Blog Tour: The A-Z of You and Me by James Hannah

Title: The A-Z of You and Me
Author: James Hannah
Published: 12th March 2015
Publisher: Doubleday

Today I am delighted to host my stop on the Blog Tour for The A-Z of You and Me by James Hannah with a review. All the other stops on the tour are listed below, so please do stop by their blogs for some other great content.

Review

The A-Z of You of Me is one of those novels that really gets you thinking and it was so unique in its execution of Ivo's story.

Ivo is lying in bed in St Leonard's hospice with little to occupy his mind. His carer Shelia suggest he plays the A-Z game. Ivo needs to compile a list of body parts and think of a story to go with each part. What starts off as a simple game to keep him thinking, turns into Ivo reevaluating his life and the decisions he made.

This was such a wonderful debut, it was a unique and fresh approach to dealing with the subject of terminal illness and despite this being a sad subject, and a sad story, it still managed to have its funny moments, particularly where body parts were concerned.

I found James' writing style also unique in the way it almost addresses you as a reader, but is in fact Ivo talking to someone in his past. Initially I found it hard to get into the flow of this writing, but I was soon swept up in the story and the next thing I knew I had turned the last page.

James seamlessly moves us between Ivo's past and present without it breaking the flow of the story. As we go along, we learn more about Ivo and the characters who played a main role in his life. All of who are incredibly realistic and full of flaws. Sheila however, his current carer in the hospice is a massive breath of fresh air and an absolute angel, and so genuine in wanting to help Ivo in his final days. I really loved the idea of her game and as the story progresses we can see just how much it begins to help him. She must see so many heart-wrenching things, but she still manages to keep the smile on her face to give patients some happiness and normality where she can.

There are some incredibly sad moments in Ivo's life, so you may need a box of tissues handy, but he is a character you will grow to love, despite his flaws and frustrating moments. 

The A-Z of You and Me is heart-wrenching but at the same time thought provoking. It makes you take a look at your own life and tells you not to take anything for granted.