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Review: Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick



Blurb from Goodreads:
Nanette O'Hare is an unassuming teen who has played the role of dutiful daughter, hardworking student, and star athlete for as long as she can remember. But when a beloved teacher gives her his worn copy of The Bugglegum Reaper--a mysterious, out-of-print cult classic--the rebel within Nanette awakens. 

As she befriends the reclusive author, falls in love with a young troubled poet, and attempts to insert her true self into the world with wild abandon, Nanette learns the hard way that rebellion sometimes comes at a high price.
My Review:
I am so mad at myself for waiting so long to read something by Matthew Quick!  I need to immediately read Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock and The Good Luck of Right Now, both of which have been sitting on my kindle for awhile because I loved this book, his latest, so much!  I seriously think there are probably no two books that speak more to me and how I felt when when I was a teenager than Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally and Every Exquisite Thing.  The first third, in particular, of this book felt almost as if I could have written it -- not that I have the talent but that someone spilled out my high school brain and caressed and molded it into something so beautiful so as to be Nanette's voice in this book.  Where do I even begin to tell you about this book?  It is, as the description states, about Nanette O'Hare, a high school senior who reads a book that changes her life but it is also about so much more.  I know this book won't be for everyone, but it was definitely for me.

The Bubblegum Reaper -- the book that Nanette reads at the beginning of this book -- has a very pronounced similarity to the The Catcher in the Rye -- it is ostensibly about a misunderstood teenager who wants to quit it all, it has an ending that leaves more questions than answers and, most similarly, it is written by a recluse who basically faded from public life after this book was published despite the fact that it has since attained cult-like status and driven thousands of people to try and seek out the author for answers.  Nanette, too, wants to seek out these answers and when she finds out that the reclusive author lives not more than 20 minutes away from her, she strikes up a friendship with him that changes everything.  I won't tell you anything else about the plot because this is one you should read but the star of this book is the writing -- it is lyrical and poetic but not heavy handed.  It doesn't take itself too seriously or try too hard.  I couldn't put this down and I never felt that moment, like I have felt recently no matter what I'm reading, that the book was dragging along.  It is short but mighty and now, for me, filled with so many highlights of passages that I will read and re-read every year.  My review isn't doing this book justice, at all, but you know by now that I loved it.  I rarely give books five star reviews because I rarely read five star books.  This is one of them.

I highly recommend this to pretty much everyone that's ever been a teenager and/or fallen in love with The Catcher in the Rye—sometimes I think those two things are synonymous.  This actually reminded me of several other favorites and it will star in a This & That soon but, for now, I can say that this was such an amazing read for me.  Every Exquisite Thing comes out later this month on May 31, 2016, you can purchase HERE, and I just loved this one so much.
It felt like so many years' worth of anxiety and worry were trying to escape all at once—maybe like an emotional volcano, only my mom and dad, they didn't run away to save themselves but sprinted right into my lava.  They both jumped up off the couch and wrapped their arms around me even though it meant touching each other.  We stayed like that for a long time, and it felt good—almost enough to justify everything that had precipitated it, but not quite.

Comments

  1. I haven't read a book by this author either, Eva, but you are making such a strong case for this one. I love how well you connected with the story. And the writing sounds absolutely beautiful. I will definitely add this to my TBR, Eva!
    Lovely review! :)

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  2. Oh man I am so excited for this one!! Sounds like something I would love and maybe relate to as well. I also really like Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock. Wonderful review!!

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  3. I'm excited for this too, more so after reading your glowing review for it. :D Wonderful job and have an amazing weekend!!

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  4. YAYYYYY! I am SO in love with the way this book sounds!! :) <3 And YES I can really tell that you liked this one girl! <3 Even the passage at the end of it had be squeeing! <3

    AWESOME, AWESOME, review E! <3

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  5. I have an ARC of this and I just have never found the time to pick it up. I started reading a little of it, like when the MC got the book and she was reading it. I felt the story was a little slow for pacing, which is not the book's fault but me trying to get into the contemporary genre. Thanks for letting me know though because this will also be my first Matthew Quick-- although Forgive Me LP sounds way more interesting :O

    Alex @ The Book's Buzz

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  6. Wow! I haven't read anything by Matthew Quick yet but your review has me excited for it. Thanks for sharing :)

    Janhvi @ The Readdicts

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  7. It's nice to find a book that feels like it was written just for you. I've never read anything by MQ but I'll have to check him out. Wonderful review, Eva! :)

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  8. I haven't read anything by this author, but I certainly feel like I'm missing out, now. Nice review. Totally gonna look into this author!

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  9. I haven't heard of this book before but your review has definitely put it on my radar. It sounds so good. Great review!

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  10. I am SO HAPPY that you loved this book!!! I have been eagerly awaiting it and was debating not even reading reviews of it (didn't want to spoil anything for myself), but your review made me even more excited to read it. I SO RECOMMEND Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock. That book utterly destroyed me, but I loved the journey. Hope you can read it soon :)

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    1. Thanks Michelle! I am going to read it as soon as I fulfill my ARC commitments for this month!! I can't wait

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  11. Great review! I've never read anything by Matthew Quick. It sounds like I really need to get on that!

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  12. I really want to read this one, especially after your review! My first go around with Matthew Quick was Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock, and I'd had that one in audio for a couple of years before listening to it. For shame! I think I need to go for this one, quickly.

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  13. Oh wow, I'll definitely read this! Sounds amazing!

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  14. This sounds amazing, definitely adding to my TBR after reading your review!
    Tori @InToriLex

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  15. I have yet to read any of his books, but they are all on my TBR. Your review has me ready to read this!

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  16. I hadnt even heard of this one until you talked about it in your last post. I didn't know this was the same author of the Silver Linings Playbook, which I also haven't read. I love books that speak to me so I really need to add this to my list!

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  17. I've been wanting to read Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock for a long time. I thought this one looked good too and was so excited when I saw you were loving it! Great review, Eva!

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