Things I Should Have Known by Claire LaZebnik

Pages: 320
Publish date: March 28th, 2017
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 0544829697
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

Things I Should Have Known:

I received an e-arc of Things I Should Have Known by Claire LaZebnik from HMH Books for Young Readers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I was really looking forward to Things I Should Have Known. It sounded intriguing and pulled me right in with its autism exploration, but, overall I was let down and left hanging for more. I was expecting something powerful and was left in the dust.

Before I keep on going, I would like to acknowledge that no one in my house suffers from autism. However, I have cousins and family friends that do. And some of those I do spend a lot of time with. So even though I don’t know everything, I do understand somethings.

Things I Should Have Known follows Protagonist Chloe Mitchell as she goes on a mission to help her older sister, Ivy, find love. When Chloe realises that her autistic sister wants to find love, she does everything in her power to help her find it. I have a love/hate relationship with Chloe. Overall, I found her to just be okay. I loved that she cared about her sister so much, that she would do so much for her. I loved that she would stand up for Ivy no matter what. But, sometimes her attitude really didn’t sit with me right. Chloe’s voice also wasn’t for me. I found that she sounded quite young – too young at times.

I loved Ivy, she was such a brilliant and complex characters that I wanted to find out more. She was innocent, but the kind that is beautiful and works so well with the story being told. I loved that Ivy wanted to find out things, see what love is, and feel love. It was so beautiful. At one point when Ivy realised something and confided in Chloe, I didn’t know wheatear to cry or smile – in the end, I did both.

The romances in Things I Should Have Known are very different. I am not sure how I feel about Chloe’s, but it still made this novel work. They were real. Ethan, oh my, he is such a sweetheart. I cannot even begin to explain. I just wanted to hold him and tell him everything is going to be okay. David, I’m not too sure how I feel about him, even after finishing the book.

From what I know and understand about autism, I thought that Things I Should Have Known explores an honest and real representation. The struggle, the heartbreak, the ups and the downs. It was all there.

One of the things about Things I Should Have Known is that it’s honest and real. Things are sugar coated. Heartbreaking events happening throughout the book, and they are raw. But they are also real and so important for people to understand.

Writing: While I thought that the story was beautiful and so important. I wasn’t a massive fan of the writing style and even the voice of the protagonist;

Overall, Things I Should Have Known is a raw book. It’s real and the story is beautiful. The novel explores the notion of family and finding love.  It’s about not just looking after those you love, but yourself. As well as learning that sometimes you need to let go. While I wasn’t a fan of the writing or the voice of the protagonist, Things I Should Have Known is so important and should be read.

Have you read Things I Should Have Known? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading it? Have you read anything else by Claire LaZebnik? Let’s Chat!