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A review by lucybbookstuff
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
This is a very sweet and charming book. I went into it with low expectations, assuming I wouldn't like it because I don't typically like cozy. But it definitely drew me in with a couple of twists and, more importantly, constantly expounding on the importance of reading and bookstores.
Unfortunately, I had to put this down for several days after I hit the halfway point (had to prioritize my book club book). And when I went back to it, I found that I was kind of over it. The charm wasn't enough of a draw anymore. I do wonder if I might have had a different experience if I'd been able to keep up the momentum. Oh well.
I did love the relationship betweenAJ and Maya. That was entirely unexpected when I picked up the book and it was so sweet. As for the romance, I kinda found it superfluous by the end... The town was also cute, though the side characters mostly sucked.
I do have to say, I'm incredibly rubbed the wrong way bythe treatment of Marian Wallace as a character. She was never properly honored, and in fact her death was completely and explicitly used as a plot device to turn AJ's life around. Which is all the more infuriating knowing she and Maya are the only known Black characters. The young knocked-up product of foster care who loses her scholarship and kills herself. Are you kidding me? And considering Maya's race literally never comes into play (apart from one idioitic comment by a store patron), the exact same story could have been achieved without ever mentioning Maya's or Marian's race at all. I don't think any of this was malicious on Zevin's part, but certainly thoughtless. And just poor writing. There were several things that weren't wrapped up very well.
So, that colors my overall opinion quite a bit. It was on track for 4 stars for a while, then probably 3.75. But bumped down significantly for that last thing. The book is lucky it ended with poignant character moments and som personally touching musings about local bookstores.
Unfortunately, I had to put this down for several days after I hit the halfway point (had to prioritize my book club book). And when I went back to it, I found that I was kind of over it. The charm wasn't enough of a draw anymore. I do wonder if I might have had a different experience if I'd been able to keep up the momentum. Oh well.
I did love the relationship between
I do have to say, I'm incredibly rubbed the wrong way by
So, that colors my overall opinion quite a bit. It was on track for 4 stars for a while, then probably 3.75. But bumped down significantly for that last thing. The book is lucky it ended with poignant character moments and som personally touching musings about local bookstores.