Funny, Fantabulous, Finesse

Wow! What a book! This book is bright, deep, emotional, funny (oh so funny!) and thought-provoking. This book is way out of my comfort zone and regular reading style. I am not one to understand, let alone enjoy, magical realism or metaphors. I like my stories laid out directly. Tell me who is who, which era/world the story is happening in and establish the plot. I prefer this clarity. So it took me quite some time to start on this book. And like I said, while this book is totally not me, I loved it. Such risks while reading, unearth a whole new side and also open up my understanding of the world and storytelling.

/5

SYNOPSIS (from Goodreads)->

A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he’s given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

REVIEW->

The Plot ->

Where do I begin? The plot has so many subplots to it. There is Linus‘s journey of discovering himself; There is the portrayal of accepting people with their differences; Arthur’s role in being a mentor despite the hardships he has faced. The plot emphasizes several times, how what matters, is always what is within. An isolated plot like this can be a hit or miss, since there are no links to reality that aid our imagination. The story is told in a silo. But that does not take away from the brilliance of the plot at all.

The Characters->

Linus is a fascinating character and goes through a huge transformation in this book. To dissect, his representation is that of an ignorant, but well-meaning individual. He is content, not necessarily happy, as long as his duties are done and his needs are met. He does not realize the outcome of his ignorance, because he hasn’t taken the effort to explore how different [here magical] people lead their lives. When he goes to the orphanage, his perception of the kids is colored by his preconceived notions. As he slowly allows himself to empathize, understand and grow – he sees a whole new World of beauty and possibility. His journey is what every individual should go through to be complete and caring humans. Linus Baker went from being to human. The kids are the best part of the book though. Their characterization and innocence goes to prove, how despite their differences, they are just kids. They have not been fully trained by the world to know they are different yet!

The Writing ->

The imagery is bright and happy throughout the narrative. There is hope, love and beauty in the writing. You will know what I mean when you read the book. The Author has a way with words and that had me laughing and introspecting throughout the story. I cannot wait to read more brilliant books by T J Klune.

Audiobook Narration->

I listened to the audiobook for this and was magically mesmerized by the different voices and portrayal of the characters. The kids could actually be visualized differently in my head simply by the outstanding delivery of the Narrator. I do recommend listening to the audiobook for this.

Favorite quotes from the book->

“We are who we are, not because of our birthright, but what we choose to do in this life. It cannot be boiled down to Black and White. Not when there’s so much in between”

“I popped my bubble. It kept me safe. But it also kept me from leaving.”