Emily May's Reviews > Everything Here Is Beautiful
Everything Here Is Beautiful
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Lately, I'm really enjoying these quieter family drama books with strong writing, unforgettable characters, and a deep emotional pull. Perhaps I'm a little burned out on tropes and action but, whatever the reason, Everything Here Is Beautiful worked its way into my heart and kept me hooked on the characters' lives until the very last page.
At its heart, this novel looks at living with a chronic mental illness. Lucia is the wild, funny, brilliant, extravagant sister, as the more serious and controlled Miranda has always known. She's also prone to spiralling into cycles of depression and obsessive behaviour, fuelled by her schizoaffective disorder. Miranda knows that, too, and her adult life has mostly been dedicated to ensuring her sister takes the pills that mute the voices in her head.
As the two Chinese-American women get older, they build their own lives. Lucia marries a big-hearted one-armed Israeli man called Yonah and Miranda moves to Switzerland, whose clean precision suits her personality well. Lucia's life moves through ups and downs, soon taking her away from Yonah and to a young Ecuadorian called Manuel, who is living in New York as an undocumented immigrant.
The story centers around Lucia and her struggle with the "serpents" in her mind, as she takes on motherhood, living in Ecuador, and a career of her own, but Lee develops all the other characters around her so that Lucia doesn't feel like a lab specimen being scrutinized. Miranda, Manuel and Yonah are all intricately-drawn, with their own stories being as important and poignant as Lucia's.
The book moves through several different perspectives and switches between first and third person. In other books, I sometimes find such constant movement between characters to be jarring, but they were all portrayed with such love and sensitivity here that I never experienced that familiar dissatisfaction of being with a character who was less interesting than the others.
Lee shows all the misunderstandings and misinformation around mental illness. She considers Lucia's fear that her illness is the "reality" and that the pills are numbing it, as well as Miranda and Manuel's difficulty of distinguishing eccentricities from mental illness. Where does a person end and their illness begin? The honest answer is that no one really knows.
A beautiful, thought-provoking book with the kind of characters I know will stay with me.
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by
And then, her worst fear: that the line between her sister and her illness was becoming irrevocably blurred.
Lately, I'm really enjoying these quieter family drama books with strong writing, unforgettable characters, and a deep emotional pull. Perhaps I'm a little burned out on tropes and action but, whatever the reason, Everything Here Is Beautiful worked its way into my heart and kept me hooked on the characters' lives until the very last page.
At its heart, this novel looks at living with a chronic mental illness. Lucia is the wild, funny, brilliant, extravagant sister, as the more serious and controlled Miranda has always known. She's also prone to spiralling into cycles of depression and obsessive behaviour, fuelled by her schizoaffective disorder. Miranda knows that, too, and her adult life has mostly been dedicated to ensuring her sister takes the pills that mute the voices in her head.
Later, I would be told I had a twenty percent chance of maintaining a full-time job, a twenty-five percent chance of living independently, a forty percent chance of attempting suicide, a ten percent chance of succeeding.
I was twenty-six years old.
As the two Chinese-American women get older, they build their own lives. Lucia marries a big-hearted one-armed Israeli man called Yonah and Miranda moves to Switzerland, whose clean precision suits her personality well. Lucia's life moves through ups and downs, soon taking her away from Yonah and to a young Ecuadorian called Manuel, who is living in New York as an undocumented immigrant.
The story centers around Lucia and her struggle with the "serpents" in her mind, as she takes on motherhood, living in Ecuador, and a career of her own, but Lee develops all the other characters around her so that Lucia doesn't feel like a lab specimen being scrutinized. Miranda, Manuel and Yonah are all intricately-drawn, with their own stories being as important and poignant as Lucia's.
The book moves through several different perspectives and switches between first and third person. In other books, I sometimes find such constant movement between characters to be jarring, but they were all portrayed with such love and sensitivity here that I never experienced that familiar dissatisfaction of being with a character who was less interesting than the others.
Lee shows all the misunderstandings and misinformation around mental illness. She considers Lucia's fear that her illness is the "reality" and that the pills are numbing it, as well as Miranda and Manuel's difficulty of distinguishing eccentricities from mental illness. Where does a person end and their illness begin? The honest answer is that no one really knows.
A beautiful, thought-provoking book with the kind of characters I know will stay with me.
I’m human first, aren’t I? Aren’t we all?
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Reading Progress
January 10, 2018
– Shelved
January 25, 2018
–
Started Reading
January 28, 2018
–
Finished Reading
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Carla
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rated it 4 stars
Jan 29, 2018 02:27AM
I am reading this too. Looking forward to hearing your review!
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I hope you'll review this book, Emily. I was blown away by it, but would love to hear your thoughts!
When I interned at a state hospital, most of the professionals believed schizoaffective disorder to be the “worst” psychiatric condition, both for sufferers and for the treatment team as well as family members. Most often , adequate medication mutes rather than eliminates symptoms and the patients often side effects of these meds worse than the disorder. Their true personalities and mental illness can be indistinguishable. It sounds like Lucia was fairly high functioning, which can at times be even more painful than those who don’t realize how sick they are.
Amy's Book Reviews wrote: "When I interned at a state hospital, most of the professionals believed schizoaffective disorder to be the “worst” psychiatric condition, both for sufferers and for the treatment team as well as fa..."
Yes, it was definitely painful to watch Lucia struggle, even as someone who was high functioning. The book also addresses what you mentioned about the side effects sometimes being worse than the disorder - Lucia comments that at one point she is on pills, more pills for the side effects, and yet more pills for the side effects caused by the pills for the side effects.
Yes, it was definitely painful to watch Lucia struggle, even as someone who was high functioning. The book also addresses what you mentioned about the side effects sometimes being worse than the disorder - Lucia comments that at one point she is on pills, more pills for the side effects, and yet more pills for the side effects caused by the pills for the side effects.
Rhiannon wrote: "If you're into family drama, you should try Far From the Tree by Robin Benway :)"
The only thing that puts me off is that I've heard a few people say the ending is a very cheesy HEA. Is it?
The only thing that puts me off is that I've heard a few people say the ending is a very cheesy HEA. Is it?
Emily May wrote: The only thing that puts me off is that I've heard a few people say the ending is a very cheesy H..."
I think it was a touch cheesy but I live for those kind of endings anyway so I super enjoyed it :)
I think it was a touch cheesy but I live for those kind of endings anyway so I super enjoyed it :)
I love deep books like this. Keen to see how mental illness is portrayed in this. Lovely review. On my list now to get.
Nadia wrote: "A character named Manuel and a character named Miranda?? Are they named after Lin-Manuel Miranda??"
Haha, I don't think so. Probably just a coincidence :)
Haha, I don't think so. Probably just a coincidence :)
I was wondering what some of the other aforementioned quieter family drama books are that you've read recently or what you recommend in that type of story? It's a genre I really like!
Madison wrote: "I was wondering what some of the other aforementioned quieter family drama books are that you've read recently or what you recommend in that type of story? It's a genre I really like!"
I have recently really enjoyed Little Fires Everywhere, The Heart's Invisible Furies, Pachinko and This is How It Always Is :)
I have recently really enjoyed Little Fires Everywhere, The Heart's Invisible Furies, Pachinko and This is How It Always Is :)
I can't wait to sink my teeth into this book! Have you read Ghana Must Go? It's a powerfully written family drama as well I think you'll love.
Kelechi wrote: "I can't wait to sink my teeth into this book! Have you read Ghana Must Go? It's a powerfully written family drama as well I think you'll love."
I haven't! Thanks for the recommendation - I'll check it out :)
I haven't! Thanks for the recommendation - I'll check it out :)
A beautiful, perfect review that describes exactly how I felt about it, except for me it was a definite 5 stars.