This book is a contemporary comedic drama, putting it squarely in the genre of books I never really read. Nothing against the gentler contemporary reads out there, it just isn’t a story that holds my attention all too well, and unfortunately it held true for this book. But before I go any farther, I was the very small minority at the book club to this extent and most people rated it 8, so take my review here with a grain of salt.

The Guncle follows Patrick O’Hara who ends up looking after his young niece and nephew after their mother dies of cancer, so their father can address his drug addiction. Previously made famous from a stint on a popular friends-style sitcom, Patrick has since moved to Palm Springs and become a bit of a recluse. But with two young children now in his life, he starts to address some of the pain from his past and they all heal together.

I was the only one from my book club who listened to the audiobook, and I think that played a big part of why this book didn’t land. Patrick is intentionally written to be quite annoying at the start of the book, and to hear it out loud made me almost DNF. While he does improve by the end of the book, it just wasn’t enough for me. I found nearly every adult character in the book insufferable if not straight-up mean, the exception being Patrick’s neighbours, a gay throuple, all of whom I really liked and wished had been around more.

Discussing the book allowed me to see that there are actually a lot of very sweet moments between Patrick and the kids, Patrick and the neighbours, and Patrick and his family, that I actually really liked. The book is very sweet, and deals with topics like grief, trauma, and family. And like I said, most people really liked it. It just didn’t land with me. But if this sounds up your alley, check it out!