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The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

Gabrielle Zevin

Why we're reading this: Could count as a mystery, although that's not the main point. My mom loves this one. Offers a Z last name…more
[close] Could count as a mystery, although that's not the main point. My mom loves this one. Offers a Z last name, which would probably be a difficult initial to match.

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Nov 22, 2014 Cassandra Moore rated it really liked it

Find more reviews at Wickedly Delicious Tales!

LOVED THIS!!! Okay, now that that's out of the way, this book is going on my top lists. I went into the book, like I do most books, with a certain idea of how the story would go. It wasn't really at all what I expected, which I liked. The story is all about A.J.'s life, as you can probably guess from the title. At first I had this "poor guy, but what a jerk" feeling towards A.J. However, it didn't last very long before I found his quirks endearing. A Find more reviews at Wickedly Delicious Tales!

LOVED THIS!!! Okay, now that that's out of the way, this book is going on my top lists. I went into the book, like I do most books, with a certain idea of how the story would go. It wasn't really at all what I expected, which I liked. The story is all about A.J.'s life, as you can probably guess from the title. At first I had this "poor guy, but what a jerk" feeling towards A.J. However, it didn't last very long before I found his quirks endearing. At first I was a little confused about how time was passing in the book because it doesn't seem to flow at a consistent pace. Some chapters started immediately after the one before it, but others started varying years after the previous chapter. It was a little bit of a hangup at a couple places. Each chapter also starts with an book entry by A.J. which gives clues to what will happen in the following chapter. It took some of the surprise out of parts of the story, but for me there were still things that I didn't see coming.

There are a lot of wonderful, well-developed supporting characters in The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. Maya is a very intelligent young girl, and it was interesting to watch her grow up through the book with A.J. as an influence. Amelia was the perfect balance to A.J. Lambiase, Ismay, and Daniel each have their part to play in the story. They were each unique characters which was refreshing to read. Many times the secondary characters are all kind of the same character.

I loved how the story was centered around books. A.J. is a bookstore owner. Amelia is a publishing agent. Daniel is a writer. Ismay is an English teacher. Maya is a reader and future writer. Daniel is a reader. Everyone bonded over books. Since I'm obviously a book person myself (library assistant), I personally love books that incorporate books, especially if love is involved! Timing is also important in the book. Things happened as they were supposed to at the right time to each of the characters. The writing in the book is a little odd from what I'm used to, but I kinda liked it. The plot reminded me of Jojo Moyes in some ways, so if you like her, I'd recommend this one. Although, I'd recommend this to everyone. I cried at the end, so have some tissues ready! ...more

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Feb 03, 2015 Devon rated it really liked it

I read this book quickly because it was so full of vibrant characters who I cared about almost instantly. The story unfolds in ways that are unexpected. There are small details that become important and secrets that are kept and shared that are not at the center of the novel, but all around the edges. In the hands of a lesser author, the stories, the characters, the plots themselves might feel inauthentic but through the strong writing off Ziven and the protagonist A.J. Fikry, all the pieces com ...more

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