The setting is New York City, 2083. NYC is not what it used to be. Central Park is almost nonexistent. Chocolate and coffee are illegal to own, water is rationed, and crime is on the rise - especially underground crime. Mafia families still rule crime which in 2083, chocolate is the commodity that draws criminal activity and Anya's family deals in chocolate. In Gabrielle Zevin's
All These Things I've Done, Anya and Win are star-crossed lovers trying to find moments together. Anya's father is the NYC Mafia boss who has been killed. She lives with her aging, ill grandmother, her mentally impaired brother, and a younger sister. Win's father is the rising assistant district attorney who prefers that they not see each other. While Win's father helps Anya, as a reader, I couldn't trust him. I was concerned that he was always looking out for his best interest under the cloak of helping Anya. At times I wasn't sure that I could trust Win either. Zevin, the author, sets the reader up to question everyone's motive. Trust is not to be found between characters in this exciting read.
There are parallels in
All These Things I've Done to
The Hunger Games. They both are science fiction stories in a future United States where life has drastically changed. Anya, like Katniss, is a strong character protecting her family and providing for their needs. The love that Anya and Win share is like that shared between Katniss and Peeta. Recently I learned that
All These Things I've Done is the first in a trilogy as well - The Birthright Trilogy. I know there are tales to unfold as this well written story continues.
Reviewed by Mrs. Boehm
