Rhys Thomas

Sam Holloway is completely fine. No, really, he is.

Sam, a socially-awkward geek, lives alone , has a small group of equally geeky friends, and has a job with a Japanese company, where he has always been an exemplary employee.

Sam discovered superhero comics as a child, and has frequently retreated into the other world they depict. When he suffers a major trauma in early adulthood, this other world is a source of solace, to the extent that he takes on the persona of his own superhero, righting show more wrongs in his local area.

But then Sam falls in love, and his carefully ordered life starts to fall apart.

The book is billed as being perfect for people who enjoyed The Rosie Project and A Man Called Ove, neither of which, I confess, I have read (though they are both on my to-read list). I have, however, read Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, and with it’s similar theme of struggling to overcome trauma, and the kindness of others helping someone to face their demons, it is to Eleanor I find myself comparing this book.

The main characters are likeable and well-drawn (though I didn’t feel quite as drawn to Sam as I did to Eleanor Oliphant) and this is a very readable book, amusing in places, heartbreaking in others. For perhaps 90-95% of the book, I felt that, though some things were perhaps a little far-fetched in places, it was realistic. Towards the end, though, everything just seemed to fall into place a little too easily, and though I was happy with the overall final outcome, I felt corners had been cut to get there. I would still recommend it, though, as overall it is a lovely, feel-good book, and if someone asked me if it was worth reading, the answer would be a definite yes.

I received an ARC Kindle copy of this book from NetGalley. show less

I didn't hate it. It felt predictable and a little bloated, but after a while I got attached to the characters and was rooting for Sam by the end. Could have been a novella, but it held space between books.

A Hawkeye fan accidentally gets the attention of a NYC gang.

2.5/4 (Okay)

The story is uninteresting. The big action finale is nonsensical. There's enough good comic relief sprinkled throughout to keep it from getting tedious.

(Jan. 2022)

Cute, quirky, heartwarming. I enjoyed The Unlikely Heroics of Sam Holloway. A good contemporary read for when you are in the mood for something a little different.