The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Slow and deliberate, The Inexplicable Logic of My Life chronicles in-depth the lives of a family, both biological and adopted. It’s not always happy, but it is realistic and the bittersweet undertone gives the book it’s strength.

I have a memory that is almost like a dream: yellow leaves from Mima’s mulberry tree are floating from the sky like giant snowflakes.

We already know that Benjamin Alire Sáenz writes beautifully (see Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe), but this is further proof He has written an engaging, seemingly effortless book which relies entirely on the characters and their relationships as they question the meaning of life.  The characters are unique, diverse and human. Well yes, obviously they are human! but I mean they have flaws, are irritating (Samantha’s nickname for Sal) but are still endearing and together form a book that should be on everyone’s bookshelf. My favourite character? Sal’s father, Vicente – he gives weight to the story, anchoring it away from continual angst.

I had something in me that scared me.

And the cover is stunning – another reason why it should be on your bookshelf.

I didn’t understand the logic of this thing called living. Maybe I wasn’t supposed to.

So why just four stars? Book ratings are complicated and I always rely on a gut feel. I loved this book, but it was slow and at times I found myself checking to see how many pages to the end (never easy to estimate on ebook).

It was all so strange, almost if we’d been walking along in one direction and all of a sudden we were going in another and we were suddenly on an unfamiliar road, finding our way through the dark, and we didn’t know where we were going anymore. 

In essence, The Inexplicable Logic of My Life is more than a story – it’s a slice of life.

. . . on that day she was wearing dignity. So much more beautiful than pearls.

Title: The Inexplicable Logic of My Life 

Author: Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Publication Date: 7 March 2017
Publisher: Clarion Books
Source: Review copy

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Sal used to know his place with his adoptive gay father, their loving Mexican-American family, and his best friend, Samantha. But it’s senior year, and suddenly Sal is throwing punches, questioning everything, and realizing he no longer knows himself. If Sal’s not who he thought he was, who is he?  — Abstract from Goodreads.com

The fact that I received a free advanced copy of this book does not influence my policy to write an honest review.

Disclaimer: The quotes appear in my advanced review copy and may not appear in the final version.