UGH. I have such complicated feels about this book. First off, I’ll admit it: I went into The Inexplicable Logic of My Life with HIGH expectations. I couldn’t help myself. Some of my best friends raved and raved about it in their early reviews, and I expected to love it every bit as much as they did. In some ways, I think I did, but in others…
There isn’t really any kind of a plot. I can’t say for sure if that’s a pro or a con. For me, it made the book pass by very slowly. I just didn’t feel driven to race through it. So I spent a loooong time reading this not-very-long story. But, on the other hand, I think there are a lot of things to appreciate about Sal and his story when you don’t rush through it, so maybe forcing you to read slowly is purposeful? For the most part, I didn’t really mind that there wasn’t a plot because the relationship are very beautifully constructed, and I did fall in love with pretty much every single person.
Seriously, all of the characters were perfect. This was probably one of my absolute favorite things about this story – I fell in love so deeply with these people. Sal is a little angsty and Sam can be kind of annoying, but in the end, I still got attached to them both. I wanted the best for them. I ADORED Sal’s grandmother and his father, because they’re both just freaking awesome. I mean, Sal’s dad just goes around basically adopting stray teenagers and helping them get through the mess that is high school, and I just thought he was wonderful in every way. Oh, and don’t let me forget Fito for even a second. Of the three teens, Fito was by far my favorite – I wanted to adopt him and take care of him myself, because he’s just this hard-working, grief-stricken, hopeful person who shoulders everything life throws and him and still managers to keep soldiering on. His story arc may have been the best one.
Benjamin Alire Saenz really knows how to turn a phrase. I loved how lyrical the prose here is, though I think that the choppy stream-of-consciousness style threw me off a little bit. Again, I got pretty hung up with the first half of this book, and I think the style had a lot to do with that, because I loved the characters but still couldn’t really lose myself in their story. Honestly, I’m still trying to puzzle out why.
The Inexplicable Logic of My Life is a beautiful book about friendship, family, and finding oneself. It’s definitely a story that will stay with you, and one that deserves to be savored.
Rating: 4/5 stars
TALK TO ME: Do you prefer plot-driven or character-driven stories? Why? Let me know in the comments!