The Reading Bud

Book Details:

Author: Suze Leonie
Release Date: May 1, 2024
Series:
Genre: Literary Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Comedy-Drama
Format: E-book 
Pages: 219 pages
Publisher: Fidessa Literary
Blurb:
Illustrator Elodie Ginsburg and her spendthrift best friend, Boris, are inseparable. Taking care of an audacious yellow-haired clown in a red-and-white-striped onesie and oversized black shoes can be a challenge. However, Boris means the world to Elodie. He is a handful, but he’s her handful. Their symbiosis is disrupted when Ivan Lennard, a former professional cyclist with a closely guarded secret, moves into the house next door and becomes a regular occurrence in their lives. Each encounter is a catalyst for Boris to spiral more out of control and increase his outrageous demands, until Elodie finds herself at a crossroads and has to make the most difficult decision she’s ever made.

“A stylish parable about the disconnect between inner and outer worlds.”
— Kirkus Reviews

Review

Suze Leonie’s Ivan, Boris and Me is a whimsical, whip-smart, and refreshingly unconventional story that’s as colorful as its cover suggests. It’s a delicious blend of chaotic friendship, identity crises, and the beautiful messiness of adulthood. This book thrives on character over plot — and what unforgettable characters they are!

The story’s narrator is neurotic, sincere, and effortlessly funny, making her way through life with two eccentric friends, Ivan and Boris — who are not just foils, but deep reflections of her fractured sense of self. The novel feels like an extended existential stand-up routine, complete with emotional gut-punches when you least expect them. It reminded me of the raw vulnerability in modern literary fiction, but with the comic sharpness of a Wes Anderson screenplay.

What works incredibly well is author Leonie’s voice — self-aware and brutally honest — capturing the absurdity of daily life and the unraveling of one’s sense of purpose. There’s a certain European charm and melancholy in the backdrop, and the prose carries a lyrical cadence even when it’s describing the mundane.

If I were to nitpick, the pacing occasionally falters in the middle, where introspection teeters on indulgence. But honestly? That’s a small price to pay for a narrative so richly textured, funny, and authentic.

It’s an unclassifiable gem — part literary fiction, part comedy of errors, part psychological excavation. Highly recommended for readers who enjoy character-driven stories brimming with wit, self-discovery, and emotional nuance.

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