Everything Must Go by Camille Pagan

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 – 4.5 stars

Laine is having a crisis. She’s 38, married, and childless, but her husband doesn’t seem interested in children even though it’s been Laine’s desire since they got married over a decade ago. If that weren’t enough her sister tells her that she needs her to come back to Brooklyn, NY to help with their mom who seems to be exhibiting signs of dementia. Laine isn’t overly concerned. She believes her mother, Sally, misses their deceased father and is lonely, so Laine’s plan is to go to Brooklyn, placate her mother and then return to Michigan. But then her sister informs her that she ran into Laine’s childhood best friend, Ben, whom she had a falling out with many years ago and hasn’t spoken to since college. Her relationship with Ben was complicated then, and her feelings about him now could change the trajectory of her future. Meanwhile, Laine is torn between feelings of anger towards her mom because of a selfish decision her mother made that affected Laine’s life in a substantial way, verses the intense love she feels for her mother as Sally figures out how to navigate her uncertain future.

I really loved this book. It touched me in many ways. There were difficult situations, heartbreaks, relationship dilemmas and other hard realities of life that kept me thoroughly engaged in the story. Camille Pagan’s books speak to me. Everything Must Go took me back to how much I’d enjoyed reading my first Pagan book, Life and Other Near Death Experiences. I was amazed at how funny she could make a tragic situation. Similarly, there were sensitive situations in this book but Pagan managed to keep them from being depressing in that unique way she’s able to accomplish that. The only reason I deducted a half star from it being five stars is because I felt it ended a little abruptly. But maybe there will be a sequel. I sure hope so.

AUDIOBOOK: I have to mention that I listened to this book because the main audio narrator, Amy McFadden, did an incredible job. She read in a lackadaisical, slothful tone that fit the main character perfectly. She has a knack for communicating expressions in a way that made me laugh out loud numerous times. I kept rewinding the recording to listen to how some of the characters expressed their feelings. She truly brought them to life. I can still hear their voices in my mind.

Overall, this book was very enjoyable and I recommend it.