Book Review: The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World by Laura Imai Messina, Lucy Rand (Translator)

Oh my goodness but this was a lovely, moving, beautiful homage to love, life and death – and the magical ability of belief… It is an absolutely incredibly beautiful story about dealing with grief – and finding that you can move forward, even if you never entirely move on…

Messina did an incredible job capturing the horrors of loss and the debilitating nature of grief without ever devolving into maudlin sentimentality. Her characterizations, her plotting, and her pacing were spot on – as were the ways she captured the complex relationships between her characters and settings. I was truly moved.

Do NOT let the shortness of the review fool you. This is a HUGE story with complex emotion pouring off of every page… It’s tough to write about though, since the experience of grief is so personal – and so is, to my mind, the experience of reading about it, when you’re living in the midst of it. It’s been a tough year on my end, and this one hit close to home. What I wouldn’t give for a few moments at the phone booth myself these days.

Definitely take a look at this one. It’s incredibly powerful and beautifully crafted and you won’t be sorry…

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.