I’m Booked: “All This Could Be Different”

[Published in SCAD District] 

https://scaddistrict.com/im-booked-all-this-could-be-different/

I know we’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover… but that was definitely why I picked up “All This Could Be Different” by Sarah Thankham Matthews. Although the writing did not live up to the expectations I created in my head after seeing such an aesthetically pleasing cover, it was still worth the read. 

“All This Could Be Different” documents an immigrant’s twenties in Milwaukee as she navigates an unpleasant job, a problematic downstairs neighbor and the timeless struggle of finding friends. Sneha struggles to find herself as she explores her sexuality, a new city and her relationship with her far-away family. 

While I enjoyed the writing and concept of this book, I did not feel fully engaged by the characters and storyline. In addition, “All This Could Be Different” had some unfavorable comments about body image, race and sexual identity. I can see the conversations around these sensitive topics, but I feel that Matthews started negative discussions and did not finish them. In the end, I was left feeling slightly unsatisfied. 

Despite its flaws, “All This Could Be Different” gives an interesting perspective on growing up away from home and working to find yourself. In this book, Matthews writes, “This is not a story about work or precarity. I am trying, late in the evening, to say something about love, which for many of us is not separable from other [things].” I’ll be back soon with another book review, but until then, I’m Booked.