Publication Date: 09th Jan 2024
Genre: Family Drama
2.7 Stars
One Liner: Started okay but got a bit too messy
What happens to the dysfunctional immigrant Armenian family in Queens (NY) when a tragedy strikes?
With the news of their father’s terminal illness, Kohar, Lucine, and Azad have to handle the mess in their personal lives, come to terms with the present, and lay rest to the past. Having a volatile and strict mother further strains their relationships. Will the family survive or break?
The story comes in the third-person POV of the main characters (Kohar, Lucine, Azad, Jonathan, Garbiel, and Takouhi).
My Thoughts:
I follow an Armenian lady on Instagram and love the pictures of her native place (the farms, plants, ancient cathedrals, etc.). This book seemed like a good way to get a glimpse into the community, even if it is from the immigrant perspective.
Soon, I noticed it had a few parallels with other immigrant books – dysfunctional families, torn between two cultures, the attempts of first-gen immigrants to keep the native culture and traditions alive however possible, etc. Another similarity was in parental control, something we often find in Asian families. I rather liked this sense of familiarity.
The writing is very good. I even forgot this was a debut work. Despite the lack of indication for time jumps, the plot was easy enough to follow. And most importantly, the characterization is good. It doesn’t matter that half of them are unlikeable and toxic. They make a strong impact. I even felt suffocated in some scenes.
I like how Gabriel and Jonathan have such unconventional roles. Even with the book being dominated by women, we cannot imagine the plot without these two men.
You may wonder why such a low rating when the book has such good elements. Well, we’ll tackle them next. There is where I should probably say, ‘it’s not you, it’s me’.
Though I knew the book would be about toxic families and relationships, this was much like watching a massive collision. Can’t say I particularly liked it. And when things could have gotten a little better, they take a turn for worse. There’s only so much I can bear before getting annoyed.
Azad was irritating. If there’s one person I couldn’t empathize with, that’s her. I don’t mind Bohemian characters, but she didn’t work for me.
The book is divided into three parts. The first was good, and the second was okay, even though we see a change in the narrative. The third was off, and since I lost interest by then, I just wanted it to end soon.
While I don’t mind the time jumps, I still had a hard time following the change in the characters. Of course, a few reveals made things clear, which I appreciate.
The multiple POVs give us an insight into each character, even if we don’t agree with their actions. But for me, only Kohar’s POV was compelling. Next was Gabriel.
Being lit fiction, I expected the narrative to be slow, but this one is super dragging. It feels as if the plot couldn’t carry its own burden, especially in the second half. And when there isn’t anything happy or light about the story, such pacing is a disadvantage (at least with readers like me who don’t equate the genre with misery and toxicity).
And what’s with the last part of the book? I know such things happen often. I also know that woman deserved what she got. I am also glad the character I liked could finally move on. Still, it felt like were pushed from one universe to another.
To summarize, All the Ways We Lied is a book about toxic people and what one person’s narcissism can do to the family. It is heavy, slow, and tough to read. Got a few triggers, too.
Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books, for the eARC.
#NetGalley #AllTheWaysWeLied
**
TW: Miscarriage, cancer, parental death, chronic illness, abuse, parental neglect, talks of the Armenian genocide.
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