While looking at the list of new book releases, one little treasure made its way to the top of my list. Everything’s Fine, a novel by Cecilia Rabess, has a unique perspective all its own. This book has it all: fun and engaging dialogue; interesting, unconventional characters; and even a few sprinkles of romance. Everything’s Fine explores realities and challenges from the perspective of a young Black woman and her more privileged peers.
Warning, Everything’s Fine is not for the faint of heart. This book deals with racism, social and political upheaval, and hard and complex individual truths.
Rabess’ book had me hooked after the first chapter. Expectations were instantly subverted, and thoughts of where the book was headed soon proved to be unfounded. This writer has a way of making you feel seen while also ensuring that you don’t get too comfortable in the spotlight. Just when you think the book is about the struggles of the main characters, it turns into a journey of self-growth and discovering how sometimes you can outgrow or evolve into a new person.
The story is told in mostly chronological order, but there are time jumps and flashbacks that occur to help give more insight into the main characters. The book’s main character is Jess, a Black woman who is a senior at an Ivy League college. She has what is typically regarded as the college experience, developing habits like drinking a lot, going to parties, and even selecting the wrong men to partner with. Her residency in college sets the groundwork for what she experiences in life outside of school. She deals with people’s offhanded insulting comments, her workplace is less than ideal, and even her personal life is filled with thorny issues that Jess tries to navigate with the help of her single parent.
Jess’s work life and personal life are complicated by Josh, a preppy, affluent, and self-assured person she knows from school and who comes into her life at a critical point. The two slowly reconnect, but this connection is a rough and dense one.
One of the major draw-ins for this book is the dialogue between Jess and Josh. Rarely has dialogue managed to remain so interesting throughout an entire book. One of the more impressive points of the book is its relation to fair discourse when it comes to social, economic, lawful, political, and racial discussions. Rabess has one of the most interesting and fair representations of arguments I have seen in a long while. The book possesses two intelligent characters who are at odds with one another and allows them to speak to one another as people and not as good and evil. While this might be a turnoff for some individuals, it’s interesting to read about two people who regard each other with respect and are able to passionately argue their points and are still able to see the good in each other.
As a gay writer, I feel that if a book writer can elicit strong emotions in the reader, even if we disagree with some points, then the writer has done their job. The fact that we are reading a review over Rabess’ work is proof of her grand abilities of how well she has constructed her prose.
If there is a fault to find, and that is a major “if,” it would be that the story itself lacks details. This, of course, is a minor complaint. While the dialogue is superb and even downright exciting, the descriptions of places and people are at times lackluster. When reading, I couldn’t help but wonder where the characters are at times. To say, they are at a bar, or a party without specific details, sometimes allowing the reader to have too much freedom can clash with the writer’s intention. This minor complaint is challenged by the ample number of theories and concepts that the reader is exposed to. Truly, this is an example of a clear and brilliant mind at work when sophisticated concepts are made simpler for audiences.
While it might be said that this work captures a snapshot of the current nation as we see it today, some of these talking points do transcend time. The idea of social class, justice, and even culture are still discussion points that aren’t going anywhere. While there is a lot to be said on these topics, the writer is aware of her target audience and writes knowing that a reason for writing is to entertain while educating. A powerful skill that shines brightly in the pages of this 336-page novel.
Rabess truly considers multiple points of view and finds a way to give each character the space to speak and to think about what has been said. The most entertaining concept that emerges from the work is the tug-of-war between the two characters. Each one holds strong to their beliefs in the hope of changing the viewpoint of the other. This writer can’t help but think of two shows that propel the discussion forward. From shows like 30 Rock with the relationship between Jack conservative and Liz liberal. Or even the most recent TV adaptation of Little Fires Everywhere that features Reese Witherspoon as Elena Richardson, and Kerry Washington as Mia Warren. Both of these series have been woefully undervalued, but these series deal with topics in a nuanced way that leaves many wanting to see more of how diverse backgrounds conflict and blend together.
Quick disclaimer: this book will challenge your perception of what you think you know. For this reason, this book won’t be well regarded by those who wish not to challenge their own biases and only read and listen to people who will side with them.
Cecilia Rabess is an author worth discovering with a debut novel, and this writer hopes there is more to come. Works that describe the world around them with such precision and accuracy are rare. Oftentimes, writers will construct narratives with complete personal bias and arbitrary opinions and regard their viewpoint as sacrosanct, and all other viewpoints as uninformed or not representative. Rabess is much more daring in this regard. She takes everyone’s personal bias into account and showcases them in a book that forces the reader to think to themselves, “Am I at all like the person she described?” A truly brilliant work that is worth reading.
Everything’s Fine is available now for pre-order.
Donnie Lopez is an avid reader of fantasy and horror. He spends most of his free time watching movies, writing his graphic novel, and doing archery. You can find him stuffing his face with horrible food while complaining that it’s both awful and not enough. Find him on Twitter talking about his daily descent into madness.
