Isaac And The Egg By Bobby Palmer | Book Review
Spoilers ahead!
Content warning: thoughts of suicide, grief and mentions of death.
Synopsis:
‘ When Isaac Addy walks into the woods on the worst day of his life and finds something extraordinary there, he already knows he’s going to take it home.
A grieving Isaac and his curious new friend are unlikely companions. They don’t even speak the same language. But their chance encounter will transform Isaac’s life in ways he cannot yet imagine. ‘
Review:
This book begins with Isaac standing on a bridge debating whether to jump or not, he lets out a scream and suddenly he hears a scream coming from the forest beside the bridge. He decides to investigate what this sound could be and discovers a large egg abandoned by a tree. Something in Isaac tells him he should take this egg home with him and so that’s what he does. Not long after, the egg hatches and out comes a rather odd-looking creature that looks like an egg but fluffier that cannot speak English. Isaac, who is grieving the loss of his wife and experiencing some blackouts, decides to look after this creature until he can figure out how to get it home.
Let’s go back a little… Isaac is currently in a severe state of depression. He hasn’t cleaned his home in a long time, he hasn’t taken care of himself, and he has reached rock bottom. Isaac doesn’t see a reason to continue anymore until he meets this creature, Egg (what a creative name, eh?), who needs to be looked after. They find a way to communicate and together they fall into a routine while Isaac does all he can to assist this creature. They become friends, roommates and Egg becomes exactly what Isaac needs to begin sorting through his life and finding a way to continue going forward.
The mental health representation in this novel was incredible to read. Seeing what Isaac was going through and following along with his grieving process was heart-wrenching. Seeing how Egg played into the story and how Isaac progressively tore himself away from rock bottom was inspiring. I love that this novel felt realistic and didn’t just cure all of Isaac’s problems by the end.
Although this novel is extremely emotional and touches on some deep subjects, we also get some humour. We occasionally get a POV from this egg-like creature which is hilarious, and their friendship dynamic is extremely enjoyable to read. I was chuckling and wiping my eyes throughout. This is a relatively short novel, but it packs one hell of a punch. I was thoroughly engaged throughout, and I cannot wait to see what else Bobby Palmer creates after this incredible debut.
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