Book Review - The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

Title: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Genre: Fiction/ Contemporary
Published: 2014
 
Description: A.J. Fikry’s life is not at all what he expected it to be. His wife has died, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. Slowly but surely, he is isolating himself from all the people of Alice Island – from Lambiase, the well-intentioned police officer who’s always felt kindly toward Fikry; from Ismay, his sister-in-law who is hell-bent on saving him from his dreary self; from Amelia, the lovely and idealistic (if eccentric) Knightley Press sales rep who keeps on taking the ferry to Alice Island, refusing to be deterred by A.J. bad attitude. Even the books in his store have stopped holding pleasure for him. These days, A.J. can only see them as a sign of a world that is changing too rapidly.
 
And then a mysterious package appears at the bookstore. It’s a small package, but large in weight. It’s that unexpected arrival that give A.J. Fikry the opportunity to make his life over, the ability to see everything anew. It doesn’t take long for the locals to notice the change overcoming A.J.; or for the determined sales rep, Amelia, to see her curmudgeonly client in a new light; or for the wisdom of all those books to overcome again the lifeblood of A.J.’s world; or for  everything to twist again into a version of his life that he didn’t see coming.
 
Review: A.J. Fikry is a bookshop owner, who has, after his wife’s death, become a little bitter and isolated. But when someone leaves something for him in his story, it changes his life forever. And for the better.
 
I have read “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” earlier this year, by author Gabrielle Zevin. Absolutely loved that book. I really wanted to pick up her other work, starting with “The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. And I’m glad I did.
 
This story is warm, funny and moving and a true declaration of love for books. But also the unexpected twists and turns in life, that can sometimes look like challenges, but turn out to be the best thing to ever happen to you.
 
A.J. Fikry is a grumpy widower, whose life changes forever and he gets a chance for a new beginning. I loved this story and A.J. Fikry is a memorable character. The humor the books brings with itself and the message about second chances and finding joy in the unexpected really grabbed me.
 
As a booklover, I always love books about books. About writers, booksellers, readers, you name it. You share a love for books with the characters you’re reading about and you can more easily relate to them. At least with that aspect of the character.
 
There are a ton of other great characters in the book, like Ismay, A.J. sister-in-law. A woman who married a handsome man, but realizes she isn’t happy with him anymore. Because she never had him alone, he is not a good man. He never was. She just settled for it. And Amelia is also a lovely character, headstrong and never gave up on A.J., even though he was rude to her in the beginning. I love Lambiase, the police officer, who become a book lover because of A.J.
 
You don’t expect a contemporary fiction book like “The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry” to have major twists, but it does have a couple. And I liked them. But overall it’s a pretty straightforward story. I do feel like the conclusion was wrapped up a bit too fast. Something happens to A.J. at the end of the book, which Zevin doesn’t pay enough attention to, in my opinion. I had hoped that it would have been explored in more depth.
 
Should you pick this up? Definitely, it’s a beautiful story with amazing characters and a heartwarming story.
 
Rating: 4/ 5