Blob

[Bretnie]

Space to discuss the 2026 TOB contender Blob: A Love Story by Maggie Su.

[Ellen]

Just finished it, and it looks like I'm the first. I'll check back in in a few days to see if anyone had the same reaction I did.

[Erica]

I finished it yesterday. And I was so mad that this book made the long list and the short list. I feel like Sky Daddy accomplished everything this book tried to do much more successfully.

[Andrea]

This book is apparently not generating interest in my library, as all 3 copies of the audiobook have been available. So I am starting with this (only having read Flesh from the shortlist already). Hoping for a good read!

[Ehrrin]

I found it to be meh.

(And was also really hoping for Sky Daddy!)

[Bretnie]

Like you all, I checked this out first since it didn't have any holds at the library. Why is this a TOB book?! I know it fills the "quirky funny" slot, but we've had so many better quirky funny books in the past that were a lot more literary than this one.

[Andrea]

Umm - no. Seriously though - it felt like a bit f a mess all around and I didn’t connect with any character

[Tristan]

I found the first 2/3rds to be pretty standard coming of age for a young directionless college dropout. I thought it found its stride in the last 3rd. Not great, but enjoyable. I rounded up from 3.5 to 4 for my rating. I wont be pulling for it to win, but found it to be an enjoyable read.

[Kelly]

I thought the pacing was good, and the individual scenes of different characters were compelling with some cliche phrases, but as a whole, no character really held together. I couldn't figure out if Vi was autistic, depressed, selfish or just a psychopath. I found so many faults with the book, yet I enjoyed reading it.

[Heather]

I finished it today, and I liked it! I don't think it will or should win, but i take back my previous disgruntlement that it was included in the tourney.

[Theresa]

I was charmed by this one in the end. Reminiscent of Beautyland to me, in that it’s a book about “How to Be Human” through a fanciful conceit.

Unfortunately I was also a pretty selfish and depressed young 20 something for years and it took several crash outs and rock bottoms before I grew up. I found Vi cringe but relatable.

[Anita]

I guess I'm the odd woman out because I really liked this book. I found it to be funny and entertaining, although I wasn't sure why Vi acted the way she did and I guess it was pretty cliche that she was a driftless college dropout. I know she wasn't supposed to be a likeable narrator and she did act very selfish but I felt for her.

I found her family to be pretty unsufferable although I understood that I was supposed to think they were great and that she was the problem. I could kind of see why she was so depressed and self-hating, with an "I don't see skin color" type of mother who seemed simultaneously both smothering and neglectful, a father who seemed to only exist to enable the mother and scold her for not doing what her mother wanted, and her asshole of an over-achieving brother.

I know I was supposed to feel bad for Elliot and that whole graduation party scene was cringe but I didn't think he acted very nice to her either and he kind of should have expected what happened to happen. Rachel was also portrayed as selfish and overly privileged so I know I wasn't supposed to like her but I kind of did. I also felt bad for the landlord.

This book reminded me somewhat of last year's TOB books Rejection (which I hated by the end) and Great Expectations (which I thought was meh) and a little bit of Margo's Got Money Troubles (which I loved). The way that Bob acted and sounded reminded me of the TV show Resident Alien.

I chuckled out loud a couple times and although the inclusion of the proposterous Bob plot/concept confused me and seemed unnecessary, I always like when a book doesn't take itself too seriously. I guess it wasn't the most seriously literary book compared to a lot of TOB books but that's kind of what I liked about it.

I ended up being satisfied with the book and I enjoyed the happy ending for once. I would like to read more by this author. This was the first 2026 TOB book that I've read and I feel like it's off to a good start.

[Anita]

Theresa wrote: "I was charmed by this one in the end. Reminiscent of Beautyland to me, in that it’s a book about “How to Be Human” through a fanciful conceit.

Unfortunately I was also a pretty selfish and depres..."

Thank you for mentioning Beautyland. That's one of the 2025 TOB books I haven't gotten around to reading yet but it sounds like I should, because I enjoyed Blob.

Although I didn't drop out of college and cannot be described as a fuckup in my 20's (I went straight through to law school and got a good job as a lawyer, etc.), I wasn't very happy in my attempts to figure out this thing called life, so I think one of the reasons I liked this book is that Vi was like how I would have been had I let myself just be how I felt, instead of trying to be something that others expected of me or what I felt I needed to be.

(Like Vi, I had a complicated relationship with my parents/family but I handled it by trying to ensure that I could make enough money to be completely independent of them, and I focused on various educational and career goals instead of letting myself feel my emotions or crash out).

In the end, I think Vi will be better off for letting herself drift and crash before she figured out what direction she really wanted to be going in. I was kind of jealous of her ability to be totally true to herself even if others thought that meant she was selfish or wrong or messed up, etc.

[Mina]

I wasn’t excited about starting this one but ended up enjoying the read (listen).

[Tristan]

Anita wrote: "Although I didn't drop out of college and cannot be described as a fuckup in my 20's (I went straight through to law school and got a good job as a lawyer, etc.), I wasn't very happy in my attempts to figure out this thing called life, so I think one of the reasons I liked this book is that Vi was like how I would have been had I let myself just be how I felt, instead of trying to be something that others expected of me or what I felt I needed to be"

Are you me?

[Adam]

Tristan wrote: "Anita wrote: "Although I didn't drop out of college and cannot be described as a fuckup in my 20's (I went straight through to law school and got a good job as a lawyer, etc.), I wasn't very happy ..."

Are you also me? LOL. Your parentheticals describes me with specificity as well

[Jason]

I enjoyed this book and thought it accomplished exactly what it set out to say and be. Maybe my idea that the ToB should only celebrate the big important literary books is outdated, but it certainly wasn't one of those. It was fun, easy, well-written, good way to kick off my reading year.

[Anita]

Tristan wrote: "Anita wrote: "Although I didn't drop out of college and cannot be described as a fuckup in my 20's (I went straight through to law school and got a good job as a lawyer, etc.), I wasn't very happy ..."

Maybe in a parallel/alternative universe? lol

[Anita]

Adam wrote: "Tristan wrote: "Anita wrote: "Although I didn't drop out of college and cannot be described as a fuckup in my 20's (I went straight through to law school and got a good job as a lawyer, etc.), I wa..."

I honestly think there are a lot of us. After I had my kids, I took a hiatus from practicing law to raise them and to try something totally different that let me work from home part-time. I wrote and published romance eBooks. At first I was embarassed to tell anyone but when I started getting back into practicing law as my kids got a bit older and when I told other lawyers what I'd been up to in the meantime, the number one response I got was, "Wow, how can I do that too?!" LOL

[Anita]

Jason wrote: "I enjoyed this book and thought it accomplished exactly what it set out to say and be. Maybe my idea that the ToB should only celebrate the big important literary books is outdated, but it certainl..."

I agree. Why do all books have to be stuffy and boring and high-brow and "important" to be "good"? Some of my favorites lately have been what I consider to be good old fashioned humorous women's fiction, almost like chick lit or slices of life but that are also very well written.

I count "Blob" in this category, along with "Mona's Got Money Troubles," "Big Swiss," and even to some extent "On All Fours" and "Coloured Television." (Definitely "The Wedding People" fits this category as well, although I personally didn't really enjoy that one that much.)

I don't think traditional "chick lit" fans would love these books but neither do hardcore "litfic" types, so I think I live in this middle ground of hybrid category books. I don't like it too serious and boring but I also don't like it just totally light and fluffy.

[Gwendolyn]

This reminds me of a TOB book from awhile back (at least I think it was a TOB book). It was about some kind of fur ball with a tail that came to life from a child’s drawing. It was a pretty violent little thing (biting, scratching), and it transformed into a boy. I recall the boy hurt some people (maybe even murder?). Is this ringing a bell with anyone? I can’t for the life of me remember the title or author, but I remember really liking the book.

[Bretnie]

I think a book can be funny and even silly and literary! And I think the TOB has a long long list of really great books that aren't Super Serious. I just personally didn't find this one all that funny or interesting. But I'm glad to hear others enjoyed it more than I did!

[Bretnie]

Gwendolyn wrote: "This reminds me of a TOB book from awhile back (at least I think it was a TOB book). It was about some kind of fur ball with a tail that came to life from a child’s drawing. It was a pretty violent..."

Monstrilio? That book was fascinating! Way more complex and interesting than Blog, in my opinion.

[Gwendolyn]

Bretnie wrote: "Gwendolyn wrote: "This reminds me of a TOB book from awhile back (at least I think it was a TOB book). It was about some kind of fur ball with a tail that came to life from a child’s drawing. It wa..."

Yes! That’s it! Monstrilio. That’s a much better version of this story than Blob. I enjoyed Blob, but Monstrilio really got me thinking. I’m still thinking about it! Maybe I’m due for a reread.

[Anita]

Bretnie - That makes sense. I’m sorry if I sounded like I was saying that anyone who didn’t like Blob doesn’t think funny books can’t be good or well-written. It’s simply a matter of taste and preference for each reader and book. :)

Gwendolyn - I loved Monstrilio. I think it represented her grief about her son like Bob in Blob represented her loneliness and sadness about her ex and her life in general as a misfit. But I think Monstrilio was much better from a literary perspective. It’s one of my fave TOB books ever. I also liked Tender is the Flesh which isn’t humorous at all so I guess I like both very serious and very non-serious books? Haha.

[Gwendolyn]

Anita wrote: "Bretnie - That makes sense. I’m sorry if I sounded like I was saying that anyone who didn’t like Blob doesn’t think funny books can’t be good or well-written. It’s simply a matter of taste and pref..."

I loved Tender Is the Flesh too! That book stuck with me for a long time.

[Calvin]

Anita wrote: "I count "Blob" in this category, along with "Mona's Got Money Troubles," "Big Swiss," and even to some extent "On All Fours" and "Coloured Television." (Definitely "The Wedding People" fits this category as well, although I personally didn't really enjoy that one that much.)"

I just finished it. All of those books were much more interesting than this book, in my opinion.

This story feels vastly underdeveloped; I think the author could have expanded it to two or three times as long and fleshed out more of the story instead of randomly rushing to where she ended it. Or she could have continued the story past that ending and added a second half to it so that Vi can have some character growth.

I actually like the author's prose and characters, but I think the story moved too quickly to the ending, and I struggle to see what the whole point of this novel was because it didn't go anywhere and felt like it was just starting Act 2 when it fast-forwarded to the wedding.

[Anita]

Calvin wrote: "Anita wrote: "I count "Blob" in this category, along with "Mona's Got Money Troubles," "Big Swiss," and even to some extent "On All Fours" and "Coloured Television." (Definitely "The Wedding People..."

You make good points. It seemed like maybe it was the author's first book and/or first draft and she will just keep getting better and better from here. I think that's kinda what I liked about it. Like it seemed like the ramblings a teenage girl would write in her journal and publish online and that made me a bit nostalgic for Young Me. And I feel optimistic and positive about this authors' future because there's a lot to work with and I would love to read and grow along with her.

[Ellen]

Bretnie wrote: "Gwendolyn wrote: "This reminds me of a TOB book from awhile back (at least I think it was a TOB book). It was about some kind of fur ball with a tail that came to life from a child’s drawing. It wa..."

That was exactly my reaction to the book, that it reminded me strongly of Monstrilio -- which was a better book by far.

[Paul]

if anyone is in the UK, this book is 99p on kindle now. I've not read it, but after reading some of the reviews here and the top few reviews on GR, I think I'll give it a miss and focus on my backlog of books I think I will like. I like weird and funny, but don't think this book will be that for me.

[Laura]

Overall, the story of youth and finding one's identity and place was interesting. However, I felt that a puppy largely could have been substituted for Bob the Blob and it wouldn't have changed the crux of the story much. I also felt like this was similar to Monstrillio, although that novel really dove into the ethical questions around its main characters and how others interacted with it/him, while this novel really didn't focus on the blob more than necessary, and the Blob wasn't even really the main character.