I loved Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi. Her voice is so distinct! I feel like if I blindly started reading one of her books without knowing it was hers, I’d be able to tell.

It’s a little bit hard to describe the plot of Gingerbread. It’s about Harriet, her mother Margot, and her daughter Perdita, but mostly about Harriet. It’s about where she grew up - on an island that may or may not exist - and how she came to live in England, and the complicated relationship she has with the family of benefactors that brought her and her mother back from the maybe not real country. Oh, and of course it involves some gingerbread that some people can’t get enough of, especially Harriet’s mysterious childhood friend Gretel.

Oyeyemi mixes the plausible and the unbelievable in a way where you just have to suspend your disbelief and stop trying to make sense of everything as you read her books. This book has talking dolls, runaway houses, and seemingly impossible journeys. At the same time, her relatable characters ground the story in authenticity in a way that makes it feel completely real. I, personally, am a huge fan. Although at times the plot was a little bit confusing or hard to follow, and I found myself needing to reread sentences or sections, it still worked for me. Her prose is so whimsical and just delicious.

This book is strange, funny, and just so totally inventive. It’s not a book to be devoured - I recommend giving it your full attention and enough time to digest it. It’s absolutely worth it.