Thank you to the author, @BookSparks and @HarperMuseBooks for the #gifted ARC (+ goodies!). Additional thanks to Harper Muse and @LibroFM for the #free ALC. All opinions are my own.

Always a fan of stories about books or set in bookstores, I jumped at the opportunity to review Word Salad, which was described as "a love letter to bookstores and the people who work in them" and promised screwball-style humor.  

While Matilda excels at coordination and order, the snippet of her life we see during Word Salad was anything but coordinated and ordered. She is handed chaos at every turn. I enjoyed how she discovered ways to embrace the chaos throughout the book and felt hopeful for her future at the conclusion, even though she often felt like a very passive character. I found her grapheme-color synesthesia to be fascinating, but don't necessarily feel it added to the plot as much as it could have.

The climactic scene was certainly akin to an episode of "I Love Lucy", although I found it slightly out of place, even in the midst of the other chaos and complexities that occurred.  

This book is written in three parts, the third of which is the shortest. I think I would've enjoyed Matilda's story quite a bit more if it had begun later in part one and continued further into part three. 

I did enjoy Helen Laser 's narration and felt like her vocals added to the story and fit well with the mental picture I had of Matilda. 

Word Salad may not have been my favorite read, but it might be for you if you like stories of characters who feel they are always on the outside looking in and enjoy a comedy of rediculousness. 

🗨️ What's your favorite setting for a book? (e.g. bookstores, fantasy kingdoms, small towns, etc)