Everything Must Go

Solid Examination Of Childlessness And Alzheimer's. This book continues Pagan's trend of writing books about real-world issues women in their 30s ish encounter and doing so in a thoughtful and poignant manner that allows people to more fully explore their own thoughts and feelings on the matters at hand even while telling its own unique story. In this particular book, Pagan brings out two issues that I've seen up close and personal in my own (late 30s male) life - childlessness and Alzheimer's. While there are some (such as my wife and I) who start out childless (no kids, want them) and later become childfree (no kids, don't want any) and there is considerable debate within the childless and childfree communities (yes, they are distinct), this tale accurately explores a woman realizing that becoming a mother is truly important to her and what she must do to ensure that. Its explorations of Alzheimer's and the familial relationships it both strains and enhances also ring true to what I observed from my own mother - then in her late 30s/ early 40s - when she, along with her over half a dozen siblings, dealt with her own father developing the disease. I've even known friends and family to divorce as seemingly seamless as happens here, particularly before kids are involved. So ultimately, I see the plausibility in virtually everything Pagan did here, and the story thus became, for me, likely more of the thoughtful examination she meant for it to be rather than getting hung up on “I don't think [this thing or that thing] is realistic enough” as so many of the other reviewers (on Goodreads as of December 29, nearly 4 months before publication) have done. While not quite as powerful or funny as Pagan's previous books (which you should absolutely read as well), this one still does its thing quite well indeed, and is thus very much recommended.

I thought this book was neat in addressing serious issues like divorce, marriage, care giving for sick family members, and such. I thought the character development was one of the highlights of the book, but I didn't like how manipulative Laine's family was to her. I also thought that the plot was interesting at the beginning but fell flat in the middle and the end of the book.