All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

Farrar, Straus and Giroux, September 6, 2011

Summary from Goodreads:

In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidently poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight--at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.

You don't really need me to tell you about this book, right? You've already heard it's fantastic? Good, then I won't have to tell you. I did love this story, though! It's dystopian but not really, as it takes place in 2083. It made me feel so old to realize that if I existed in Anya's life, I'd be dead. Older than Nana. Ugh.

Anyway, enough about how old I am. Because honestly, even if I wasn't older than Nana, I'd probably be a hot mess in this world Gabrielle Zevin created. Chocolate is illegal and caffeine is the world's most dangerous drug? Yeah, I would totally be a homeless junky, willing to sell my soul for "just another hit." While I absolutely adore chocolate, I cannot survive without my coffee. Even thinking about having to give it up is giving me heart palpatations.

OK, I'm better now. What I loved about this book is the combination of old-school ganster politics and future-world rules and regulations--and how even though the two are so different, they're really quite similar. Even in 2083 appearances matter, and the daughter of the forbidden chocolate-making empire had best not fall in love with the assistant D.A's son. The addictions may change (alcohol is freely given, but heaven help you if you're found with chocolate in your possession) but the problems remain the same. I also loved that the title of each chapter reflects something (or somethings) that Anya has done. What I didn't like about this book was that it's one of I don't know how many. Two? Three? Ugh, I want more!

Borrowed book from the library.
Enjoy your reading!
Christi