Thank you to Booksparks for sending me a copy of this book to review as part of your #popupblog tour!
Some books make you laugh, some make you cry.
Some hit your heart so hard and true they make you do both.
Alex Shahla's book,
Lying to Children, will bring you to tears and it will make you laugh out loud. Written as a compilation of essays from a father to his grown children, it's a novel that is especially relatable to if you're a parent. Funnily enough, though, I don't think you need to be a parent to appreciate this book. It really reads as an open letter, unapologetic, poignant and deeply felt, from a father to his children. As I read it - I felt as if I could be that child and this book could be to me from my father (obviously his stories would be different and my father doesn't write books), but the emotions were felt keenly and this book spoke to me as a daughter.
Countering this - I am a mother and I found so many aspects of this book to be relatable, the love a parent feels for their child is powerful, exhausting and all consuming at times and Shahla conveys this with humor and honesty that settles into your heart. I loved the "lies" to the children; I felt that this perfectly captured the ways we as parents try to teach our children, keep them safe, and keep our sanity at the same time.
Easy to consume, this book reads quickly and in many ways reminded me of a show called,
How I Met Your Mother, maybe you've heard of it? How coincidental then, is it that the show is actually referred to in this book? It's not entirely like the show, but the narration style and voice had me feeling those vibes - is there an audio version of this book? Because if there isn't, there should be and I would like to nominate Bob Saget to narrate. Or Chevy Chase - because there are some definite Clark Griswold moments here. At least I thought so.
If humorous, family based comedies are your thing - you will love this. If you are a parent - you will love this. If you're a child who has flown the coop and embarked on a life all your own - you will love this.
Buy It
