The Basic Book Bitches

Y’all, I loved this book so much.

I heard about this one on TikTok and it seemed like something I’d be interested in. I added it to my TBR and it languished there for a while. Now that I’ve finished it, I’m sorry I let it wait so long. I’m even sorrier that I have to wait until September to read the follow-up, Somewhere Beyond the Sea.

The beginning is somewhat bleak and uninteresting. It’s a purposeful choice, an effort to paint a picture of the life being lived by our main character, Mr. Linus Baker. Linus’ life is pretty depressing. He takes his job very seriously, but his boss sucks, he doesn’t have friends, and even his cat, Calliope, is ambivalent towards him.

Pretty soon, though, Linus is given an assignment that will change him forever. He travels to the tiny island of Marsyas to inspect an orphanage, and the people he meets there change his whole outlook on life.

There’s a love story here (MLM), which is my jam, but it’s not the main focus. The main focus is the family found along the way. Each character is lovingly written, and I fell in love with all of them.

The dialogue is witty and clever and immensely entertaining, but it’s not all sweetness and jokes. Due to their differences, each inhabitant of the Island of Marsyas is dealing with a difficult past, and they all face prejudices that no one should ever have to endure. You could easily draw a parallel with current events affecting trans and LGBTQ+ youth.

Bottom line…I highly recommend this one. Also, it’s not specifically a Y/A novel, but can certainly be read by young adults.

Stars: 4.5/5

Spice: 0/5