Friday 13 July 2012

#128 Book Review: Everything Left Unsaid [ARC]

Everything Left Unsaid
Release Date: August 1st 2012
Author: Jessica Davidson
Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia
Source: Publisher for Review
Format: Paperback
Where to Buy: Fishpond | Booktopia
More Info: Goodreads
Summary from Goodreads:
Tai and Juliet have been best friends forever – since they met at kindy and decided to get married in first grade.

They understand each other in the way that only best friends can.

They love music, beach walks, energy drinks and, they are slowly discovering, each other.

As they dream of adventures beyond the HSC – a future free of homework, curfews and parents, a life together – their plans are suddenly and dramatically derailed.

For Tai is sick.

And not everything you wish for can come true.

A poignant story of first love, hope, grief, family, and the twistedness of life.
Cover:
It's interesting how the title font's colour is white and how some of the letters are traced since the background is white too. There is that feeling that something is hanging between the girl and the guy in the cover. I think it suits the story quite well!


Story:


What happens when everything in your life changes the moment you find out your love is sick?


Juliet and Tai are best friends since they were both young. As they grow up together, Juliet finds herself falling for Tai. And when she finally confesses her feeling to Tai, Tai also tells Juliet that he likes her. Just when Juliet thought everything will be perfect, she finds out that Tai is sick, and that everything she wishes for will not come true...


It's been a while since I read a book that made me teary and completely broke my heart and Everything Left Unsaid gave me a mixture of different emotions. The book was written from both Juliet and Tai's POV. Davidson's writing was really beautiful and felt so real. She voiced her characters really well. Reading from Tai's POV particularly broke my heart. I couldn't imagine what life was like for Tai when he found out he was sick. And what was even more painful was the fact that he was leaving all his loved ones behind, including Juliet. The book explored Juliet and Tai's relationship and their bittersweet story as they spend time together until the end of Tai's life. The ending was really sad although it ended the story beautifully. It made me feel that no matter what happens in our lives, we must go on.


Characters:
One thing I loved the most about Davidson's writing was her characterization of Juliet and Tai. They felt so real to me and I connected to them although sometimes I was a bit frustrated with Juliet and Tai's relationship. Tai and Juliet's relationship was beautiful, built since they were both young with lovely childhood memories. When Juliet discovered that Tai was sick, she always spent most of her time with him and despite the fact that she cried countless times, she knew that tears won't help Tai in any ways. What frustrated me a little was the way Tai sometimes distanced himself from Juliet, even though he clearly loved her. I understood how Tai felt that his life was useless since he was dying, but Juliet was always there for him and he should have told her if he needed time alone instead of not telling her anything. There was one moment when I'm a bit frustrated with Juliet as well when her relationship with Tai was not going so well. But it all worked out in the end. I also really liked Tai's parents. They were very supportive of Tai and made me really sad. Tai's brothers, oh goodness, I really could not imagine how they felt knowing that their brother, who accompanied them through their nightmares was dying. Juliet's friend, Gen, was also a very supportive friend to Juliet.


Overall:
Everything Left Unsaid is a poignant story about life. How sometimes life does not got the way we want to. How life can drastically change in one second. Beautifully written and heart-breaking, Everything Left Unsaid was a beautiful and unforgettable read.
4 Forget-Me-Not flowers for Everything Left Unsaid!
Thank you Pan Macmillan Australia for the review copy!

17 comments:

  1. Lovely review, Celine! You're so right, this was just so heartbreaking yet beautiful and Juliet and Tai were so realistic. One of my faves of 2012 for sure!

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  2. Great review :) I'm super excited for this one and your review makes me even more excited. Hope I get to read this one soon!

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  3. “It's been a while since I read a book that made me teary and completely broke my heart...” Yep, I HAVE to read this now. I always seem to love books that make me cry. I mostly agree with you about the cover too! I feel like it ties them together, it wouldn’t really work on many covers, but it does on this one! I’ll definitely be hunting down a copy! Fabulous review as always, Celine. :)

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  4. This sounds so heart-breaking! I don't think I'm ready for the tears yet but I definitely want to give this a shot in the future. I'm glad to hear you were so moved by Juliet and Tai's story. Great review! :)

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  5. This sounds like such a sad story. I don't know whether I'd like to read it since sad stories make me want to cry. :(
    I've never seen this book before, so thank you for sharing it.
    It's really great that the characters were well-written. I'm glad you loved the book, Celine. :)
    Lovely review!

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  6. This sounds like it'd really be heartbreaking! I don't read many books like this because they make me so upset, but occasionally I'll branch out. I'm glad you enjoyed it and it's great to hear that Juliet was characterised well! Fab review :).

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  7. This sounds like a sad story with a tragic ending like something created for the sole purpose of breaking the readers's hearts. :(

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  8. Awww, my heart is already breaking for Tai! :( I'm the biggest fan of ANYTHING that has to do with childhood romances and crushes, but this sounds like it's that an more because Tai is sick. I can't imagine what it would be like to grow up loving someone only to know that they're bound to leave you soon. I'd probably cry so much -- I'm probably going to cry here for Tai and Juliet!!

    Beautiful review, Celine! It's officially on my radar now :) <3

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  9. Such a beautiful review Celine, you Aussie's are so lucky you have all these amazing releases! I seriously can't wait to get my hands on this! :)

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  10. This book sounds really sad but I still want to read it. Thanks for the review!

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  11. I think I'll cry my eyes out when I read this one. My boyfriend was one of my friends and he understands me like nobody else. Thinking that something like this could happen already makes me want to cry, hahaha.

    Wonderful review. I'm putting this one on the list, so I can read it when I'm in the mood for it :p

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  12. I love that this book was such an emotional reading experience for you, Celine! You know I love books that challenge me emotionally so I'll definitely give this one a go, especially because the characters are so well-fleshed out.
    Wonderful review, lovely!

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  13. Omg this sounds sooo beautiful. I have read the first few pages of this book and I knew from there that it was going to be a heartbreaking story, and at the moment I am not ready as my life right now is need of happy moments but I sincerely hope to read this soon as im good. I loved how you described Juliet and Tai's relationship, I cant wait to meet them. Great review Celine. x

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  14. Love love love the cover! The font is just BRILLIANT. And oooh, a poignant story with a dying guy! Don't know why, I'm always attracted with that kind of sad story. I always hope that they will have their happy ending though. :')

    Absolutely beautiful review, Celine! <3

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  15. HSC? Huh! I had NO idea this was an Aussie book! Oh, Celine, this sounds SO sad... like... GOOD sad, but SAD. The idea kind of reminds me of When You Were Mine... like... the inevitability? You know what's coming, what's happening, and that'll end in heartbreak, but... WOW. It sounds AMAZING! And your review... I kind of wanted to cry just reading what YOU say about the book, let alone the book itself. AWESOME, C! ♥

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  16. Oh god. This book is going to stomp on my heart, I KNOW IT! I kinda love that though, I love when a book can have such an emotional reaction on me and it's clearly done that with you!! Such a sad thing to have to go through and especially at Tai's age :( Amazing review, Celine. I am really, really excited to dive into this!!

    Also, *passes tissue* :(

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  17. It's been a while since I read a book that made me teary and completely broke my heart and Everything Left Unsaid gave me a mixture of different emotions. The book was written from both Juliet and Tai's POV. Davidson's writing was really beautiful and felt so real. She voiced her characters really well. Reading from Tai's POV particularly broke my heart. ready to wear asian clothes uk , asian salwar kameez uk , asian eid dresses uk , asian designer suits uk , men slawar kameez uk , ready made asian suits uk , stitched salwar kameez online usa , white chikankari kurta set , baby pink chikankari kurti , party wear chikankari suits online , ada chikan kurti I couldn't imagine what life was like for Tai when he found out he was sick. And what was even more painful was the fact that he was leaving all his loved ones behind, including Juliet. The book explored Juliet and Tai's relationship and their bittersweet story as they spend time together until the end of Tai's life. The ending was really sad although it ended the story beautifully. It made me feel that no matter what happens in our lives, we must go on.

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