Throughout the novel, the characters are dynamic they change and grow. In contrast, Everything I Never Told You has an entire family, and a neighbor, with complex, well-rounded personalities. Even Elena Richardson, one of the principle characters of the novel, feels a bit type-cast. However, the Richardson father and, in many ways, the older son, Trip, are both rather flat. Little Fires Everywhere does have Mia and Izzy, both vibrant, interesting characters. It reminds us how easily old hurts can resurface years after first appearing.Īlso, the character depth and development in the earlier novel is more robust. It shows the depth of these feelings and how they must be considered throughout a lifetime. It shows how some issues, including race, popularity, and opportunity, never really go away. However, the previous novel presents the interracial issue with many more layers we see its impact on the Lee family throughout the entire book. In this latest novel, the issues feel like a plot device to move the story along and juxtapose the views of the characters, specifically Elena Richardson and Mia Warren. In Little Fires Everywhere, the racial drama concerning the adoption of a Chinese baby, and the decision about which woman has more right to raise that baby, feels less intense and genuine than the manner similar issues were dealt with in her previous book. Without spoiling either story, let me detail three reasons why the earlier book is superior.įirst, the interracial issues that are a part of each book are handled with more depth, impact, and precision in Everything I Never Told You. However, her lesser-known, 2014 release, Everything I Never Told You, is an even better book. It is a good family drama and will satisfy many readers.

Landing on most of the best of 2017 reading lists is Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere.

Everything i ve never told you