From the day she is born, Prudence Spellmeyer’s world is guided by her charismatic, 1980’s-band-obsessed older brother. But when Davis passes away before Pru’s senior year of high school, everything changes.
Lost in grief, she formulates a plan: graduate, move to the city, and leave behind her dinky Podunk town full of painful memories. Pru’s only solace comes through drawing pictures of Davis in her art journal, and hiding out in the back seat of the Gherkin, her brother’s 1971 pickle-green Monte Carlo. Wrapped in the letterman’s jacket that still smells just like him, Pru tumbles into dreams of Davis. Dreams so vivid, even his hugs feel real. It’s the perfect escape.
Until…
Skating through school, Pru realizes the only way she will graduate is to accept tutoring from none other than Steve Nolan. Her childhood crush and ex-BFF who turned into her enemy for life when he caused her brother’s death.
To make matters worse, Pru’s recurring dreams of Davis take a dark turn, pushing her to depend on Steve for more than just geometry and learning that, sometimes, the very person who shattered your world might be the only one to help you rebuild it.
A Darcy Coates/You’ve Reached Sam mashup meets emotional Colleen Hoover vibes in a bittersweet book of grief, forgiveness, and the magic of dreams.
Plot/Idea: 5 out of 10
Originality: 8 out of 10
Prose: 7 out of 10
Character/Execution: 6 out of 10
Overall: 6.50 out of 10
Assessment:
Plot/Idea: Everything That Was starts strong, with a striking portrait of grief centered on Pru, a teenager when her brother Davis shockingly dies. Initially, Hansen draws Pru's bottomless grief extraordinarily well, dredging her desperation and pain as she tries to start over without her brother; when the novel moves into the romance between Pru and Steve, the progression feels less natural. Still, this is a strong rendering of the heartbreak that comes with a loved one's death.
Prose: Hansen creates vivid imagery throughout this story, especially in Pru's adventures within her dreamland. At times, the dialogue lacks authenticity, but overall the writing is sharp.
Originality: Pru's grieving will resonate with many readers, but the universality of her experience makes the novel that much more engaging. Hansen's complexity in penetrating Pru's character allows readers to fully connect with her—and digest the challenges she confronts.
Character/Execution: The most powerful part of this novel is its exploration of trauma, as Hansen eloquently focuses on complicated grief and its aftereffects for her main characters. Pru stands out as a deeply developed, multilayered character.
Date Submitted: April 01, 2024
