extremely close and incredibly loud book

Protect him at all costs, I kept yelling whenever I’d read how no one monitors the terrible things he looks up online (“ which I know about but really, really wish I didn’t”). The last 40 pages granted me peace of mind after seeing someone you care for finally receiving the attention they deserve. Oskar’s mental state was all I cared about. “My search was a play that Mom had written, and she knew the ending when I was at the beginning.” I mean, that would explain my extreme reaction. And so it felt heavy because we spent so much time circling around the real issue for it to then be uncovered so completely felt a bit jolting, at least for me. The book built itself up just for the ending. The author excels at interactions – so please, don’t bore me with subplots of characters we won’t see again. I’ll admit at first I had a bit of a tough time with this book because I felt so invested in Oskar, and I just couldn’t bring myself to care about this other bizarre storyline happening with his grandparents or the hunt. Is this the peace of mind everyone keeps mentioning? I guess that’s why I kept avoiding this book like the plague.

I feel compelled to focus on that experience. Like, I could wash my face with all the tears that kept on coming. This book is different in that the last 30 pages had me releasing tears that have felt stuck for the last ten years. Usually, I’d cover my thoughts and feelings throughout my reading.

The quote I opened this review with has been with me since at least 2014. I still think about a particular line I read in Here I Am that gave voice to the process of growing up – it all happens in one day when you don’t pick up the little one and then you realize they’re not so little anymore. I’m a sucker for his dialogue and curious character traits. It felt like the right time to dive in.įirstly, I have to highlight my keen appreciation for Foer’s characters. My dream featured Foer’s Here I Am, but in real life, my local library currently only holds his Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. I needed it.įunny enough, I decided to pick up Foer’s book after seeing it in a dream recently where I was roaming the library shelves for the right read.

But coming into this now, I can say I’m glad for the wait. I had an inkling when I first tried to read this book that it would trigger some unresolved trauma within me, which is why I set it aside back when it still felt a bit too much.

“My life story is the story of everyone I’ve ever met.”

Extremely close and incredibly loud book