Review: Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick (Book #21)
09:19:00
“Behind every exquisite thing that existed, there was something tragic.”
This book was kindly given to me by Headline publishers via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I feel like I'm in a bit of a limbo at the moment in terms of reading. Sometimes exploring new corners of the world every day via non-fiction leaves me tired and restless, so I love to reach for a cosy YA from time to time. They put me at ease whilst reminding me of my hectic A Level days and downright obsession with John Green's novels. Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick was offered to me by Netgalley at just the right time; my holiday was over, I needed something to occupy my nights again. For just under 24 hours, I became immersed into the world of Nanette O Hare.
Matthew Quick's writing style is fresh and conversational, it truly felt like I was reading a long letter from a well-loved friend. A well-loved friend who was struggling with their identity. At the end of her high school career, Nanette O Hare feels suffocated by her success. She's a renowned football player, with colleges fighting over the right to give her a full college scholarship. She's a good student. She's a high achiever. But Nanette no longer wants to be one of those things. She wants to be herself. After reading The Bubblegum Reaper, Nanette decides to change her identity. She doesn't fit in. Every Exquisite Thing follows her downward spiral, her mistakes, triumphs and lessons learnt about the adult world she is about to enter.
Quick's writing forte seems to be removing the stigmas surrounding mental illness but also shedding light on the realities. Nanette is flawed, flawed beyond belief. She's short-sighted in her thinking, insecure, naive, all too trusting whilst not trusting enough, obsessed with fantasy etc etc. Every Exquisite Thing would have no purpose without these flaws. Who wants to read about a girl whose got her life together and has no obstacles in her way?
Death, loss, separation, disappointment and love all bear down heavily on Nanette and co. Yet there's glimmers of hope throughout Every Exquisite Thing that echo real life. Yes the ending of a story may not be exactly what you expected, but sometimes a hint of the unexpected is whats needed to change your identity and in turn your life.
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