Book Review: Among Others by Jo Walton

Not long ago, I was looking for something to read. Everything I knew I wanted was not yet available from my library. I had lots of holds, but nothing to actually read. So I started combing lists of books from my friends and searching for random “what to read” posts. Somewhere in there, I came across Among Others by Jo Walton.

Among Others won the 2011 Nebula and the 2012 Hugo awards for best novel, so I almost certainly came across it in a best of SciFi/Fantasy list. And I can see how you could make an argument that Among Others is an urban fantasy. There are fantastical elements to the story – mostly fairies and the idea that magic can be real. And while the way the fairies are dealt with is one of the things that make this coming of age novel unique, I would still have a hard time honestly classifying it in the genre.

This is not a bad thing. This is a beautifully written book that defies genre. To me, the most defining thing about it, though, has nothing to do with fairies. In a sense, this is the most meta of novels, because its defining characteristic is that it is a love letter to reading.

That love letter is addressed specifically to the Science Fiction and Fantasy of the late 1970s, with the foundation of Tolkien. This love letter may begin Dear Heinlein, Zelazny, and Adams, but if you remember the power of getting lost in a new book, how words on paper could completely transform your life, your way of thinking and viewing the world, then this book will speak to you.

If you ever felt like an outsider and then one day found people who actually shared your interests, who shared your passion, and finally felt like you had found a home, then this book will speak to you.

I have friends who do not really read fantasy or science fiction. Some actively steer away from it. I would still recommend this book to them. Because while the fantastical elements are very well done, in the end, this is not a fantasy book. It is simply a book. A book about a girl who lost everything, and could only cope by losing herself in books, until she finally found herself again by finding others who loved books.