I really loved this little novella. It’s written in a very unique way.
As you read, you are given the main character’s random thoughts that are somewhat chaotic, so you’re not spoon-fed the story, you have to figure it out for yourself. You’re also given important events and relevant thoughts by philosophers, astronomers, artists, etc. We bear witness to the most important events in her life and her feelings as she goes through happy, sad, and angry periods. Her life is so ordinary, so real, so it’s relatable, but it’s also told in a way that’s specific to this particular character. She is somewhat detached from her life, like she sees it from the outside, so it’s difficult to relate to her until later in the book. Somewhere around the middle, I really started to root for her.
Really, it’s one of the most uniquely written things I have read. It took a while to get into, but once I did, you couldn’t make me put it down. I’m the kind of reader who appreciates the psychological and emotional lives of a character, and this book gave me that. It’s hard to achieve that in only 194 pages, but it definitely did that, since it had 45+ small chapters that just flew by. I really liked this kind of structure.
At the end, I was left with this emptiness inside, since the ending is open. Still, I was satisfied enough by the whole story. There were no great developments or anything, but the story itself was told so masterfully, I came out of it feeling like I was given a precious gift by the author. The detached/sporadic slice-of-life quirky storytelling was my favorite part.
If you like a solid plot, this book isn’t for you. If you like weird fast-flying books that are completely character-driven, you might like this. If you like to think and feel all the thoughts and feelings, this is for you.
I’ll remember this book. You should try it.
-Reviewed by Violeta Nedkova
