All This Could Be Different

dialogue rendered so accurately . . . Mathews can be deeply moving at the same time that she is funny; she dips into slang in a way that feels lyrical and rhythmic . . . beautifully written, lusciously felt, and marvelously envisioned. Resplendent with intelligence, wit, and feeling. Kirkus (starred review)

Sneha is a magnetic teller of her tale of finding love, growing up, and summoning the power to change and choose her life. Kindred to Brandon Taylor's stellar Real Life, this novel burrows deep. Booklist (starred review)

Mathews s poignant and illuminating debut centers on an aloof 22-year-old Indian immigrant whose first job out of college brings her to the Midwest . . . Mathews [charts] the wonders of community-building, delving into the strenuous work that goes into sustaining meaningful friendships as well as the heartbreak that ensues when connections are fractured by dishonesty. [A] thoughtful exploration of how the legacies of trauma make an impact. Publishers Weekly

All This Could Be Different is an extraordinary novel, spiny and delicate, scathingly funny and wildly moving. Sarah Thankam Mathews is a brilliant writer, one whose every ringing sentence holds both bite and heart. Lauren Groff, author of Matrix

Some books are merely luminous this one is iridescent: with joy and pain, isolation and communion, solemnity and irreverent humor. Even the title has twin meanings. All this could be different is a sorrowing observation of our contemporary precarity, but All this could be different is equally and ultimately a declaration, an electrifying act of resistance. Susan Choi, author of Trust Exercise

Battle cry and love song both, All This Could Be Different is an ode tender, sexy, and smart to coming of age in turbulent times. As Sneha navigates the hilarious and deadly serious work of being a good friend, lover, daughter, immigrant, adult, queer woman, and worker under late stage capitalism, what emerges is a portrait of a woman determined to live her life to its brim--no matter what. Sarah Thankam Mathews writes like a blaze, and this book will remind you what it is to be young and powerfully alive. C Pam Zhang, author of How Much of These Hills is Gold

Sarah Thankam Mathews prose is undeniable and hyper attuned to the terrible privacy of the mind. In All This Could Be Different, she captures the sneaky, unsayable parts of longing and writes sharply about the long shadow of family. Raven Leilani, author of Luster

Everything about this novel is perfect. It s about friendship and work, two things which so rarely get treated with such nuance and care in fiction. Sneha s narrative voice is both snarky and warm. Every scene comes alive. If you re looking for your next great queer Millennial read, this is it. BookRiot

Sarah Thankam Mathews s All This Could Be Different is a deeply honest and compelling testimony. It is breathtaking in its beauty and profound in its meaning. Mathews captures the complexities, contradictions, and dissonances of life with astounding aplomb and care. All This Could Be Different is quietly epic. Robert Jones, Jr., author of The Prophets

Sharply observed and deeply empathetic, All This Could Be Different is a gorgeous story of dreaming and daring against the odds. I loved these flawed, funny friends and I rooted for them, and as I raced toward the end I felt an ache in my chest, missing them already. Dawnie Walton, author of The Final Revival of Opal & Nev
 
Sarah Thankam Mathews All This Could Be Different is an exquisite debut. Mathews is a completely original voice that is, by turns, fierce, witty, musical, poignant, and, yes, deeply sexy. Simultaneously a tender portrait of chosen family, a stunningly rendered queer romance, and a keen reflection on work in a monstrous economy, this novel also thrums with a persistent, private hope for another, better world. It is the kind of book one should read not only to be entertained or impressed, but also to feel less alone. Sanjena Sathian, author of Gold Diggers