BOTM Review & September '23 BOTM

'23 August's BOTM was World of Wonders by Aimee Nezhukumatathil, here's what Booksify thought!

World of Wonders was a wonderfully authentic and charming read which explored Nezhukumatathil’s life and identity. Booksify thoroughly enjoyed her honesty in every page and the charm in all of the complementary illustrations. Our favorite memoirs in her collection were Whale Shark, Peacock, Monarch Butterfly, and Firefly (Redux). For any fans of memoirs, creative nonfiction essays, or those looking to pick up a new quick read, we recommend World of Wonders!

- Character Development: ★★★★☆

As a memoir, in World of Wonders we see the development and coming-of-age of Aimee Nezhukumatathil. The book transitions from her childhood and adolescence to adulthood, and eventually into her role in her own family as a mother. Throughout the piece she explores her identity in terms of ethnicity, womanhood and more.

- Pacing: ★★★☆☆

Within its 165 pages, this memoir paces through a lifetime’s worth of crucial moments. Although paced well for its circumstances, it may not be suitable to readers who enjoy longer drawn narratives.

- Plot: ★★★☆☆

World of Wonders’ main plot is expressing Nezhukumatathil’s life abstractedly through various animal and plant species to bring awareness to their endangerment. She executes this beautifully and puts herself into each chapter with gorgeous literary devices and bold, creative liberties. There are points in the piece where it is tone-deaf (e.g.: clipping birds’ feathers) but for the most part it sends an important message.

- Coherence: ★★★★☆

On a literary basis, the memoir is kept to a high quality standard. It is primarily clear and consistent, but Nezhukumatathil has a tendency to fall into tangents or make uncharacteristic connections.

- Enjoyability: ★★★★☆

While World of Wonders features many enjoyable elements, the way Nezhukumatathil details her personal life and development is both astonishingly honest and strikingly authentic. The natural undertone adds a level of appeal and ingenuity to the way World of Wonders weaves together Nezhukumatathil’s life experience and passion towards natural life and endangered species.

- World-Building: ★★★☆☆

In each of her memoirs, readers are oriented in time and space by exquisite descriptions and the passage of time represented through her changing attitudes and ages throughout the collection. While this a book of memoirs rather than a fictional novel built on the same landscape throughout, Nezhukumatathil still does an excellent job creating setting and time.

- How Much I Want a Pet Axolotl Now: ★★★★★

The Axolotl drawing featured in Nezhukumatathil’s memoir collection was absolutely adorable! Where can we get one?

Booksify Scale rating: 3.7★!

September '23 BOTM is... The Secret History by Donna Tartt!

The Secret History is a gripping thriller which has all the aesthetics of our transition from summer to autumn. The month's themes will be announced soon for all our bookworms to get into the mood for the book, and watch out for changes in our website!

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