As a fan of Loy Gilbert’s work, I knew I had to pick up Everyone Wants to Know. And this book is full of surprises, complex characters, and twists. Just like I thought it would be. Keep reading this book review for my full thoughts.
Summary
The Lo family sticks together. That’s what Honor has been told her whole life while growing up in the glare of the public eye on Lo and Behold , the reality show about her, her four siblings, and their parents.
Their show may be off the air, but the Lo family members still live in the spotlight as influencers churning out podcasts, bestselling books, and brand partnerships. So when Honor’s father announces that he’s moving out of their northern California home to rent an apartment in Brooklyn, Honor’s personal upset becomes the internet’s trending B-list celebrity trainwreck—threatening the aspirational image the Los’ brand (and livelihood) depends on.
After one of her best friends leaks their private conversation to a gossip site, bruised and betrayed Honor pours all her energy into reuniting her family. With her parents 3,000 miles apart, her siblings torn into factions, and all of them under claustrophobic public scrutiny, this is easier said than done. Just when Honor feels at her lowest, a guarded yet vulnerable boy named Caden comes into her life and makes her want something beyond the tight Lo inner circle for the first time. But is it fair to open her heart to someone new when the people she loves are teetering on the edge of ruin?
As increasingly terrible secrets come to light about the people Honor thought she knew best in the world, she’s forced to choose between loyalty to her family and fighting for the life she wants.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
TW: panic attacks
Everyone Wants to Know is about family. It’s about sacrifice, the ways we stick together even if we shouldn’t, and all the ways our identity as a family member can begin to take over our individual identity. The lines we are asked to cross and the sacrifices which are ripped from us. From the premise alone, the title drives home the judgements, comments, and opinions the world has of us. Of our relationships, our family, and our truths.
For the average person, we already struggle enough with the opinions from our friends, family, and communities. But for the Loh family as celebrities they encounter even more speculation, scrutiny, and perceptions Their relationships are haunted by the pressure of their image, their ‘brand’, their chasing of this authentic self with no reference point. Trust is also in short supply as it turns out that our relationships cannot be trusted – just another person looking for a scoop – or our lives and pains are merely reduced to our stardom.
With no real recognition of our pains or parental abuses, or struggles to figure out our ethics. Everyone Wants to Know is a book that consistently brought it back to these themes. These ideas swirling through our heads. And you begin to wonder – does everyone really want to know the truth? In true Loy Gilbert style, Everyone Wants to Know is a story with intricate characters who walk this messy line we all do between our ethics, our family, and ourselves. It’s one of those books which makes you feel like you’re reading a character study, a glimpse into someone else, and come out thinking a bit more about who you have become.
Where to Buy
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About the Author
Kelly Loy Gilbert believes deeply in the power of stories to illuminate a shared humanity and give voice to complex, broken people. She is the author of Conviction, a William C. Morris Award finalist, Picture Us in the Light, When We Were Infinite, and Everyone Wants to Know, and lives in the Bay Area.
Author Links:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7244154.Kelly_Loy_Gilbert
Website: KellyLoyGilbert.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellyloygilbert/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/KellyLoyGilbert