and I really think that everyone should read this book.
I first read Yasmin’s short story in A Change is Gonna Come and really loved it so I was really looking forward to reading her debut book. So I knew as soon as I heard about this book that I would love it and it did not disappoint!
This book had me sobbing by the end of the first chapter. I had never read a story where the mental health rep so completely accurate to mine and reading it felt like I had finally been seen, that someone else really understood everything that goes through my head. I have related to other characters in other books but there has never been a rep where the characters religious beliefs also influences how they feel. This book finally incorporated all aspects of my life.
I wish I had this book as a teenager when I felt that I was alone and didn’t understand why I felt this way. I even read the first chapter out loud to my husband because through Mehreen I was able to explain how it feels and how difficult it can become to manage. It’s safe to say that he was pretty shocked yet it really helped him to understand. So I hope that this book helps a lot more people too.
The book has three points of view but it is easy to distinguish between them as they each have distinct voices and personalities. All three girls are struggling yet when they meet each other, even they cannot understand why the others would want to commit suicide and I thought it was so important to see that. That just by looking at someone, even if they are smiling and laughing, they could still be drowning inside. They could still be struggling to cope with everything that is happening in their life. So it’s important not to dismiss someone, just because they look okay.
Another important theme throughout the book was friendship. How having true, understanding friends, who don’t judge you can help you get through your worst times and even save your life. Having friends that you can open up to about your mental health and they will be there for you. That’s the friendship that they found in each other, when they felt that they couldn’t speak to anyone about how they were feeling, and what made them realise that actually they want to live. There does however need to be a balance, that although friends can help you a lot it is still important to seek professional help.
Mehreen is such a wonderful character, she’s unapologetically, unflinchingly Muslim. We see her pray and talk about how that helps her, we even get a scene where the girls go out for a meal and they find somewhere halal so Mehreen can eat and I loved that Cara and Olivia were so understanding and accepting of it. I know how you can feel so left out if you’re the only Muslim in the group. But one of my favourite things that Yasmin spoke about is something that is SO IMPORTANT when speaking about mental health and especially suicide in Muslim communities. That Mehreen did not commit suicide because of her love for Allah, and that takes strength.
This is a raw, honest, heart breaking story yet it also has hope that we see as the story progresses. I absolutely loved this book and I wish I had this book as a teenager and I really think that everyone should read this book.
October 1, 2023
I thought All The Things We Never Said would be more of a thriller, a la A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder, with plucky teen protagonists teaming up to bring down the evil genius behind the MementoMori website. It’s nothing along those lines. It’s more of a cautionary tale with A Message(TM), about the importance of friendship and support for teenagers dealing with depression and anxiety. Whether or not it’s worth reading I suppose depends on what exactly you’re looking for, and what you can handle in terms of triggers.
My full review of All The Things We Never Said can be found on Keeping Up With The Penguins.
My full review of All The Things We Never Said can be found on Keeping Up With The Penguins.
October 19, 2019
A trope that readers will know that I quite enjoy is what I call edgy YA fiction and in that category falls things like Mental Health, Drugs/Alcohol, Abuse, and Suicide. For some reason these topics have always fascinated me and the Suicide one is a topic I can relate strongly too for the reasons that I have had close friends and one was my best friend commit suicide and the other is that I have thought about it at quite a few points in my life. I remember talking to my Dad recently as had a customer enquires about explaining death to her 9-year old son and I asked him what age I was and he said to me that when I was as young as 7-8 years old I told him and mum constantly that I wanted to die and I didn't want to be here anymore. I remember the hard time at that age but not the death part but as I got older, the thought was and even now is often in the back of my mind. You know what would life be like if I got hit by a car right now on my way to work etc, what if the bus I was on crashed or what if I was in a car accident and today was my last day alive - those thoughts enter my head often on a daily basis. Now back to the book, in All The Things We Never Said by Yasmin Rahman we meet three teenage girls Mehreen, Olivia and Cara - each has their reasons for wanting to commit suicide and end their lives. Each of the girls signs up on a website that matches you with others to commit a suicide pact as their philosophy is that it is easier to die with someone and you are more likely to do it together than by yourself. The book starts with these girls meeting and the website Memento Mori gives them tasks throughout the book to prepare them for their final day and it also tells them how they are going to die - by drowning. As the girls though start to spend time together, things start to change as they become happier as they are with ones that understand what they are going through. Soon they decide one by one that maybe life is worth living and they don't want to go through with the suicide pact. However the website Memento Mori isn't going to let them back out that easily and so the site starts to taunt the girls one by one and with the way the girls are being taunted it looks like they very well might succeed with killing at least one of the three. If you love edgy books with a mystery/thriller twist then check out All The Things We Never Said by Yasmin Rahman today.
September 18, 2019
TW: Anxiety, Depression, Suicide, Rape, Abuse, Self harm
Rating: 5 stars
Plot: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Enjoyment: 1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000/10
WOW All The Things We Never Said was freaking amazing and talked about so many topics that I don't get to read an awful lot. I loved that it told the story of three teenaged girls dealing with completely different things. Cara is in wheelchair because of an accident and has an overprotective mum, Olivia is living in the same house as her rapist and is also mentally unstable and lastly we have Mehreen, she has anxiety and depression and has a family that she feels ignored by. These three girls all sign up to a website that allocates them a method of suicide and suicide partners, the girls are paired together and start becoming extremely close and soon want out of the suicide pact but the website wont let them...
The plot of this story was absolutely amazing and full of twists and turns. The plot was never boring and was extremely fast pace which is what I love. Like I already said, I love that this was told in multiple points of view so we got to see the story through three completely different yet so similar people.
I loved the characters and I actually didn't have a favourite, I loved them all equally. The three girls personality's were all completely different, Mehreen was really smart and an amazing artist. Cara was the headstrong girl who was never afraid of getting into a fight and sometimes because she's so headstrong she would say the wrong thing that would offend people. Lastly Olivia was basically the rich, posh, popular girl with an amazing fashion sense.
Overall I LOVED THIS BOOK! It needs a lot more recognition and I would definitely recommend this book that deals with mental health and friendship.
Byeeee
Rating: 5 stars
Plot: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Enjoyment: 1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000/10
WOW All The Things We Never Said was freaking amazing and talked about so many topics that I don't get to read an awful lot. I loved that it told the story of three teenaged girls dealing with completely different things. Cara is in wheelchair because of an accident and has an overprotective mum, Olivia is living in the same house as her rapist and is also mentally unstable and lastly we have Mehreen, she has anxiety and depression and has a family that she feels ignored by. These three girls all sign up to a website that allocates them a method of suicide and suicide partners, the girls are paired together and start becoming extremely close and soon want out of the suicide pact but the website wont let them...
The plot of this story was absolutely amazing and full of twists and turns. The plot was never boring and was extremely fast pace which is what I love. Like I already said, I love that this was told in multiple points of view so we got to see the story through three completely different yet so similar people.
I loved the characters and I actually didn't have a favourite, I loved them all equally. The three girls personality's were all completely different, Mehreen was really smart and an amazing artist. Cara was the headstrong girl who was never afraid of getting into a fight and sometimes because she's so headstrong she would say the wrong thing that would offend people. Lastly Olivia was basically the rich, posh, popular girl with an amazing fashion sense.
Overall I LOVED THIS BOOK! It needs a lot more recognition and I would definitely recommend this book that deals with mental health and friendship.
Byeeee
December 2, 2022
This book was rlly good. The characters were all lovely, the rep was excellent and the plot was gripping. I liked the diversity of all the characters and their issues, and not just the main characters but their families too.
There is something I should address and that is the ableist comment Cara makes on page 71, calling invisible disibilities bullshit. Making a disabled character ableist doesn't make the ableism any more acceptable since it is the negative affect on the audience that takes precedence, and I've seen other invisibly disabled reviewers express their hurt over this. However, I would like to offer a (uneducated since I am not disabled so this opinion should not take precedence over theirs) different opinion on this. I don't think the author/book is being ableist, I think it is trying to show Cara's perspective, specifically due to her bitterness over people's pity and smothering towards her because her visible disbility becomes her most defining trait. Also, slightly later on, Olivia lists off some statistics that validate invisibly disabled people, and the book chooses to specifically tell us one of them. I think this is the book's way of trying to offset Cara's comment. In short, Cara is an unreliable narrator. The comment is still unnecessary and hurtful, however I wanted to say that I don't think the negative effect it causes was intended.
With that aside I have just one other criticism; all the mentally ill protagonists are female. I feel like at least 1 should have been male out of the 3. Male mental health is almost always sidelined and this book could have been a great opportunity for rep that was sadly missed.
But aside of those it was great! A really good approach to mental health which I'd never come across before.
There is something I should address and that is the ableist comment Cara makes on page 71, calling invisible disibilities bullshit. Making a disabled character ableist doesn't make the ableism any more acceptable since it is the negative affect on the audience that takes precedence, and I've seen other invisibly disabled reviewers express their hurt over this. However, I would like to offer a (uneducated since I am not disabled so this opinion should not take precedence over theirs) different opinion on this. I don't think the author/book is being ableist, I think it is trying to show Cara's perspective, specifically due to her bitterness over people's pity and smothering towards her because her visible disbility becomes her most defining trait. Also, slightly later on, Olivia lists off some statistics that validate invisibly disabled people, and the book chooses to specifically tell us one of them. I think this is the book's way of trying to offset Cara's comment. In short, Cara is an unreliable narrator. The comment is still unnecessary and hurtful, however I wanted to say that I don't think the negative effect it causes was intended.
With that aside I have just one other criticism; all the mentally ill protagonists are female. I feel like at least 1 should have been male out of the 3. Male mental health is almost always sidelined and this book could have been a great opportunity for rep that was sadly missed.
But aside of those it was great! A really good approach to mental health which I'd never come across before.
February 28, 2022
i have nothing to say other than the fact i did not like this book. it did not live up to its hype for me. i hated the fact the author threw shade at invisible illnesses for no apparent reason. the plot had so much potential but the author just did not make it exciting. the heavy topic of suicide & the way she intersected that friendship will always be bigger than suicide was great - which is why i gave it a one star. otherwise, this truly was one of the worst books i’ve read. i though this was going to be an exciting thriller from the synopsis, but it was not & i was extremely disappointed.
July 21, 2019
Thank you netgalley for the eArc.
I have mixed feelings about this book, I loved the diversity and the book does cover lots of heavy topics and the main topic is suicide and the three main characters join a suicide pact website as they have all reached their lowest points and feel alone in their struggles. The book deals with mental illness, physical disabilities, rape, self harm, sexual abuse, amongst other heavy topics. I just don't know how I feel about this book, it was heartbreaking and honest and it covers so much in this book and the friendships made by the three girls is a light in all the darkness. I read this book quite quickly and I'm still processing it all, I didn't like some of the dismissals on invisible disabilities and how mental health is kind of brushed off in this book and the family relationships are so messy and the kids worries and concerns are also brushed off. I'm just not sure about the ending of the book, it just didn't feel complete for me, but overall I would give this book 4 stars as i really enjoyed the characters and their strength. We need more diversity and we need more heavy topics in books, we need to discuss the tough topics and give representation and to show that it's not always happy endings and romance. Everyone deserves to see themselves in a story.
I have mixed feelings about this book, I loved the diversity and the book does cover lots of heavy topics and the main topic is suicide and the three main characters join a suicide pact website as they have all reached their lowest points and feel alone in their struggles. The book deals with mental illness, physical disabilities, rape, self harm, sexual abuse, amongst other heavy topics. I just don't know how I feel about this book, it was heartbreaking and honest and it covers so much in this book and the friendships made by the three girls is a light in all the darkness. I read this book quite quickly and I'm still processing it all, I didn't like some of the dismissals on invisible disabilities and how mental health is kind of brushed off in this book and the family relationships are so messy and the kids worries and concerns are also brushed off. I'm just not sure about the ending of the book, it just didn't feel complete for me, but overall I would give this book 4 stars as i really enjoyed the characters and their strength. We need more diversity and we need more heavy topics in books, we need to discuss the tough topics and give representation and to show that it's not always happy endings and romance. Everyone deserves to see themselves in a story.
June 20, 2020
Po raz pierwszy w książkach, których zostały wydane spotkałam się z motywem paktu samobójców, co było dla mnie miłym zaskoczeniem, ponieważ tą jak i wiele innych pozycji, czytałam w ciemno, bez zapoznania się z opisem. Mehreen, Olivia oraz Cara to osoby z zupełnie innych światów, które mają różne problemy. Łączy je jedynie to, że wszystkie chcą popełnić samobójstwo, ale nie potrafią tego zrobić w pojedynkę, więc przy pomocy strony MementoMori poznają się oraz zawierają pakt. Strona wysyła im maile, kiedy oraz gdzie mają się spotkać, a także jakie zadania wspólnie mają wykonać. Pozycja ta pokazuje jak wielki wpływ mają na nas inne osoby. Do tego porusza ona tematy, których na co dzień nie znajdzie w innych pozycjach. Dlatego też jest mi smutno, że wszędzie dookoła słychać o "Dziesięciu Tysiącach drzwi", a o tej pozycji, o której powinno być głośno nikt nie mówi, ponieważ przez tematy które porusza powinno być o niej znacznie głośniej. Niestety też przez nie nie będzie to książka dla wszystkich, więc proszę was, pomimo mojego polecenia, zaznajomcie się z opisem "Czego ci nie mówię", tym o czym jest, aby nie wpłynęła ona na was negatywnie.
December 24, 2020
So disappointing! Majority of Asian parents would have reacted to certain events like how Mehreen Miah's parents did. I was hooked from the start of the book but then near the end I realised how unrealistic the character's reactions and emotions were. I feel as though it wasn't an appropriate representation of the Asian community.
If you read the book you'll see how understanding Mehreen's parents are but in reality it's not like that because there's also a generation difference and the psychology of anxiety, depression, etc are all fairly new.
If you read the book you'll see how understanding Mehreen's parents are but in reality it's not like that because there's also a generation difference and the psychology of anxiety, depression, etc are all fairly new.
August 14, 2023
Wow. Just WOW
July 19, 2023
First off, I'm not sure if this book was published before or not, because I found another version of the book published in 2019. I'll be writing my review for this version on goodreads because this is the review I read (incase they really are different books).
Ok, the characters are chefs kiss! I loved each and every one of them, and their bravery and courage just made me feel more attached to each of them.
Mehreen has anxiety and I can tell you first hand this was an AMAZING portrayal of anxiety. The intrusive thoughts telling you you're not good enough, the constant chaos. The thing with anxiety is, it weighs you down like a rock and dominates your mind. You feel like you can't do anything, nothing is possible because you're worthless useless. Mehreen was so raw and it was heartbreaking to read her point of view. I loved Mehreen and I loved how the author wrote about anxiety, I haven't related to a book this much in a long time!
Cara is disabled from an accident that she believes she caused. She believes she "k**led" her dad. You can imagine how the burden of this and the disability itself might affect a person. The author wrote her point of view so well. I could feel the anger in her. I'm not disabled nor have I ever been so I can't say how realistic this in real life but I could imagine it very realistically so kudos to the author.
Olivia. Oh my Olivia. Everything in her story was so true. Her thoughts"Who would believe me a lowly girl over a lawyer". This is so common! Read Marilyn Monroe's story, who would believe her over a grown respectable man. I wish this was talked about more, so we could bring light that it is SO SO important to listen to the victim to tell girls we believe you we love you and we protect you. The author handled this issue so well, and thank you so much for the ending. Olivia deserved it, we deserved a happy ending for her. I HOPE THAT RASCAL GOES TO HELL.
Overall the authors approach to mental health issues, rape and disabilities was amazing! I'll admit I wasn't very sure of this suicide pact thing but beautiful plot and beautiful handling of these very prominent issues. The journey from beginning to end was very raw and emotional, it was smooth and showed me that humans are humans and will be willing to help others but not willing to accept help from others. The friendship formed from this was beautiful, I recommend reading for EVERYONE, sheds light to very important issues. Mental health is not something to take lightly, so please please reach out for help if you need it. Will definitely be reading more from this author :D
Ok, the characters are chefs kiss! I loved each and every one of them, and their bravery and courage just made me feel more attached to each of them.
Mehreen has anxiety and I can tell you first hand this was an AMAZING portrayal of anxiety. The intrusive thoughts telling you you're not good enough, the constant chaos. The thing with anxiety is, it weighs you down like a rock and dominates your mind. You feel like you can't do anything, nothing is possible because you're worthless useless. Mehreen was so raw and it was heartbreaking to read her point of view. I loved Mehreen and I loved how the author wrote about anxiety, I haven't related to a book this much in a long time!
Cara is disabled from an accident that she believes she caused. She believes she "k**led" her dad. You can imagine how the burden of this and the disability itself might affect a person. The author wrote her point of view so well. I could feel the anger in her. I'm not disabled nor have I ever been so I can't say how realistic this in real life but I could imagine it very realistically so kudos to the author.
Olivia. Oh my Olivia. Everything in her story was so true. Her thoughts"Who would believe me a lowly girl over a lawyer". This is so common! Read Marilyn Monroe's story, who would believe her over a grown respectable man. I wish this was talked about more, so we could bring light that it is SO SO important to listen to the victim to tell girls we believe you we love you and we protect you. The author handled this issue so well, and thank you so much for the ending. Olivia deserved it, we deserved a happy ending for her. I HOPE THAT RASCAL GOES TO HELL.
Overall the authors approach to mental health issues, rape and disabilities was amazing! I'll admit I wasn't very sure of this suicide pact thing but beautiful plot and beautiful handling of these very prominent issues. The journey from beginning to end was very raw and emotional, it was smooth and showed me that humans are humans and will be willing to help others but not willing to accept help from others. The friendship formed from this was beautiful, I recommend reading for EVERYONE, sheds light to very important issues. Mental health is not something to take lightly, so please please reach out for help if you need it. Will definitely be reading more from this author :D
January 8, 2022
reading this book was a terrible idea
June 25, 2020
Na początku nie byłam jakoś przekonana do tej książki, ale od razu ją pokochałam. Przede wszytsim mamy tu świetnych bohaterów i poważne tematy, które napisane są w taki sposób, że po prostu się z nimi nie męczymy.
Wciągamy się praktycznie od razy i nie sposób oderwać się od tej książki. Jest ona zdecydowanie niedoceniana, bo naprawdę warto po nią sięgnąć. Polecam każdemu.
Wciągamy się praktycznie od razy i nie sposób oderwać się od tej książki. Jest ona zdecydowanie niedoceniana, bo naprawdę warto po nią sięgnąć. Polecam każdemu.
July 14, 2021
4,75-5/5.
Bardzo ważna i osobista jak dla mnie książka. Mówi o bardzo ważnych tematach w prosty sposób. Zdecydowanie warto poznać tą historię.
Bardzo ważna i osobista jak dla mnie książka. Mówi o bardzo ważnych tematach w prosty sposób. Zdecydowanie warto poznać tą historię.
July 15, 2019
Disclaimer: I received this free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
trigger warnings: suicide, depression, anxiety, sexual abuse, death, self-harm.
All The Things We Never Said follows three girls – Mehreen, Cara, and Olivia – as they are paired together by the website MementoMori for a suicide pact. But the website that brought them together to commit suicide also created mutually supportive friendship. A strong bond is created between the girls, as they are the only people that really understand each other. Soon, they want out of the pact but the website won’t let them stop and a sinister game begins that tries to tear the girls apart.
I remember reading Yasmin Rahman’s short story in A Change is Gonna Come, a story which highlighted the Islamophobia Muslims face in Britain, especially in the aftermath of a terrorist attack and it followed an anxious Muslim girl called Zaibah as she tried to navigate it. I remember really enjoying it, and the depiction of anxiety. So when I found out she had a full length novel coming out I was beyond thrilled and it has been a highly anticipated read of mine ever since.
One of my favourite things about this was the depiction of anxiety. Mehreen is incredibly anxious and she calls this anxiety ‘chaos’. Very few authors have truly managed to accurately capture those intrusive thoughts that come hand in hand with anxiety. How loud and deafening they can be and how you know it’s anxiety, you know it isn’t ‘real’ per say, and yet, you can’t ever truly shut that voice off. I also really loved the importance of religion to Mehreen as a coping mechanism. So yeah, I really connected with Mehreen and I can’t even imagine how important that sort of rep is for Muslim and South Asian readers.
The friendship in this book was also a really strong aspect. It wasn’t a perfect friendship, but when it mattered most, they were there for each other and they helped each other and I really loved that. I loved their friendship but I also loved each character individually. Mehreen was kind and gentle, but struggled with her ‘chaos’, Cara was blunt and angry and struggled to cope with her father’s death, and Olivia, whose life seemed so perfect but was far from it. I also really enjoyed how each POV was written, I liked how when Mehreen’s chaos was present, the font turned aggressive and bold and I really loved how Olivia’s POV was written in verse (I really love verse).
Overall, Yasmin Rahman created a powerful and heartfelt book that dealt with the topic in a sensitive manner. A brilliant addition to the UKYA scene and I can’t wait to read more from the author.
trigger warnings: suicide, depression, anxiety, sexual abuse, death, self-harm.
All The Things We Never Said follows three girls – Mehreen, Cara, and Olivia – as they are paired together by the website MementoMori for a suicide pact. But the website that brought them together to commit suicide also created mutually supportive friendship. A strong bond is created between the girls, as they are the only people that really understand each other. Soon, they want out of the pact but the website won’t let them stop and a sinister game begins that tries to tear the girls apart.
I remember reading Yasmin Rahman’s short story in A Change is Gonna Come, a story which highlighted the Islamophobia Muslims face in Britain, especially in the aftermath of a terrorist attack and it followed an anxious Muslim girl called Zaibah as she tried to navigate it. I remember really enjoying it, and the depiction of anxiety. So when I found out she had a full length novel coming out I was beyond thrilled and it has been a highly anticipated read of mine ever since.
One of my favourite things about this was the depiction of anxiety. Mehreen is incredibly anxious and she calls this anxiety ‘chaos’. Very few authors have truly managed to accurately capture those intrusive thoughts that come hand in hand with anxiety. How loud and deafening they can be and how you know it’s anxiety, you know it isn’t ‘real’ per say, and yet, you can’t ever truly shut that voice off. I also really loved the importance of religion to Mehreen as a coping mechanism. So yeah, I really connected with Mehreen and I can’t even imagine how important that sort of rep is for Muslim and South Asian readers.
The friendship in this book was also a really strong aspect. It wasn’t a perfect friendship, but when it mattered most, they were there for each other and they helped each other and I really loved that. I loved their friendship but I also loved each character individually. Mehreen was kind and gentle, but struggled with her ‘chaos’, Cara was blunt and angry and struggled to cope with her father’s death, and Olivia, whose life seemed so perfect but was far from it. I also really enjoyed how each POV was written, I liked how when Mehreen’s chaos was present, the font turned aggressive and bold and I really loved how Olivia’s POV was written in verse (I really love verse).
Overall, Yasmin Rahman created a powerful and heartfelt book that dealt with the topic in a sensitive manner. A brilliant addition to the UKYA scene and I can’t wait to read more from the author.
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