The Book of Love is the first novel by Kelly Link.
Finished on: 3.3.2024

Plot:
Laura, Daniel and Mo died. But then they came back and everybody around them remembers that they went to Ireland for a music program. Their high school music teacher Mr Anabin is, apparently, a magical being and gives them a chance to return to life for good: they just need to complete some magical tasks, among them figuring out how they died in the first place.

I read some of Link’s short stories a few years ago and they stuck with me so much, I immediately preordered The Book of Love when I heard that she had written a novel (I’m just more of a long form reader). Expectations were high – and absolutely satisfied. It is a beautiful book.

I don’t know when the last time was that I read a book that left me in the dark for so long about what is going on. Even when books try to surprise me, more often than not, I can guess where things are headed – the downside of reading quite a lot, I guess. But here, it took me a good long while to be able to tell – and I loved it.

But even more than that, I loved the characters. All of them. They are all so different and all absolutely wonderful and I couldn’t tell you who my favorite was. Link has a wonderful way of sharing her character’s emotionality with the reader and I was utterly invested in each and every point of view.

Link’s prose is fantastic. She managed to somehow keep the more poetic tones that short stories can carry more easily than long novels, and makes them work for the long format. And I really do mean long: it’s not a short novel by any means. And the cherry on top of everything: the book is also funny.

The Book of Love is really everything that I hoped it would be and more. Probably one of my top reads of the year.

Summarizing: chef’s kiss.