I had read Terry Fallis' Up and Down, so was pleased to receive his latest humourous book, One Brother Shy, which had an intriguing description.
Who was Gabriel, this person who caused the huge, life changing, and socially isolating event in Alex? Why did Alex continue to work for his ridiculously impossible boss? Would he ever flirt back with his cute coworker?
Fallis presented main character Alex as a mystery that I wanted to solve. I was curious to find out what caused his social anxiety. No, I NEEDED to know. Going through One Brother Shy, and seeing how unusual and wounded Alex was, I really hoped things would turn around for him.
Alex tells his story in a simple, factual, yet amusing way, which is what makes up his personality. His witty tone adds a fun dimension to his character, helping me picture actors acting out the various scenes in the novel. One Brother Shy is a book that, if done right, would make a funny movie. Now I'm thinking about who would play Alex, hmmmm...
I got a chuckle out of his description of the silence after a coworker spoke up and said no to his crazy mean boss: "I thought I knew what true silence was. I'd already experienced it a few times in my life. Remembrance Day, of course. And during the pause I strategically placed in the middle of performing, not reciting, performing, one of Macbeth's famous soliloquies, in grade nine English class. (Incidentally, it was a tour de force.) And several years ago when my mother told me she'd been diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. But I was wrong. The silence that greeted Abby's pronouncement was so much more, um, silent, than anything I'd ever heard. (Or is it hadn't heard?) If a pin had dropped on the carpeted floor, it would have sounded like a car accident."
So as to not give anything away, I won't say anything about what unfolds for Alex, but I will conclude by saying there are interesting characters that come along, and terrific twists to the story. Oh, and Gabriel was not what I expected!
I received One Brother Shy in a GoodReads giveaway.
Until next time,
Kara
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