All I Ask
Published August 4th 2020 by House of Anansi Press, Paperback 320 pages
A little before seven in the morning, Stacey wakes to the police pounding on her door. They search her home and seize her computer and her phone, telling her they’re looking for “illegal digital material.” Left to unravel what’s happened, Stacey must find a way to take back the privacy and freedom she feels she has lost.
Luckily, she has her friends. Smart and tough and almost terrifyingly open, Stacey and her circle are uncommonly free of biases and boundaries, but this incident reveals how they are still susceptible to society’s traps. Navigating her way through friendship, love, and sex, Stacey strives to restore her self-confidence and to actualize the most authentic way to live her life — one that acknowledges both her power and her vulnerability, her joy and her fear.
All I Ask is a bold and bracing exploration of what it’s like to be young in a time when everything and nothing seems possible. With a playwright’s ear for dialogue and a wry, delicate confidence, Eva Crocker writes with a compassionate but unsentimental eye on human nature that perfectly captures the pitfalls of relying on the people you love.
User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
One of the best and most memorable moments of the entire show Girls was when the creator/lead proclaims she might be the voice of her generations…or a voice of a generation. So here’s the thing…if ever generation is to be given a voice, much like Girls, this novel speaks volumes for the millennial tribe. The confused, somewhat unwashed, romantically challenged, underemployed, wishy washy bunch of people who were raised to believe they were special and can’t reconcile themselves to the world who quite vehemently doesn’t share that belief. Yes, I know, it’s a huge generalization, but just about every millennial I know fits it to a tee and I believe in empirical evidence, so there you go. And so this novel is about one of these young people, specifically a 26 year old aspiring actress who juggles low paying gigs to afford a somewhat impoverish existence in a shabby apartment share. The novel actually starts fairly dynamically (comparing to the rest of it) with the cops busting in, accusing her of internet crimes and confiscating her computer and phone. And to her credit, she manages pretty well without for someone from a generation that is raised with both semipermanently attached to their persons. And from there on the novel sort of ambles around that. The protagonist’s life is revealed through glimpses of past and present, arranged haphazardly without exact chapter limitations to a somewhat confusing effect. She meets and dates a girl, despite only having been with men before, because millennials are flexible that way. She hangs out with her friend. She tries to get her technology back. She eventually comes to realize that maybe her civil rights were trampled on in the process and lukewarmly tries to address that. But lukewarmly is kind of a main note here, the entire thing is like one large lukewarm slice of life that goes on and then just ends. I mean, at random, like the author suddenly decided she’s done. And sure, not every novel requires a precise three act narrative structure, but something as boneless as this certainly might have used one. The thing is the writing itself is actually quite good, the author certainly has a talent for character descriptions (albeit in that all too realistic sweaty hairy sort of way) and an ear for dialogue, but that alone isn’t quite enough, certainly not to give this novel a shape it can maintain or even a curb appeal it can sustain. Much like a proper millennial, this is a shrug of a novel. Decently executed shrug, but shrug nonetheless. A very good generational representation from an anthropological perspective, but leaves a lot to be desired as a novel. Quite possibly this would be entirely more relatable and therefore engaging to a younger audience. Thanks Netgalley.
Rating: really liked it
This....had a good start. Cops bust into a house and take Stacey's phone and computers. What then follows is a rambling diatribe about being poor in your 20s. I did not enjoy this.
It's the definition of navel gazing and the embodiment of the shrug emoji.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.
Rating: really liked it
A boring book about twenty-somethings with boring lives. "I got up. I ate toast. I went to work. I went out. I hooked up and had sex." Then just add useless descriptions as filler.
Rating: really liked it
This is more like a 3.5, but rounding up for Newfoundland setting and queer rep.
I'm thrilled that
All I Ask is on the 2020 Giller Prize longlist, and I think deservedly so. The characters are really strong and the sense of place could not be more pronounced. I liked the relationships Crocker built in here; they all feel very real and very relatable. This book does suffer from some debut novel-ism: unnecessary over-description, a bit of a meandering plot that doesn't have a strong payoff. This feels like it could be broken up into short stories and be equally, if not more, effective.
I love Eva Crocker's writing and while this book didn't quite meet the (insanely high) expectations I had put on it, I will absolutely continue to pick up everything she publishes.
Rating: really liked it
This gives 'dreadful' an all new meaning. I cannot for the life of me figure out how such an absurd text made it to a publisher and then to press. It is random, pointless, shallow, trivial, and even repulsive in places. It is so ghastly and meaningless that you wonder at times if it was computer generated. There is actually a sordid fascination that creeps up about one third in where you continue reading just to see how bad it can get, and trust me it gets worse - consistently mind numbingly vacuous until the very last page. How this parades as an upcoming Canadian voice in fiction does not say much about the state of our national literary standards. That it markets itself as an LGBTQ book is just beyond ridiculous and frankly very sad.
Rating: really liked it
Stacey is a 26-year-old aspiring actress living in St. John's, NF. She works for a theatre in the box office and as a bartender, and picks up odd jobs doing voiceover work. Her best friend is Viv and for a few years she shared an apartment with Viv and Mike, Viv's boyfriend. When Viv and Mike want to get their own place, Stacey shares an apartment with Holly, who she had recently met.
Early one morning the police come pounding on Stacey and Holly's door looking for illegal digital material. Stacey is home alone and has to deal with it. They confiscate all of Stacey's and Holly's electronic devices. Not only has Stacey lost her phone and laptop so she can't communicate with anyone, she feels violated and paranoid that the police are now watching her.
I like reading books that are written by Canadian authors and set in Canada. The story started off interesting with the police showing up at Stacey's door and I was wondering what they would find and why. But then it became a hot mess, focusing more on Stacey's budding relationship with Kris. The illegal digital material case took a backseat and fell flat, which was disappointing.
Perhaps I'm not the target demographic since I'm not in my twenties, trying to advance my career or gay/bisexual (Stacey has an issue with both terms). It is written in first person perspective in Stacey's voice. The story jumped around in time, back and forth, with no warning providing background about Stacey.
I didn't find the characters likable. They are supposed to be in their mid-twenties but they acted younger and less mature. When I started reading, I assumed they were around 20 so was surprised when I came across their age.
For some reason, Stacey has a couple of cats ... why when she can barely afford to feed herself? The only time she seems concerned about them is when the police are there ... she keeps asking them to close the door so the cats don't get out. Otherwise, it doesn't seem like she feeds them, takes care of them or is around them much. And why are their names Snot and Courtney?!
Then the story ends abruptly. Huh?
As a head's up, there is swearing and explicit adult activity.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2020/06...
Rating: really liked it
A rather nice story about a girl in her twenties who is not quite sure of what to do with her life. So, she works odd jobs and goes partying. Nothing much happens. The most dramatic event in her whole life is an unexpected police search (apparently by mistake) and seizure of her computer and phone for several days.
The narrator makes a point of describing every minor detail of her life – everything she does, sees, and thinks. Which obviously makes a lot of sense to the protagonist, but not necessarily to the reader.
As a result, we have an excellent sketch of the contemporary Newfoundland life: how are people biking, skating, partying, having sex, and walking their dogs; what furniture do they have; what shows do they watch; what is written on a wall; how pubs and stores look like; what’s on the radio, etc. An anthropologist could base a whole Ph.D thesis on nothing but this novel. And historians of the future would find this book priceless as a source of genuine first-hand information on the narrator’s time and place.
The book would be also helpful for tourists as it gives an insight into St. John’s geography and toponymy.
As for the rest of the readers, they might find that the story goes ahead way tooooo slowly. Like in a 18th-century novel: “Chapter XXXVIII, where nothing much happens.”
Mentally, many characters are still kids, although they are living on their own and having sex. Comparing to other countries, and even to some districts in Canada, they live in comfort and security – even though they believe that the world is dangerous.
Some reviewers say that the protagonist is a “voice of millennials.” Well, I am not so sure: in every post-WW2 generation (in North America that is) there were young people like Stacy and her friends. Also, she occasionally meets young parents “in their late twenties, just a bit older than me,” who obviously do not have much time/energy for partying and drinking tequila from plastic water guns. So, different “millennials” might have different voices.
Résumé: overall, the novel is nice. But I wish it was more dynamic, less detailed, and with a stronger plot and ending.
Rating: really liked it
The level of bizarre detail in this book makes it feel more than cinematic and biographical, but like deja vu. I was so entrenched in the scenes, that the main character, Stacey, became me and I saw the world through her eyes. I've never read anything that painted the day-to-day poverty and often emptiness of post-millenial existence as this book does. Likewise, it captures the emotional role that texting and technology play within our relationships in a way that few writers are honest enough to acknowledge. Although I feel a little unsatisfied by the loose ends this story leaves, I think I'm confident enough to fill in the blanks. What I liked best was the modern day haunted house portrayed in this book. There may not be ghosts and spirits, but there are mice, and frigid breezes, and something even more deadly and unspeakable.
Rating: really liked it
reading a book that reflects details of the st. john’s i used to live in at a time when i am unexpectedly back in newfoundland, waiting out the pandemic, having seemingly slipped back into my old life of punk shows and staying up too late partying and desperation slices from venice and aimlessly walking around the battery......... felt like a fever dream
Rating: really liked it
I don’t think I’ve ever read a more boring book. I described it to my husband as the book equivalent of eating a plain mashed potato. Dry, flavourless, bland. The first chapter started off strong, but took a sharp nosedive from there. The ending really felt like the author suddenly realized they have no plot so just stopped writing. Ugh
Rating: really liked it
I feel like I just relived my angst filled 20's. It was captured beautifully.
Rating: really liked it
Very meandering but I found this book super addictive. The hyper-precise descriptions of adolescence in mid-aughts Atlantic Canada were painfully accurate.
Awful jacket design and even worse blurb/summary from the publisher. Also, a goal for 2021: stop comparing every millennial woman writer to Sally Rooney!
Rating: really liked it
3 stars for St. John’s nostalgia during my University years. However the plot line started good with the cop bust and just seemed to dwindle and then doddle on with no real purpose in sight thereafter...
Rating: really liked it
I nearly fell out of my chair when I realized struggling Stacey was 26 years old. As I was beginning the story, I imagined I was reading about someone who was in her late teens and ill-equipped to deal with life’s difficult issues.
The positives of the story? Eva Crocker can write. The book is Canadian and set in Canada. It is published by Canadian Anansi Press. All good things that will draw me to a book.
The negatives? While the characters had potential, they were mostly vapid, struggling along with life in order to house, clothe, and feed themselves. I struggled with the dialogue and was hoping it was a snapshot of teen-speak. I had to look up the meaning of “a cis person” and continue to be unsure. The cats? What kind, empathetic person names a cat “Snot”? It is something a teenaged girl might think is rebellious or funny. It isn’t. And, it is startling to think that the loss of a mobile phone and access to the internet can completely immobilize today’s youth. Who knew pranks involving gluing toonies and condoms to Food Court floors would ever be amusing to today’s youth?
Clearly, the writing, the story, and the personalities were not for my demographic - or, perhaps just NOT for me. I will try to read pretty much anything, I guess it is back to Miss Marple, Jack Reacher, or Kinsey Milhone for me. Even so, Eva Crocker, you are able to string words into very readable sentences. But, for future books, I think you should finish the story you are trying to tell. This seemed to just end in the middle of a paragraph.
I read this as an e-book on loan from my library.
Rating: really liked it
This one was a mixed bag for me. Started off a bit rough - almost gave up in the middle but then it slowly grew on me. I enjoyed getting to experience all the young 20s, coming into your own and figuring life out stuff. Great book highlighting a young queer woman's relationships in a positive, normalizing way. There's not really a 'plot' with this story in that there's no linear direction. It just sort of meanders around touching on issues of privacy and personal information in the digital age and the invasion of such by the police. The ending was SUPER random and left me wondering, what, that's it?? Really? (Which I guess is a good thing? - Always leave them wanting more I suppose). Overall, lots of good qualities but not your average type of story. If you're looking for typical point A to point B with a satisfying ending you won't find that here.
