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A review by withlivjones
The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Every time I thought it couldn’t get any worse for this poor boy and his mum, surprise! It got worse!
This book is simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming, about grief, mental illness, and the power of reaching out for help. Both Benny and Annabelle are imperfect and often make poor decisions, but they are still so sympathetic and well-written. They are such a realistic portrayal of a mother who is just trying her best and a teenage boy who is still figuring everything out about himself. I liked the meta, omniscient narration by the Book as well, it felt very similar to The Book Thief in the sense that the narrator knows exactly what is going to happen but is powerless to stop it.
Overall, don’t be intimidated by this book’s size! The start is a little slow but I was surprised by how much I didn’t want to put the book down.
This book is simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming, about grief, mental illness, and the power of reaching out for help. Both Benny and Annabelle are imperfect and often make poor decisions, but they are still so sympathetic and well-written. They are such a realistic portrayal of a mother who is just trying her best and a teenage boy who is still figuring everything out about himself. I liked the meta, omniscient narration by the Book as well, it felt very similar to The Book Thief in the sense that the narrator knows exactly what is going to happen but is powerless to stop it.
Overall, don’t be intimidated by this book’s size! The start is a little slow but I was surprised by how much I didn’t want to put the book down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Animal death, Racism, Self harm, and Violence