I promised that I would review books outside of the thriller genre this month, so first up is The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley! I saw this one on Instagram and thought it sounded interesting, so I ordered it from Target and I am so glad I did!
Plot Summary: This book centers around 6 people who all come in contact with a notebook entitled “The Authenticity Project.” Julian, an old man who feels invisible to society, starts the notebook as a way to be truly authentic and admit his deepest thoughts. “Do you really know the people around you?” he asks. He leaves the notebook in a coffee shop owned by a woman named Monica. She finds the notebook and develops a plan to make Julian feel less invisible. Then she adds her story, which includes her deepest longings, to the book and leaves it in a wine bar. It’s picked up by a man named Hazard whose life is spiraling out of control. And so the story goes on as these first three characters find their lives intertwining along with several other people who “find” the notebook. What happens when you know someone’s innermost thoughts, but they don’t realize you know them? What happens when they find out? That’s the root of this story. Along with how unexpected encounters and choices can lead your life down roads you didn’t expect.
Genre: Contemporary fiction
My Review:
What I Liked: The story was unique and definitely made the reader think about the questions asked above and more. Are we truly living authentic lives especially in the age of social media and likes? What happens as you age and you lose the people in your life? Do you truly become invisible to society? What happens when life doesn’t turn out the way you expected? Definitely thought provoking and sometimes sad, but also a very timely message. I liked how the characters lives intersected and the influence they had on each other in positive ways. The chapters were each centered around one of the characters and were very short, which kept me saying “just one more chapter.” I also liked how some of the chapters had something happen and then the next chapter went back in time with another character so you could see what lead to that event from another person’s perspective. Toward the end of the book, there was a twist too that I didn’t see coming. I wasn’t expecting a surprise like that in this type of read, which was good. The ending made me cry (both happy and sad tears), which I think is a testament to how well I connected with the characters in the story.
What I didn’t like: Honestly, there wasn’t much I didn’t like. I did feel that some of the characters had a few loose ends that weren’t tied up when I closed the book. So I was left wanting a little more closure (probably because as I said above, I cared about them 😊). I’m not sure if the last chapter was completely necessary. I understand why the author did it (I won’t say what since I don’t want to spoil anything), but I also thought it was just as good without the last chapter. There was some foul language, but I felt like it was in smaller chunks and not throughout the book.
Disclaimer: PG-13 for language
Do You Read Me?: YES!! It’s well-written, it’s cute, it’s thought-provoking, it’s funny, and it has a twist I didn’t see coming. What more could you want? 😉
My final thoughts: It definitely gave me A Man Called Ove vibes especially with Julian’s character and how the other characters rallied around him when he was all alone. It was a different kind of read and a welcome break from intense thrillers. I highly recommend it!