Everything Leads to You

as someone who can't get enough of TJR's evelyn hugo-verse books, this hit the spot while also combining nina lacour's poignant writing!!

as predicted, a lot of what hooked me into this novel stemmed from the intrigue surrounding a fictional movie star and his descendants, and how their lives turned out — i guess i'm just chismosa like that? anyway i love that this also had the added layer of set designing and emi's own coming-of-age discoveries while unraveling the mystery behind a letter

i only have one nina lacour book unread till yerba buena drops

This book is all about fantasy. It is about the fantasy and wonder of Hollywood and the magic of movies. It's also about how that magic can make us look at the world differently - how we create narratives that aren't actually there, because our minds crave stories. Sometimes those narratives make things more exciting, more fun. And sometimes they keep us from seeing what's right there in front of us.

There are some people that will criticize this book for its dreamy nature. Because its protagonist is a privileged woman born into the Hollywood backstage scene, who even at her young age is immensely talented in her chosen field - set design - and gets some out-of-this-world work when she's barely out of high school. Yeah, its unrealistic, so fucking what. That's not the point. The point is that Emi loves stories, and she loves movies, and she has the blissful naivete about the world that's just intoxicating. I love artists that are passionate about their art in such pure unabashed ways. Its easy to look at the movie industry in a cynical light, but this book looks at it from a youthful perspective, still full of wonder and optimism.

That's not to say that that Everything Leads to You paints a totally fuzzy version of Hollywood. They story that brings the main characters together is a common tragic L.A. story, one of an actress that burned herself out before she ever got the chance to make her mark. That's where Emi's character arc is born. Nina LaCour expertly weaves a story that both acknowledges that in real life there isn't always a resolution or an answer to every question, while at the same time gives its reader something that is satisfying and complete.

There are some clunky moments in terms of dialogue. Emi is rather dramatic and not afraid to say it out loud, which is a part of her character, but at first it can be a little irritating. But otherwise, this is an incredibly sweet love story, with great rich characters, that indulges joyously in its Hollywood setting, all while gently ruminating on the nature of American mythos. The title is very fitting, everything comes together in all the right ways.

The beginning of this was slow for me, and I wish the characters had just graduated college rather than high school (I had a difficult time believing that an 18-year-old with barely any experience could snag a job as production designer, even on a so-called “small” film). But it ended up being such a sweet little story about love; love of film, love between friends & family, and a blossoming romantic love. 2 stars for the first half, 4 stars for the second.