Book Review - 'All My Friends Are Superheroes' by Andrew Kaufman

A really little book (weighing in at just 108 pages) with a lovely story!

I was loaned this book by a friend and decided to read it on the long journey home for Christmas. Since it's such a short little book it didn't take long to read, but I must admit I really enjoyed it!

'All My Friends Are Superheroes' tells the story of Tom, whose marriage to The Perfectionist unravels when she is hypnotised by an ex-lover into believing he is invisible. As she boards a plane to move to Vancouver and leave her sadness behind, Tom follows her and has until the plane touches down to convince her to see him again.

The superpowers described in the book are a far cry from those normally found in comics and on the big screen - examples include The Stress Bunny (who absorbs the stress from a room), Falling Girl (who can't help but fall off everything) and Copycat (who can mimic someone's personal style so well that her subject ends up appearing as a less successful version of themselves). Although a few of these are a little hard to get your head around, I found myself wanting to hear more and more about the different superpowers! I've never really been a superhero/comic book kind of girl, but I really enjoyed this!

At times 'All My Friends Are Superheroes' is a little heartbreaking, but Andrew Kaufman's novella is a wonderful little love story and it is almost impossible to stop yourself rooting for Tom. This is a short and quirky read...a perfect way to pass an hour or two (or a journey home!).

 

Sarah x

Book Review - 'When God Was A Rabbit' by Sarah Winman

I have an awful habit of getting so absorbed in a book that I finish it in a matter of days, and I must admit that 'When God Was A Rabbit' is definitely one of those books that I did this with!

Told in the style of a two-part memoir, this book is narrated by Elly, who tells the story of her relationships with family and friends. The most central and formative of her relationships are with her elder brother Joe and odd classmate Jenny Penny, and as the novel progresses we see how they impact upon Elly right through into adulthood.

The first half of the book revolves around Elly's childhood experiences and is told with a childish wonder - so many events are described perfectly through a child's eyes and it is often not until the second adult part of the book that the reader, alongside Elly, comes to fully understand them.

There are plenty of subtly shocking moments in 'When God Was A Rabbit', and Winman does not shy away from difficult issues such as terminal illness, abuse and murder. Nothing, however, is ever included purely for shock factor and it is fascinating to see how Elly and her family cope with the many events throughout the book. Despite the inclusion of several upsetting events, this is not a depressing novel - quite the opposite in fact! There are plenty of uplifting and beautiful moments, and the ending, although a little inconclusive, leaves the reader satisfied. The book's blurb claims that this is "a book about love in all its forms", and that is certainly what it achieves.

Overall: A really lovely and though-provoking book, perfect if you need a little heart-warming but don't fancy the typical love story.

Sarah x