Book I Loved: Who We Are by TJ Klune

Who We Are by TJ Klune
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hilariously funny. Bear is still angsty. Otter is still gorgeous. And Kid is still the Kid.

This book is perfect for a good laugh, actually it's perfect for a raucous, make everyone look at you like you're crazy because you're laughing out loud and saying "gravy lube" kind of laugh.

We meet back up with Bear (Derrick), Otter (Oliver) and the Kid (Tyson) after they've moved into the Green Monstrosity, a home that would be absolutely perfect for them if the outside wasn't painted a horrific green color. Although, in keeping with the flow of the life of the Thompson/McKenna clan, that glaring imperfection just makes the house perfect for the new family.

I loved the ebb and flow of the story. Just when I would start to get comfortable with the way things were going for the boys, something would jump up and smack me in the face (cue Isaiah).

The best part of the story was definitely all of the truths that Bear comes to realize, the subtle nuances that shape his life and the acceptance that he comes to embrace. The acceptance from others and the acceptance of himself. I loved the way that while Bear grew, while he and the Kid got better, TJ didn't make that growth and change unrealistic.

And it had an epilogue! Pet the Epilogue Whore because he was purring with happiness as well.

Yes there were glitches in the system, there always is, a word or two missing here and there, but they don't detract from the story. Bear's angst is both engaging and annoying, just like it would be in real life (we all know an angsty person and you love them and sometimes you want to tell them to shut the hell up. The best part is with Bear, whenever you want him to shut up you can simply close the book, turn off the ereader and the angst stops.), the best thing is that it's the story, the characters that linger, that stay behind and cling to your heart even when the story is over.

The thing that made my eye twitch? "The fight for you is all I've ever known." yes Otter, yes Bear we get it, you were destined to be. That line is definitely said more than once and though it made my eye twitchy, it still didn't make me stop reading. Why? Because I know that's real. There are people who have things, phrases that they use all the time, in reference to their significant other or to life in general. There are people who obsess over and focus in one one thing and never let it go. It's true to form which is why I kept reading even when I'd read that line for the third time.

The hilariousness never ended. I laughed almost the entire way through and even when TJ did the rug pull maneuver I was shocked, broken hearted and yes, a little miffed by what happened, but the underlying joy, happiness, the perfectly imperfect feel of the story, of the characters kept me so enthralled with this story, so connected, that when the book ended I sighed with happiness. The sigh of a happy reader. The sigh of satisfaction. Which is what I was at the conclusion of this story.

And the delicious way that TJ ended the book, with that lovely worm out there just waiting to be captured by the gigantic beautiful fish of another story was more than enough to make this reader give this book a 5 out of 5 star rating.


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