SuitabookAll the Things We Never Said
Yasmin Rahman
- Reading
- Talk before reading about the central suicide-pact premise and agree how the reader can pause or discuss difficult sections. Afterwards, ask what the book shows about support, responsibility and the limits of friendship.
- Themes
- Friendship and support: The girls meet through a suicide-partner website and gradually feel seen, understood and supported by one another. Friendship is presented as a reason to reconsider dying, but not as a magic cure for serious problems.
- Suicidal thoughts and responsibility: Each protagonist joins an online arrangement involving a date and method of death, then wants to leave as their bond develops. The book’s stance on this remains unclear.
- Different identities and lived experiences: The three girls face different circumstances, including Mehreen’s faith, Cara’s paraplegia and Olivia’s experience of sexual abuse. The novel gives each girl a distinct perspective and explores how their circumstances shape their struggles and relationships.
- Worth knowing
- Consider whether the reader would welcome a book centred on suicidal thoughts and a suicide pact, with additional material involving sexual abuse, anxiety, depression, disability and intrusive thoughts.