Review: All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

This book surprised me. Despite the clues written RIGHT ON THE COVER, (apparently I was paying LOADS of attention when I read the title...) I was expecting something light hearted or maybe even one of those sappy romances. Boy was I wrong.

Right from the get go, you are thrust into the complicated life of Anya Balanchine. A sixteen year old girl with a LOT more issues than she should have to deal with at that age. Her parents are both dead, her grandmother is in bed, nearly dead, her older brother Leo is mentally disabled, and her twelve year old sister Natty is heavily dependant on her. Did I mention that her dead father was also a murderer? Yep, this girl's got a lot on her plate.

In this city, chocolate is illegal, but coincidentally, that is the Balanchine family's business. They produce some of the world's best quality chocolate. This fact makes Anya an instant threat to the government.

When Anya's ex-boyfriend gets poisoned by a chocolate bar she gives to him, her name is instantly thrown into the limelight. But not for a good reason. She is held personally responsible for his sickness.

With the help of her best friend Scarlet, and the new boy in town Win, (who is definitely one of those fictional boys you wish was real...) Anya is able to figure out her place in this mess her father has left her in the middle of. She previously had no intention of getting involved in the family business, but now it looks as if she'll have no choice...


Until about 2/3 of my way through this book, I wasn't completely sure if I was enjoying it. I kept reading, so I must have had some sort of desire to find out what happened, but when Rachel asked me if I liked it, I didn't have an answer for her. Have you ever read a book like that? But once I got to that 2/3 point, I was completely hooked. I was even being a bit antisocial one morning as I read the last few chapters hurriedly before class started... I had to find out how it ended! But now I can say that I DID indeed like it. It was very interesting. And I recommend it.





keep readin' it write!
Megan