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All I Know | LitPick Book Reviews
All I Know
All I Know
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As a spirited nine-year-old child, Kai Martin sees her life as a series of concentric circles—her twin brother and other half, Kade, occupying the center sphere with her, their loving parents surrounding them in the next, and the Tyler family in the outer loop. Their families have been linked since before she was born, and she plans to make that connection official someday by marrying Josh Tyler. The Tylers and Martins share many good times, but under the surface, they are two dysfunctional families struggling with alcoholism, depression, and abuse, all of which Kai becomes increasingly aware as she grows up. Her circles become less and less stable, until a great tragedy knocks her completely off her axis, no longer sure of anything.

Years later, Kai and Josh reconnect as young adults, falling in love and embarking on a life of travel and adventure, building on their shared history, yet also haunted by it. They share a deep connection, but as time goes on, Kai sacrifices more and more of herself to hold on to Josh, the one thing left in her life of which she thinks she can be certain. Eventually, though, she learns that she herself is precisely the one thing that she can trust, and that she is whole and complete all on her own.

ALL I KNOW is about loss and resilience, rising from devastation to build and rebuild a life, over and over again. The story explores the heartbreaking truth that as much as we try to help and hold onto the people we love, we can only truly save ourselves.

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Book Details

Genre: 

  • Fiction

Age Level: 

  • Adult
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All I Know by Holly LaBarbera follows the early to midlife of Kai Martin, beginning when she is nine years old. Her idyllic life starts to upend in front of her eyes as she starts to observe and understand what is happening around her. Kai learns how to navigate life, with and without those she loves, as she experiences trauma - some inflicted on her and some as effects of her own decisions. Will she learn to love herself as she is? Will she triumph over trauma or be trampled by it? Reader beware: feel good book, this is not.

 

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Not your typical coming-of-age novel, All I Know begins with Kai Martin as a playful 9-year-old and takes us through the next three decades of her life. Kai shares an inextricable relationship with her brother, Kade, and her childhood crush, Josh Taylor, throughout the book. These relationships drive decisions that affect Kai’s life, even during years she is not physically with either of them. The author does not shy away from some tough topics. Alcohol and drug abuse, child abuse, and suicide are all dealt with as Kai moves from childhood into adulthood.

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