Beautifully written account of boy-girl twins raised by a woman in a wheelchair, who learn through hard lessons the meaning of family. Told from shifting points of view, structuring itself across various eras, with a twist that explains some of the choices made for better or for worst. What appealed to me most was the realistic dialogue that propelled the action and the characterizations that enhanced it.

Drita and Pete are twins, or so they believe. Their mother, Jackie, has a car accident and is unable to have children. She adopts these two children from two different mothers. The two children have very different personalities. This story weaves between the lives of these twins. Pete is married and has a child. After Pete leaves his wife, Shandra, and child, Dakota, Drita decides to locate him. The story develops each character very well. The plots with the twins’ lives and the interweaving within the plot are very clear.

I found this book thought provoking and well written. It runs deep and is very well done. While at times it was difficult to read due to the heaviness of the situation, it was realistic. It felt like a true portrayal of the challenges of life including the loss of a child, drug abuse, child neglect, and recruitment for war for the Kosova Liberation Army. Overall, it is an excellent book; and, for me, it was a page turner. I think it probably will win some awards and be a bestseller.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Thanks to the publisher, Random House, and the author for the privilege to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thanks for this review copy. I enjoyed reading about the twins and their sibling bond. The writing is good.

I have mixed feelings about this. I found it hard to get into, almost stopped with Pete's bowel issue so to speak. The characters didn't feel quite real to me or developed enough. I was interested in the more historical, roots part of the story and parts were moving and interesting so glad I continued.

This was a great story about family, friendship, and what it means to be a family. It was well written and the characters came alive. I loved the story and only wished that the ending had a bit more resolution. Other than that, it was great!

Drita and Pete are adopted twins raised in suburban Connecticut and are complex and compelling protagonists. Their diverging paths—Drita’s adherence to societal expectations and Pete’s rebellion against them—paint a vivid portrait of sibling dynamics and how shared origins can lead to vastly different destinies. Drita’s return home to care for their ailing mother and her determination to help Pete’s son inject the story with a quiet heroism that feels authentic and inspiring.

The novel truly shines in its exploration of identity and heritage. The twins’ initially distant and abstract Albanian roots gradually come into focus through Drita’s discovery of their family history and its ties to the war in Kosovo. These revelations are woven seamlessly into the narrative, exploring how cultural identity can shape—and heal—fractured relationships.

The supporting cast, particularly Pete’s girlfriend and young son, add depth and emotional stakes to the story. Their struggles bring urgency to Drita’s search for her brother and highlight the complexities of familial obligation and redemption. The ultimate revelation about the twins’ adoption and its connection to more significant historical events is surprising and deeply affecting, adding a powerful layer of meaning to their journey.

Aliu’s prose is tender and evocative, capturing the nuances of sibling love and conflict with authenticity and grace. The story is filled with heartbreak and hope, making it as much about forgiveness and growth as it is about uncovering the past.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was really good. Good writing (with a few awkward sentences) and complex characters. I wasn't sure any of them grew as much as I wanted them to or realized how they'd been wrong about each other, but they did a little bit. I felt the author wasn't sure if she wanted this to be an ideas book or a book of plot twists, and I wish it had gone more into the ideas it book brought up, such as the usefulness or morality of violence, and the importance of "blood" or what makes people family. I am glad I read it, though.

This is a really tough read, but it was completely worth it. I love novels that are about families and the feeling of trying to find your place within a family and within the world. Very poignant in these trying times

Did not finish - Aliu is a good writer but the characters felt rather one-dimensional to me. While I appreciated that this would probably have led to a good evolution as the characters evolved, they just weren't holding my interest.

A must read. This book is about two siblings, Pete and Drita, who are raised as twins. Pete, the irresponsible brother, goes off and marries a drug- addicted woman and they have a child. When Pete realizes that he is not a great father because his son almost died on his watch, he disappears. His wife and Pete’s five year old son, with nowhere to turn, find Drita and move in with her. Drita goes on a mission to find Pete and does so, but only after learning that his new goal of fighting the war in Kosava with his new Alabanian friends, is misguided. So much to untangle here about sibling rivalry, choices, societal limitations, poverty, and drug addiction. Great writing and a great story.
Thank you NetGalley for a ARC.

Everybody Says It's Everything follows twins Drita and Pete, Albanian by birth but raised in Connecticut after their adoption. Despite growing up together, the two siblings develop in opposite directions, and as adults, the twins’ paths diverge even more. Drita leaves graduate school to help care for their mother, but she’s estranged from Pete. When Pete’s girlfriend and son arrive unexpectedly seeking her help, Drita feels compelled to find her brother. This search forces Drita to confront the complexities of family and her own identity, all while unearthing the difficult truths behind their adoption.

I think the most compelling part of this book was its focus on Albania and Kosovo, both places I've yet to read about in other books. The family dynamics were complex and heartfelt, but I did find the pacing slowed down about halfway through, and my interest waned. Nonetheless, this is a worthwhile read for anyone interested in complex relationships and explorations of cultural identity.

Thank you so much to Random House Marketing for inviting me to read a copy, and to NetGalley of course!

This was a well written family drama but I started losing interest in the plot about 3/4 of the way through.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/214986238

Books about adoption are my go-to's. I try to read them often. As an adoptive mom, this story was interesting and authentic. I liked Aliu's writing and storytelling abilities. Aliu crafted the complex characters and subject skillfully, moving the story along at a pace I enjoyed. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I was invited by the publisher to review this book. Twins, Drita and Pete, are of Albanian descent, and adopted into a Connecticut home. They grow up with a typical middle American upbringing. Thought connected through blood, the two diverge as they age; Drita is the good girl doing all the correct things, whereas Pete is the bad boy destined for nothing. The story fast-forwards to when the twins are in their 20s, with Drita leaving her graduate school to return home and help care for their mom. She is estranged from her brother, but one day his girlfriend and son show up asking for help. Drita is determined to find Pete (who has actually been sucked in to a group of Albanians who are educating him about the Albanian struggle), but instead faces a reckoning as she learns about their heritage and the war in Kosovo and how that ties into their adoption.

I really enjoyed this book. I was quite interested to read a book about Albania and Kosovo as these countries are not frequently written about, so that was a very big personal enjoyment for me. Another great part of this book was it essentially being a character study, which I thought the author excelled at; there was a strong lens looking at the dynamics of family and how complex the relationships can be. I think we have all had a family member we wanted to "save" and have tried numerous routes for that, and this is depicted well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Such beautiful story of family, identity, and what we owe relatives, blood related and not. I am not a big historical fiction reader but this one gripped and moved me. There’s also a twist that hit close to home for me - family secrets and lies are more common than you’d think. I loved the many backstories this book included, and that it takes place in the late 90s, the beginning days of chat rooms, the internet, and online sleuthing.

Twins Drita and Petrit (known as Pete) grow up in Connecticut as typical 90's kids with no ties to their Albanian heritage. They are close, although different from the start--Pete will know exactly the perfect gift for his sister and will get it by shoplifting whereas Drita would save up for his perfect gift. Their lives veer in different directions. Drita graduates from college and begins a Master's program. Pete dives headfirst into the world of addiction, abandoning his girlfriend and his little boy.

When "Everybody Says It's Everything" begins, Drita has dropped out of her Master's program to take care of their adoptive mom. She hasn't thought much about Pete for a while, but then his girlfriend shows up, fighting to stay sober, and needs Drita to look after her son Dakota while she world at the Dollar Store. Drita is being drawn into this little family but where's Pete? Why isn't he taking care of his family? Pete, in the meantime, has connected with a bunch of local Albanians and Albanian Americans who are educating him and on his birth country and its current struggle.

This novel is poignant, funny, and tough at the same time. Xhenet Aliu is a lovely writer and this book has it all including the added spice of the Albanian history and struggle in the Balkan wars. It's a good engrossing read and will keep you thinking about Drita, Pete, and their circle long after the last page.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a digital review copy of Xhenet Aliu's latest in return for an honest review.

This was a beautifully done story about adopted twins and worked well with what I was hoping for from the description. I enjoyed going on this journey with the twins and figuring out what was going on with their heritage. Xhenet Aliu wrote this perfectly and had realistic characters that I cared about. It was a strong plot and glad I got to read this.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley. Wow, this was so well written. The story is so complex and at times heartbreaking. A story of how difficult families and relationships can be. This is a very character driven book and I really liked the characters. I was rooting for them, especially sweet Dakota. There are so many Dakotas out there and this book brings humanity to them. Ditra is like any sister who is angry with her troubled sibling and trying desperately to know what the right thing to do for them is. She is very relatable. This book is very well written and I inhaled it in a day. 4.5 stars Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read this book.

This was a great book. I liked the topics of family, sibling relationships, cultural differences, and all that go along with that. I think the writing was good, and I enjoyed the pacing of this book, it let me reading and wanting to finish

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

"Everybody Says It's Everything" is the latest novel by Xhenet Aliu, the award-winning author of "Brass."

The story primarily follows adopted Albanian twins Pete and Drita as they come of age in Connecticut in 1999. Other significant characters include their paraplegic mother, Jackie, and Shanda, Pete’s recently sober ex-girlfriend/mother of their child, Dakota.

The three generations all struggle with feeling stuck or pigeonholed by society’s rules and the stories they tell themselves. They all struggle with self-worth and strive to do what they think is best though their choices may be selfish or wrong.

Ultimately, this story is about who we are, who we think of as family, and what, if anything, we owe each other, like the concept of Besa, which is introduced—this Albanian term meaning "to keep the promise."

I recommend this novel. The family dynamics ring true. The plight to find one’s place in this world, both as an individual and within a community and culture, is one that readers will relate to in a big-picture sense.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.