Review: All the Things We Never Said by Yasmin Rahman (this book made me cry!)

Oh. My. God.

Where do I even start? "All the Things We Never Said" is one of the best novels I've read in 2023. No, scratch that. This is one of the best novels I've ever read, period. I'm so excited to be reviewing this book, so instead of fumbling through the intros like I usually do, let's jump right into it! 

Just a quick trigger warning first- A few of this book's themes include anxiety and depression. By the end of the novel, the protagonists have undergone a positive character arc and understand that life can be worth living; however, some sensitive readers might want to avoid this book. 

Initial Reactions + Summary

You've probably already gotten a good idea of my thoughts on this book. It's a unique, refreshing read that made me get really emotional. 

Mehreen, a 16-year-old girl, has a voice in the back of her head. This voice tells her that she's not good enough, that she's always going to be left out. Mehreen's barely able to control the voice, and one day things burst. She finds a pro-selfharm website online called Memento Mori, where you'll get matched with a partner who will help you work things out- but it's important to note this website also gives you a date of termination, when you must be "fixed" by. Mehreen doesn't read this fine print and meets up with her partners, strangers dealing with their own struggles. As the girls get to know one another, they find themselves developing a strong bond- even becoming friends. But the website won't let them stop, threatening to ruin their lives if they don't go with the plan. And as the website begins to follow through on their threats, the girls are faced with a question: Is living really worth it?

What Worked.

The characters

Mehreen, our protagonist (or the person we spend the most time with, at least), has anxiety, and the writing in her POV felt so realistic and transported me into her mind. I could really see her thought process / intrusive thoughts and this book certainly raised my awareness. 

Cara is disabled from a car accident. Her dad, sadly, didn't make it out alive, and Cara feels responsible. The burden of this and the anger that came with it was so well written! I literally felt felt her angst as I was reading her chapters.

Olivia is the third girl in the group and seems so posh and pretty from the outside. Internally, however, she feels the opposite. I'm not going to spoil, but the struggles she faces are so underdiscussed (is that a word?) and the author does a great job of talking about her problems.

The writing

As you could probably tell by the previous section, the writing was just as great. I was transported into the minds these characters and this book closely followed the 3-arc story structure. I never saw the plot twists coming, and the ending was wrapped things up well. Sadly, I do not believe there will be a second installment, but I will update this post if any new information is released.

I found it surprising that I'd never heard of this author before- this is because All the Things We Never Said is her debut novel. Let's show our love for this author and support her works. 

What didn't work.

I literally had to skim the book to find things I disliked, and here's what I came up with:

• There were a lot of misunderstandings and conflicts that started without evidence. This book could have been 150 pages shorter if all this was removed.
• There were definitely a few stereotypical scenes. One character remarks that another character is straight because her hair isn't "gay enough"
• The chapters written in Olivia's POV are formatted in a short and choppy way. It's a bit difficult to read and the author took a risk with the formatting. (It was written this way to give you insight into how she thinks)

Conclusion

This book isn't about a bunch of cool girls taking down the big, evil website. Instead, it's about how the website affected the protagonists and their journeys struggling with self hate. If you're looking for "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder" type of novel, this might now be for you. But if you're in the mood for an uplifting read that embeds unique themes in a non-preachy way, you've found exactly what you're looking for.

Thank you so much for reading all the way to the end! I know I wrote a lot, but I was honestly so excited to review this novel. Shoutout to Netgalley for giving me a free review copy (but as always, my opinions are my own) and a huge thanks to you guys for reading my posts.

Sincerely,

Paige