Challenge Corner discussion

Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet.

So begins this exquisite novel about a Chinese American family living in 1970s small-town Ohio. Lydia is the favorite child of Marilyn and James Lee, and her parents are determined that she will fulfill the dreams they were unable to pursue. But when Lydia’s body is found in the local lake, the delicate balancing act that has been keeping the Lee family together is destroyed, tumbling them into chaos.

A profoundly moving story of family, secrets, and longing, Everything I Never Told You is both a gripping page-turner and a sensitive family portrait, uncovering the ways in which mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, and husbands and wives struggle, all their lives, to understand one another.

Chapters 1-6 (view spoiler)[
What a way to start a book. That first paragraph really pulls you into the mystery. So we know that Lydia isn't coming home, but what caused her death. I like how the book gives the present and past POVs of James, Marilyn, Nathan, and Hannah so we get a better understanding of their relationships to one another and their overall family dynamic. (hide spoiler)]
Chapters 7-12 (view spoiler)[
You can already tell that the Lee family was far from perfect. From Nath not being able to live up to his father's expectations or get his mother's attention away from Lydia. To Hannah, the ignored youngest child, who didn't feel like she had a place with her parents or her siblings. Everyone had their shortcomings and I feel like something was bound to happen eventually. No one seemed truly happy, maybe just content and comfortable with their routine. (hide spoiler)]
Chapters 13-18 (view spoiler)[
Poor Lydia… all that pressure. She obviously was not in an family environment where she felt she could speak freely and admit her own shortcomings to her parents. Their expectations for her were so great… It just makes me really sad how every event had an effect on her life and death. I also am really sad about Nath and Hannah. They never got any attention or praise from their parents for their successes. (hide spoiler)]
Chapters 19-End (view spoiler)[
I love how this book is written. I really enjoy having the present time-line, but also then filling in the pieces with events from the past. Also, I like how you get everyone's view, and how each event has changed them. The whole book is a tragedy, not just about Lydia, but the family as a whole. In a way, her death helped heal the family and bring them together again, but it is really sad that that was what it took. Overall this is an amazing book, and I loved reading it for the second time. (hide spoiler)]

Ahhhh so quick.

starting this now!

25%: (view spoiler)[It's pretty interesting so far.. I'm loving all the POVs and the whole mystery. (hide spoiler)]

50%: (view spoiler)[..what the - I can't believe he pushed her in.. but I am happy he helped her back out. (hide spoiler)]

83%: (view spoiler)[that whole car ride was super awkward, no one wonder she failed that test. (hide spoiler)]

100%: (view spoiler)[wow, okay - so this was a good book and this whole family was one hot freaking mess. So much tragedy within them but at the end they definitely started to heal a bit? I'm very happy that I finally got a chance to dive into this. (hide spoiler)]

20% (view spoiler)[hmmm how does Marilyn and James first meeting have anything to do with Lydia's death (hide spoiler)]

47% (view spoiler)[ I have a feeling Lydia's death have something to do with Marilyn being missing (hide spoiler)]

86% (view spoiler)[ What even? James giving shitty excuse for his cheating (hide spoiler)]

Finished (view spoiler)[ Bored me to death and honestly I don't even get their reason for doing what they did nor can I empathize with them (hide spoiler)]