The Book of Form and Emptiness

The Book of Form and Emptiness is for the true book lovers. As David Mitchell says, "If you've lost your way with fiction over the last year or two, let The Book of Form and Emptiness light your way home." Here we have a coming-of-age tale for mother and son. Benny Oh and Annabelle are grappling, each in their own way, with the death of Kenji, Benny's musician father and the love of Annabelle's life. Benny starts to hear voices, and Annabelle slips into the rabbit hole of hoarding. Benny seeks refuge from the chaos of his world in the public library, the one he loved as a boy. Here he meets his tribe, an orphaned street artist with a pet ferret who he falls in love with (they also cross paths in the mental hospital), and a homeless poet and philosopher who helps him reframe the voices in his head and question whether they might be here to help him instead of harm. Between the pages, Ozeki works her signature magic by giving us incredibly drawn characters, a playful, witty, and imaginatively drawn plot, as well as more heart than you can shake a stick at.