Review: All These Things I've Done

by Gabrielle Zevin
publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux
date published: September 6, 2011
format: ARC
pages: 354
source: from the publisher for review
Amazon / Goodreads / B&N

From Goodreads:

In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidently poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight--at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.

What I Thought

I always love a good dystopian novel, so when I heard this book described as being one, I knew that I wanted to read it. It wasn't quite what I expected. This book is not as stark as other dystopian novels (i.e. no near-post-apocalyptic or even post-apocalyptic setting). Instead, it takes place at a time when society has begun to break down; corruption runs rampant; there are shortages of important resources; disease outbreaks are the norm; high crime rates are expected; and harsh strictures are set in place by the governing body. However, it is an interesting story that reads well and presents some interesting questions. I'm not even sure I would call it dystopian, but I'll go with it for lack of a better term.

I immediately developed a liking for the main character, Anya. Though she comes from a crime syndicate family (they're in the chocolate business, chocolate being a banned substance in this version of America), she has her own personal code that leads her to carefully consider her actions (well, most of the time, anyway). Her temper does get her into some dicey situations at times, but she is mainly concerned with the welfare of her family. That is one of the things that I liked most about her. When push comes to shove, she is the type of girl that is going to speak up in the best interest of her family and friends. This includes Win, Anya's friend and love interest in this story. He was another likeable character, though I didn't find him as absorbing as Anya. He is, however, very sweet and a nice complement to Anya's tough-as-nails personality. He does an excellent job of bringing out the softer side of Anya, which was just what was needed to keep her character from stagnating. I very much enjoyed their interplay and found them to be fun to read about.

I found the plot to be enjoyable, overall. There were a few things that put me in mind of movies I've seen and other books I've read so far as themes are concerned, which was a little distracting for me, as I tend to start searching out such things as if I were participating in an Easter egg hunt. I can definitely see the role these hints had to play, but for me, personally, due to the aforementioned reason. I did enjoy the progression of the story. I was made to react in all the right places by Zevin's writing, which I definitely have an appreciation for. I couldn't get enough of it and was able to read it relatively quickly due to my keen interest.

The world in which All These Things I've Done is set seems more reminiscent of our own than one might first expect. There are some key differences of note, however. Things such as new clothing is scare, there is a ration on goods such as paper, and, of course, there are bans on substances such as chocolate and caffeine, which have been subjected to a Prohibition-era-like laws. I loved this aspect of the book, as well. It is always enjoyable to see bits of history appropriated into a fresh story, as it helps keep the knowledge of these events alive. It serves as a great possible answer to what-if scenarios such as bannings and heavy rationing. This was probably my absolute favorite aspect of the entire novel.

All These Things I've Done is a well-written glimpse into our possible future. When combined with its characters, plot line, and setting, this book delivered on most counts for me. I am eagerly awaiting the second book in the Birthright series and can't wait to see what Gabrielle Zevin has in store with future installments. I give this book 4 hoots.

Obligatory legal statement: This ARC was provided to me free of charge by the publisher. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review