All This Could Be Different begins by introducing the protagonist, Sneha, a Queer Indian Immigrant teen struggling to fight for her place in the contemporary and fast-moving world. Sneha is about twenty years, and she graduates from college at the age of 20. Despite the United States of America going through an economic recession in 2010, Sneha is lucky to find an excellent job in a corporate company where she works as a consultant. Shortly after Sneha's graduation, her father is deported to India for a crime he never committed. A few days later, Sneha's mother moves to India to join her husband. Consequently, Sneha is left alone in the United States and must maneuver her way to succeed, but it will be challenging.
In her twenties, Sneha has the freedom to choose what to do, and one of her interests is to date, fellow women. In her romantic explorations, Sneha meets a beautiful woman named Marina, and she falls in love with her. However, the relationship is less rosy than Sneha had anticipated and becomes dysfunctional. At the workplace, Sneha is not happy because her boss sometimes intentionally fails to pay her. Therefore, life is not easy for Sneha; she has to figure out her next moves because her parents back home depend on her.
Before long, Sneha starts facing trouble. She lives with her best friend, Tig, but they do not have enough money to sustain their lives. The landlord threatens to evict them from their house because they have failed to honor their financial obligations. Tig decides to pursue a different route and career to reorganize her life. Similarly, Sneha vows to continue fighting for her place and is ready to do whatever it takes to succeed.
Mathew's debut novel is beautiful, captivating, and educative. In 2020, All This Could Be Different novel was the Best American Short Stories Award finalist. The book focuses on the themes of immigration, capitalism, gender, sexuality, and other current issues affecting the lives of young people, especially women immigrants in the United States of America.
