Book Review | Book Chatter

Father’s Day
By Simon Van Booy
Harper, Hardcover, 9780062408945, April 2016, 304pp.

The Short of It:

A quiet non-traditional story about a father’s love for his daughter.

The Rest of It:

Harvey is just a young girl when her parents are killed in an accident. After the accident, Harvey is placed with Jason, her uncle, who was recently released from prison for a crime he committed as a teen. The two have a lot to learn and with the help of his social worker, Jason learns that fathers aren’t perfect and that the love of a child is something you have to hold dear.

I really enjoyed this story even though I found it to be very different from what I’ve previously read by this author. The language isn’t as poetic as his short story collections. The story is told plainly but the tone and quiet nature of the story really appealed to me.

I enjoyed reading about this unlikely pair. Jason is a little rough around the edges but charming and remorseful for his past actions. He comes across as very genuine and sincere. Harvey is mature and wise and the two seem to understand each other, which makes the story work so well.

In the end, all the pieces come together and what you have is a satisfying read.

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher via Edelweiss.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

We’re All Damaged
By Matthew Norman
Little A, Hardcover, 9781503933378, June 2016, 268pp.

The Short of It:

Marriage is highly overrated. Especially when your wife takes off with your paramedic neighbor down the street.

The Rest of It:

After losing his wife to his neighbor and humiliating himself at his best friend’s wedding, Andy Carter is forced to realize that his marriage is over and that it’s time to move on. He moves to New York City where he makes do in his tiny apartment but happy, he is not.

When he gets the news that his grandfather is dying, he decides to make the trip back to Omaha to spend as much time with him as possible but that means seeing his ex-wife, her new lover, and all the people that he disappointed along the way.

This is a “woe-is-me” read but I can so relate to Andy and I suspect that a lot of readers will too. He’s well-meaning but awkward. His matter-of-fact approach is kind of funny too. There is a lot of self-deprecation going on here but it’s so well done and there are many odd, quirky characters thrown in for good measure. If you like this sort of thing, you will find this aspect of the story quite amusing.

But, it’s also a sweet story about heartbreak and loss. It has just enough humor to keep it light but there are some deeper themes here, which I enjoyed. I read Norman’s first book, Domestic Violets and that one had the same kind of humor but I think I liked We’re All Damaged a little bit more.

If you want a funny, summer read but one that has some depth to it, you really can’t go wrong with We’re All Damaged.