Scan barcode
A review by livvi29
The Humans by Matt Haig
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I loved how wonderfully silly the beginning of this book was, as the alien learned about all the weirdness of humans. It reminded me of when you invite a friend around to your house for the first time and you suddenly become conscious of all the quirks your family has. I definitely chuckled a few times at the alien's misunderstandings, which were clearly used to highlight the absurdities of human behavior.
However, I struggled a bit with the middle part of the book as I just didn't grow to care for either the wife or the son. Their characters felt somewhat flat to me, which made it hard to fully engage with their stories. Also, I felt that the message – that humans are perfectly imperfect – got a little cheesy as the plot progressed. While it was heartwarming, it sometimes felt a little heavy handed.
My favorite part of the book has to be the chapter where the alien gives advice to humans. Even if some of the advice was a little cliche.
16. Tragedy is just comedy that hasn’t come to fruition. One day we will laugh at this. We will laugh at everything.
Overall, this was a pretty fun read. While it wasn't perfect it was humorous, enjoyable and at times thought-provoking.
However, I struggled a bit with the middle part of the book as I just didn't grow to care for either the wife or the son. Their characters felt somewhat flat to me, which made it hard to fully engage with their stories. Also, I felt that the message – that humans are perfectly imperfect – got a little cheesy as the plot progressed. While it was heartwarming, it sometimes felt a little heavy handed.
My favorite part of the book has to be the chapter where the alien gives advice to humans. Even if some of the advice was a little cliche.
16. Tragedy is just comedy that hasn’t come to fruition. One day we will laugh at this. We will laugh at everything.
Overall, this was a pretty fun read. While it wasn't perfect it was humorous, enjoyable and at times thought-provoking.