Reviews

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

supmariss's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

censey's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

neovi's review against another edition

emotional inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

kim_j_dare's review against another edition

5.0

Loved
this
novel.
Just spent an entire Saturday afternoon reading, because I could not tear myself away.
It bills itself as an "If you like [b:The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society|2728527|The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society|Mary Ann Shaffer|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1351979318s/2728527.jpg|2754161]..." type of book. I thought Guernsey was good, but this one goes far beyond. It's full of sly bookseller/ librarian humor-- "At first, he had mainly bought mass-market paperbacks-- Jeffery Deaver and James Patterson (or whoever writes for James Patterson)..." and main character A.J. is just a delight-- the crotchety widowed bookseller whose life changes when a two-year-old is left in his bookshop. One of my favorite passages, as he finds himself becoming attached to little Maya: "At first, he thinks this is happiness, but then he determines it's love. Fucking love, he thinks. What a bother. It's completely gotten in the way of his plan to drink himself to death, to drive his business to ruin. The most annoying thing about it is that once a person gives a shit about one thing, he finds he has to start giving a shit about everything."
Funny and wise and brilliant.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the digital ARC.

pcooms's review against another edition

emotional relaxing sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

holly_153's review against another edition

emotional funny sad tense fast-paced

4.0

barbietheboomop's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

'we read to know we're not alone. We read because we are alone. We read and we are not alone. We are not alone'

bosun_knows's review against another edition

funny lighthearted sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

lhaywood's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

braese's review against another edition

hopeful medium-paced

4.0