The Storied Life of AJ Fikry – Book Review

On the faded Island Books sign hanging over the porch of the Victorian cottage is the motto “No Man Is an Island; Every Book Is a World.” A. J. Fikry, the irascible owner, is about to discover just what that truly means.

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 over to Alice Island, refusing to be deterred by A.J.’s 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 gives 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 that determined sales rep, Amelia, to see her curmudgeonly client in a new light; or for the wisdom of all those books to become 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. As surprising as it is moving, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry is an unforgettable tale of transformation and second chances, an irresistible affirmation of why we read, and why we love.

Have you read Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow? If you have, I strongly recommend you to read The Storied Life of AJ Fikry, which in my opinion is better than Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow!

AJ Fikry owns a bookstore in an island named Alice, the only bookstore in the island. His wife passed away and he gets along well with each member of the community in the island. He gets a surprise, when he finds a crib with a baby girl in it. The note left by her mother asks him to look after the baby. The girl’s name is Maya and soon the story begins–the emotional relationship between AJ Fikry and Maya.

As I said, I actually enjoyed reading this book more than I did with Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow. This to me is an emotional and heartbreaking read. The character of AJ Fikry is an interesting character and I like how over the years, his relationship with Maya as well as Amelia improves over the years. The story overall is well written. Not only that–there are some parts hat would actually make you cry but at the same time there are funny parts in the book as well. Overall I actually enjoyed reading this book and would give five stars.