Give Me Everything You’ve Got — A Summer Book Review
Book cover image from Amazon
The Filmmaker
Imogen Crimp’s second lit fic novel Give Me Everything You’ve Got follows filmmaker Ruby’s summer of aspiration and doubt. Ruby’s short-film was critically acclaimed, and now she has to follow it up with her debut full-length film. Her deadline is approaching, but her script is nowhere near complete.
Ellen is an established filmmaker celebrated for her focus on uplifting women; Her stamp of approval can transform a fledgling writer from an amateur to the new feminist film icon. Desperate to be her protégé, Ruby attends Ellen’s workshop. Only a few weeks later, Ruby is invited to Ellen’s home in the English countryside.
The Summer Retreat
The perfect writer’s retreat, Ellen’s house is a signal of hope for Ruby. The house is vast with the only other occupants being Ellen and her adult daughter Lara. Ruby craves approval from Ellen and even Lara, but she can’t seem to impress them, let alone figure out the dynamic between the elusive mother-daughter duo.
Give Me Everything You’ve Got is set against the hazy heat of the countryside and slow days of housework, swimming, and writer’s block. Crimp accurately encapsulates the sultry atmosphere with writing that embodies Ruby’s stream of consciousness.
A Character Driven Story
While the novel is neither eventful nor dramatic, this subtle atmosphere pulled me in from the first page, and like Ruby, I was also desperate to uncover the mystery of Ellen’s persona. As the story progresses, Lara becomes the center of Ruby’s attention, further complicating what was supposed to be a summer reprieve.
A character-driven novel perfect for those slow summer days when you just want to lay in the sun or hide away in a cozy room, Give Me Everything You’ve Got releases on July 21, right on time for the heart of summer.
Need more great reads? Check these out!
- And Jilly Came Tumbling After – Fiction Book Review
- The Messy Years – A Contemporary Fiction Review
- Writing Prompts for Pushing Through – NaNoWriMo Day 20
- Will I Emerge Victorious Or Face the Agony of the Blank Page? – NaNoWriMo Day 5
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Zina Mona
Zina Mona is a writer and student from Texas. Her work has been published or is forthcoming in the Trinity Review and 34 Orchard. She studies literature and economics, but in her free time, she loves watching Audrey Hepburn movies.
Visit her website to read more!
