The tagline that accompanies Everyone and Everything is that it “will make you laugh, cry and call your sister”, and there are no truer words. Everyone and Everything was an emotional journey, following 30-something Yael in the aftermath of a suicide attempt. This makes the novel sound unimaginably bleak and while there are heavy moments, Cohen has spun a story of healing, hope, solace, and friendship that filled my cup.
On the surface, Everyone and Everything is another book that might be neatly classed as a ‘sad girl novel’: the messy millennial who is going through it. I for one gravitate towards this type of novel but can simultaneously understand the over-saturation of this literary trend. However, Everyone and Everything is one that shouldn’t be discounted because of it; it’s a truly refreshing and painfully honest account of mental health, told through a voice that gripped me immediately. Our protagonist Yael is sharp, unique, and wonderfully witty, with this quote being a classic example: “The word ‘melancholia’ makes me feel all romantic and ye olde, like Virginia Woolf or a Victorian-era painting”. The balance between light and dark is beautifully done, offering reprieve through the more emotionally taxing moments.
I really admired the narrative structure of Everyone and Everything. Each chapter is a month, following Yael over a year. We see definitive progress, but also that healing isn’t linear with Yael slipping between highs and lows. We also learn more of Yael’s past, through short vignette-style paragraphs that transition between the present day and memories of her upbringing, particularly reflections on her relationship with her parents. There is also a beautiful sense of peace and quietness throughout the story, as Yael finds solace in spending her days at a Sydney women’s baths, developing an unconventional friendship with an older woman, and leaning on her sister for support.
Any book that makes me ugly cry is an immediate favourite, with the last few chapters of Everyone and Everything leaving me doing just that. With the themes, it is one to tread lightly into but if the premise appeals to you, or if you’re a fan of Sorrow and Bliss by Megan Mason or Green Dot by Madeleine Grey, I would so highly recommend this book.
Rating: 5/5
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