This is a retelling of an Irish fairytale, which certainly makes it more interesting and more understandable but doesn't make it any more joyful or the characters any more likable. Readers who pick it up expecting a typical Regency romance may find it off-putting. Those interested in the fairytale beginnings may find that it loses its way and lacks magic. (A sequel, "A Fairy Palace" is a better, more enjoyable read; London's Haberdashers series is even better yet.)

I found the hoopla to be a bit overwrought (as I often do). It's a very typical Rob Bell book ― at times frustrating, inspiring, moving, unexpected, annoying, funny, etc. And very "light." It's not a heavily footnoted book of doctrine. Even the printed page seems full of white space ― large font, stacked phrases instead of tight paragraphs, etc.

His writing doesn't always appeal to me. I almost always prefer the written word to the spoken (the transcript to the live event, the blog post to the video interview) but in Bell's case, I find his speaking to be much more compelling than his writing. For example, it's a fast read, but it took a concerted effort for me to get through the litany of "and this leads to the question" questions in the first chapter. After that, though, I found myself reconciling to the writing style a bit more and actually liking the book.

But not exactly because of the theology. He raises some interesting points, but I think he plays more than a bit loose with what he doesn't include and how he handles what he does include (yes, I'm questioning his hermeneutics and exegesis). There *seems* to be a nice sampling of supportive scripture included, but genre, intent, and context are often missing. And a few short quotes from Augustine, Martin Luther, etc., aren't enough to convince me that Bell's thoughts align with theirs. I'm pretty sure even a slightly more thorough reading of Luther, for example, would take him off a list of "Historic Rob Bell Allies." Bell's views on the role of Jesus in redemption/reconciliation are truly interesting. But foggy. I did really like his discussion of heaven, however. And, oddly, one of the most controversial parts ― his treatment of "hell" ― seemed to me to be the one he handled most fairly. Still, it wasn't the theology surrounding heaven and hell that drew me in but the fact that he's right ― these are questions that people are asking and have been asking for ages and ages and it is important for us to grapple with them in a charitable, non-dogmatic way. Clichéd, perhaps, but true: God isn't threatened by our questions.

To answer the hoopla, no, I wouldn't exactly consider Bell to be a universalist. I do think that he'd fit nicely in the tradition of Liberal Protestantism, and that many will find his theology here "bunk." I'd still recommend reading it, however ― because I think he does a masterful job of reminding us that the gospel is more than we usually grasp, better than we can account for, and never as neatly in the box as we think it is.

For further (or "instead of" reading), I'd recommend [b:Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church|2319645|Surprised by Hope Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church|N.T. Wright|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347624226l/2319645._SX50_.jpg|2326165] by N.T. Wright, [b:The Problem of Pain|26435|The Problem of Pain|C.S. Lewis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328546308l/26435._SY75_.jpg|2976220] by C.S. Lewis, and [b:The Great Divorce|17267|The Great Divorce|C.S. Lewis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1166805741l/17267._SY75_.jpg|1215780] (fiction, also by Lewis) as a good start.

A momcentric rom-com that — despite some cringey makeover scenes and banter — was both affirming and enjoyable. More enjoyable than believable, perhaps, but it's easy to set aside my disbelief when there are so many bookish delights sprinkled throughout to distract me. This is essentially a story about a school librarian who goes to a conference in New York and gets her groove back. (Yes, there's a sexy librarian guy involved.) But it's also a story of strong women, dedicated friends, motherhood, family, parenting, divorce, co-parenting, midlife dating, self care, and more. ⁣And I don't know many moms who would be disappointed if "momspringa" became a thing.

I'm not going to rate this because this book isn't for me. I am an old — high school drama exhausts me. (By that standard, I've always been an old; H.S. drama always exhausted me.) Also, I haven't read "Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda" yet, so it took me 10 chapters before I could keep these characters straight, and I still don't feel like I have a strong grasp on their personalities (or why any of them are friends). So I didn't love "Leah on the Offbeat." I think I wanted more humor to help carry me through, and I didn't find Leah to be as hilarious as some readers did. It's solidly written, captures that banter vibe of a H.S. friend group, represents diverse nerds well, addresses some minority issues and stereotypes in ways that feel authentic to the characters and setting, nails the senior prom drama, and gives us a strong bi woman main character who is apparently a kick-ass drummer and artist with superior snark who rocks her plus-size body and resting bitch face. So there are definitely parts of it that I loved. And that cover —

The illustrations by author artist designer Katie Vaz make me so happy. What I love most about this book, however, is the combination of practically plausible alibis and totally ridiculous escape plans. It's the sort of book I'd put out on the coffee table and laugh over with friends. Except I wouldn't want to give away all my new exit strategies.

Well, I liked the prologue.