Everything Turns Away

by Michelle Berry

On September 11, 2001, the world changed. For Sophie and Paul, it started with a disastrous dinner party. For the babysitter, it started with waking in a dark kitchen and recognizing the smell of blood. For everyone else it started with a plane flying into the World Trade Center. In this tautly written domestic thriller set in Toronto, Michelle Berry weaves together the story of two couples whose lives are about to be unravelled by the murder of a neighbour, a babysitter that has gone missing, and the aftermath of the collapse of the World Trade Center. It is a haunting exploration of marriages and what tears them apart, of what happens to people during shocking events, and of how everything can change in an instant. Filled with richly drawn characters, a web of thwarted desires, and multiple motives, Everything Turns Away is riveting until the very end.

Genres: Fiction, Canada

282 pages, Paperback

First published October 5, 2021

Reviews

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

EVERYTHING TURNS AWAY by Michelle Berry is a really riveting novel! It’s about two couples whose lives are forever changed on September 11, 2001 not only by the collapse of the World Trade Center but also when their babysitter goes missing and their neighbour gets murdered.
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I absolutely loved the Toronto setting as the characters walk around Bloor Street and discuss shopping at Holt Renfrew. I loved the fast pace and short chapters that would switch often between multiple POVs. The storyline was a fantastic blend of domestic drama and murder mystery. And this book is FUNNY! I didn’t expect this book to have any humour but there were several parts that made me LOL!
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Thank you to the publisher for my gifted review copy!

[Enid Wray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I try not to have any expectations going into reading a title, but… in this case I do wish that I had read both the publisher’s blurb and the explanation of the title prior to reading the book… (these were both located at the very back of the early digital review copy I read). I have adjusted my initial thoughts about my reading experience accordingly.

I am long a fan of Ms. Berry’s writing… and this did not disappoint… but I wouldn’t call it a ‘thriller’ per se… As with most of Ms. Berry’s writing it is not the plot that drives the forward movement. It is the characters… and this new novel is all about the characters… multiple characters from all walks of life situations and circumstances, whose lives intersect in one fateful moment.

Setting the novel against the backdrop of the devastating events of 911 only serves to magnify the myriad ways in which events - local and international - serve to rip apart the carefully constructed fabric of so many lives, exposing the cracks in each of the relationships that are explored.

“It was just a Tuesday morning in September… A Tuesday morning. That’s all it was.” (p251)... A Tuesday morning that turned the world on its head.

Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for the early digital review copy.

4.5

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Riveting! I read this book, the first of Berry’s that I’ve seen, over a weekend. Great characters and all with the backdrop of September 11th. I’ll look for more by Berry for sure.

[Hollie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in two days if that says anything. It starts off so suspenseful right from the first page, then changes to a dinner party that takes place on a Monday night & from that moment on I was intrigued the whole time. I loved that it took place in Toronto & there was a connection with 9/11 but it wasn’t just about the events in New York. I really enjoyed this book, I would of liked a little more of a twist at the end however I’d still recommend it to others.

[Jenn Chilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written. I really loved her writing style. I overall really enjoyed this book. The story was great and didn't end the way I was expecting. The only thing I didn't like is the subplots that seemed to go unanswered by the end of the book

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

At only 251 pages this was a taut little book that packed a ton of tension and had me riveted. A dinner party with a cast of pretty unlikeable characters followed by several tragic events happening simultaneously. A tightly woven look at how tragedy affects us all differently. I won this ARC in a Goodreads giveaway, a real treat!

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quirky suspense story that takes place in Toronto in the aftermath of September 11. The kind of book where no character is very honourable or even likeable. There’s no one to really cheer for, but there are many to be suspicious of. The Bullshit Detectors keep buzzing, so that is a positive thing. It’s written in short chapters with changes of point of view that keep the pages turning.

[Ann Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The latest novel from my favourite bookseller-novelist. The novel does a great job of capturing the sense of everything falling apart in the wake of 9/11. We're living through a similar time right now, so the novel feels emotionally relevant (if that's a thing).

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very clever, well-written, modern novel.

[Joni MacFarlane · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good, I couldn't put it down!
On the eve of Sept. 11, 2001, two couples have a dinner party where everyone drinks a bit too much, a babysitter goes missing, and a man is murdered at a neighbour's. And then the World Trade Centre is hit by terrorists. All their lives are about to unravel.
The book explores marriage, parenthood, what happens to people during shocking events, and how everything can change in an instant. It can happen anywhere, anytime. While everyone was turned away. Gripping & suspenseful.

[Hejsa Christensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has it all: the intrigue of a mystery, the pacing of a thriller, beautiful prose, and captivating characters. It is centred around two couples whose lives are forever changed in a day when their neighbour is murdered, their babysitter goes missing, and the World Trade Centre collapses. The deeply flawed characters lent a grittiness to the narrative, making this captivating thriller a startling exploration of relationships and how they fall apart.

[Penelope · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a stupid book, boring and pointless.

[Trisha]

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Edelweiss. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

[Alaina Maxam · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS WAS A VERY INTERESTING STORY