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.

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.