Title: Albatross
Author: Terry Fallis
Year of Publication: 2019
Genre: Contemporary/Humour/CanLit
Number of Pages: 388
Summary: From Goodreads: “Adam Coryell is your average high-school student–well, except for that obsession with fountain pens–when his life changes forever. Based on a study by a quirky Swedish professor that claims that every human being, regardless of athletic inclination, has a body that is suited to excel in at least one sport, it turns out that Adam is good–very good, in fact–at golf. Even though he’d never even picked up a golf club.
Almost instantly, and with his coach, hard-nosed Bobbie Davenport by his side, Adam and his new-found talent skyrocket to a prodigy-level stardom that includes tournament titles, sponsorship deals, throngs of fans following his every move, and fodder for tabloids.
But here’s the catch: Adam doesn’t really like golf. And as the life he once knew slips away–including the love of his life, the dream of being a writer, and everyday normalcy–he can’t help but wonder if all this success and fame is worth it . . . or if it’s enough for him.”
Review: Terry Fallis is one of my favourite authors, and anytime he releases something new, I know that it’s going to be an absolute treat to read. One of the things that I love about Terry Fallis is that all his plots contain some sort of quirky premise, and Albatross did not disappoint in this area. Albatross follows Adam Coryell, an average guy whose body is perfectly proportioned to be a natural golfing machine. Despite his immediate success as a golfer, Adam isn’t happy, and he’s torn between doing what’s easy and working hard to follow his dreams.
For me, the best part of this book was Bobbie Davenport. Bobbie starts as Adam’s gym and creative writing teacher, and she’s the one who discovers Adam’s hidden talent. She becomes his golf coach and one of his best friends, supporting him throughout his crazy career. Bobbie is smart, talented, and driven. She has a love and respect for the game and a deep love for literature. She’s also able to give Adam a push in the direction he needs to go in. I liked reading Bobbie’s anecdotes, and she is definitely what made this book stand out for me.
One of the other things that I liked about this book is the romantic subplot. Even though it was predictable, I enjoyed reading about Adam and Alli’s relationship through the years. It had its mega cliché moments, but mega cliché is the kind of stuff I live for. I also liked that the romantic subplot was neatly woven into the story, instead of being the focus.
Another thing that I want to discuss is the main question that this book asks the reader, do you take the easy route to fame and fortune, or do you work hard and follow your dreams? Adam struggles with this question throughout the book, he could become one of the wealthiest professional athletes in the world, but he wants to be a writer. Even though there’s no guarantee that he’ll find any success as a writer, he continues to work hard every day to perfect his craft, and I feel like this love for writing makes this the perfect book for writers to read.
Finally, I enjoyed how this book was written. I like how it was divided up into three sections that divide up Adam’s life. I liked that the characters feel like real people that you’re able to empathize with. I liked the descriptions of fountain pens, the writing process, and the Canadian wilderness. I loved Adam’s wit and sense of humour and I loved how this book made me laugh-out-loud at times.
Overall, this was an enjoyable book, and I highly recommend it because it might give people the push they need to go out and try to follow their dreams.
Favourite Quote: “But consider the sense of satisfaction earned by working so hard to yield a jewel of a story that is as good as you can possibly make it. Imagine how it feels to get so deeply inside the prose as you polish it, knowing that you’re making it better and better. That, to me, is the joy in writing.”
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars!