Author: Janina Mathewson
Publisher: The Friday Project/Harpercollins
Date of publication: February 2015
On a seemingly normal morning in London, a group of people
all lose something dear to them, something dear but peculiar: the front of
their house, their piano keys, their sense of direction, their place of work.
Meanwhile, Jake, a young boy whose father brings him to
London following his mother’s sudden death in an earthquake, finds himself
strangely attracted to other people’s lost things. But little does he realize
that his most valuable possession, his relationship with his dad, is slipping
away from him.
Of Things Gone Astray is a magical fable about modern life
and values. Perfect for fans of Andrew Kaufman and Helen Oyeyemi.
Of Things Gone Astray is definitely very different from anything I have read lately. This is kind of a hard book to review. It's one of those that you really have to experience for yourself. The story is told through the eyes of several different people. Each person has lost something. Literally lost something. Mrs. Featherby has lost the front of her house. Robert's job has completely disappeared. Delia has lost her sense of direction, in that she can't find her way anywhere anymore.
I will admit that I almost gave up on it, but as I kept reading, it drew me into it's magic. I have had a few days to process this book. and I can say that I did ultimately like it. What I liked about the book was watching each person deal with their loss; each in their own way. For some, it opens up new possibilities and for others, it holds them back even more. I really struggled because I am a reader who hates loose ends. The ending wasn't tied up in a neat bow and I felt a lot of things were uncertain. But after thinking on it, I realized that I really liked the ending. Life isn't neat and a lot of the future is uncertain. Loss happens all the time and it's how we deal with it that makes the difference.
I do recommend this book. I urge everyone to give it a chance. In fact, check out this book excerpt behind the book interview with the author. It's Ms. Mattherson's debut book. I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next!
About Janina Matthewson
Janina Matthewson is a writer and trained actress from
Christchurch, New Zealand. She now lives in London. Of Things Gone Astray is
her first full-length novel.
Purchase Links
Janina’s Tour Stops
Wednesday, February 4th: Bibliophiliac
Thursday, February 5th: Peeking
Between the Pages
Friday, February 6th: 5 Minutes
for Books
Tuesday, February 10th: More Than Just Magic
Wednesday, February 11th: From the TBR Pile
Thursday, February 12th: A Lovely Bookshelf on the Wall
Monday, February 16th: The Gilmore Guide to Books
Tuesday, February 17th: Spiced Latte Reads
Tuesday, February 17th: Based On a True Story
Wednesday, February 18th: Thoughts on This ‘n That
Thursday, February 19th: Read Her Like An Open Book
Friday, February 20th: Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers
TBD: Doing
Dewey
2 comments:
This sounds very interesting. Quirky, but interesting. I think it warrants a look and maybe a read.
I'm glad you stuck with this one and that it turned out to be such a great read! Thanks for being a part of the tour.
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