The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry: A Novel

Sweet story about a bookshop owner on the fictional Alice Island of Massachusetts.

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I’ve had The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin on my tbr for years and when I was invited to read the book to promote the film adaptation, I jumped at the chance. I read this charming novel in one day, almost one sitting. I adored the writing—sharp wit wrapped in a blunt delivery. I was getting major Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society vibes, a novel I rave about often… until the ending didn’t go the direction I wanted it to go.

And I apologize in advance for this meandering review.

I typically hate to give spoilers, but since this is a much older book, and I can’t think of how to review it without spoilers, I’ll be including hints to major spoilers, without coming out and saying what it is specifically. If you haven’t read the book, and don’t want to be spoiled, stop reading now!

I knew this one would have an element of sadness, but I went into it thinking the main characters would be safe since our leading man has already suffered a deep loss. I’m not a reader who requires a happy ending to all my books, but in this case it didn’t feel organic to the story. It wasn’t even an overly emotional ending for me—I shed no tears—but I just wasn’t satisfied with how this one wrapped up.

Now, I’m bummed that I’m not as excited to watch the film. I even wouldn’t mind if they gave it a different ending—which goes against my typical feelings about book adaptations. But I’ll still probably watch it because I do love the actress Lucy Hale who’s playing Amelia. Although she’s nothing like the character is described—tall and blonde, A.J. comparing Amelia to Courtney Love.

But overall, I adored the story, the delivery, and the characters. It may be stereotypical-grumpy-bookstore-owner-meets-quirky-bookseller, but I loved it. Until the ending, at least. I also adored A.J.’s “unexpected package”, a.k.a. the Maya storyline. While it might have also been formulaic, it was executed well, bringing joy and levity to the tale.

I found The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry to be a warm, bookish, cozy read, but with sad elements disguised in humor. Much of it is set in autumn, however, which was a nice coincidence, making this one an unexpected seasonal read. While I wasn’t a fan of the ending, I feel like maybe it will at least be memorable.

Thank you to Algonquin and Netgalley for a complementary copy.

Check out my reviews and playlists at A Book Wanderer

wow i’m sobbing. this was probably one of the best books i’ve read in a while. this book felt like a warm hug. i think i have to read all of gabrielle zevins books now.

This was a cute fast read. I picked this book up because it was cheap. The ending was cute and despite it being only about 150 pages it was fair. This is the kind of book you read on a vacation to keep you relaxed.