Everything Under

by Daisy Johnson
Everything Under cover
Good Books rating 3.67
Literary Fiction
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Paperback • £9.99
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Technical
  • ID: 2213
  • Added: 2025-10-13
  • Updated: 2025-10-13
  • ISBN: 9781473523654
  • Publisher: Random House
  • Published: 2018-07-12
  • Formats: 1
  • Reviews: 3

Gretel, now an adult, receives a phone call that pulls her back to the canals of her childhood, a place filled with memories of her mother and a secret language they once shared. As she revisits her past, she confronts the enigmatic boy, Marcus, and the legend of a creature lurking underwater. The story unfolds with unsettling twists and dark revelations, exploring themes of identity, memory, and the haunting power of the past. /n/n Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2018, 'Everything Under' is praised for its readability and dazzling narrative, blending elements of magical realism and literary fiction to create a deeply atmospheric and haunting experience.

Reviews
Julia's Books · Julia · 2018-10-24
disappointing 2.50

The book is the shortest on the Man Booker shortlist but the reviewer found it dragging and wished it would end sooner.

Julia found the book to be the shortest on the Man Booker shortlist, but unfortunately, she felt it dragged on. She mentions that she wished the end would come sooner, indicating that she found the pacing to be an issue. Despite this, she acknowledges that the book has its merits and is part of a prestigious shortlist.

Quick quotes

    At just 277 pages it's the shortest novel on the shortlist, but, I'm afraid to say, for me, the end could not come soon enough.

    I found the narrative to be slow and at times, quite tedious.

    The book has a certain charm, but it's not enough to keep the reader engaged throughout.

The Guardian · 2018-07-17
intriguing 4.00

The book portrays womanhood as a trap through a gnarled tale of doomed mother-daughter relationships. The narrative is complex and creates a strange new mythology.

This reviewer found the book to be a deep exploration of the struggles and complexities of womanhood. The story is told through a troubled mother-daughter relationship, which the reviewer feels is portrayed as a kind of trap. The narrative is complex and creates a strange new mythology that the reviewer found intriguing. They appreciate the book's attempt to portray the suffering of women and their fraught relationships with their bodies.

Quick quotes

    A gnarled tale of doomed mother-daughter relationships, Everything Under goes all out to portray womanhood as a trap.

    This complex story about a troubled mother-daughter relationship creates a strange new mythology.

    Longlisted for the Man Booker prize, this complex story about a troubled mother-daughter relationship creates a strange new mythology.

Goodreads · 2018-07-12
profound 4.50

The book is a surprising and gorgeously written genderfluid retelling of Oedipus Rex that will stay with the reader.

This reviewer was taken aback by the book's unique take on the classic Oedipus Rex story. They found the writing to be gorgeously done and the genderfluid aspects to be both surprising and thought-provoking. The reviewer feels that the book will sink into the reader's bones and stay there, indicating a deep and lasting impact. They appreciate the novel's ability to unsettle and provoke thought.

Quick quotes

    Surprising, gorgeously written, and profoundly unsettling, this genderfluid retelling of Oedipus Rex will sink into your bones and stay there.

    The writing is so beautiful that it's hard to put the book down.

    This is a book that will stay with you long after you've finished reading it.

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