This is young adult literature masquerading as adult fiction. I found the narrator to be hypocritical in a way that I think was unintentional—I believe it was actually poor editing (there are other inconsistencies/errors in the book to drive this theory). I could have easily tolerated a quick read with an unreliable/irritating narrator and editing errors if not for the fact that this book often passes off memes and pop culture concepts as its own. For example, one of the lists says, “A party without cake is just a meeting.” The author did not write that, but made no attempt to note it. And in some instances, it acknowledges that a quote is a quote, but is too lazy to find the originator

You’ll either love the format of Matthew Dicks’s novel, Twenty-one Truths About Love, or it will drive you crazy. Personally, after labouring over two essays for uni last week while reading, a story written entirely in list format was light relief.

The story focuses on Dan – list-maker, bookstore owner, soon-to-be father. Dan needs to pull a rabbit out of the hat to save his failing business. Plus, there are things that are nagging him – his estranged relationship with his father, and the spectre of Peter, who was the first husband of Dan’s wife, Jill.

There will always be a part of Jill’s life that will remain a secret to me because you can only tell your second husband so much about your previous life with your dead husband.

Some elements of the book follow the Bridget Jones format – tracking finances, diet and so forth, which allows the reader to deduce Dan’s stress levels before delving into the detail.

Also like Bridget, Dan’s self-deprecating humour reveals his anxieties and fears. There are some gentle reflections on fatherhood, as well as an exploration of Dan’s feelings of abandonment and failure.

The action takes place in the background, and the thread of what has happened, or is about to happen, is revealed in the lists. Throughout, the lists provide a good balance between introspection and humour. For example, Dan lists the five problems with lying, including ‘Lies always cover up the worst parts of you’, and follows it with another list:

How liars with the best intentions are like the owners of every iteration of Jurassic Park

They never set out to hurt anyone.
They operate with enormous hubris.
Denial both perpetuates and intensifies the problem.
The situation inevitably gets worse and worse as time goes by.
The end is never pretty.

The humour carries the book, and it borders on slap-stick when it gets to Dan’s hare-brained scheme to secure some funds for his bookshop (a heist). I’ll forgive the silliness of the heist because some of the lists really made me laugh:

Dan’s 6 rules of Drinking Stories: … No one will ever care about your drinking stories as much as you do; If you have more than three excellent drinking stories from your entire life, you do not understand what constitutes an excellent drinking story.

Things that don’s make sense: People obsessed with the Hamilton soundtrack even though they’ve never seen the musical.

Reasons for fighting with Jill tonight:I proposed that no one be allowed to hold the baby until they admit that climate change is real.

Why parallel parking is bullshit: It’s a public performance; If you succeed, no one gives a damn.

Subjects that should be broached during the first three months of dating: Previous marriages; Bizarre love of Barry Manilow and Air Supply.

It’s probably a good time to mention that I am an excellent parallel-parker, and also that Barry Manilow and Air Supply are in my all-time favourites.

3.5/5 Good fun.

I received my copy of Twenty-one Truths About Love from the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I have since purchased a copy of this book so that I can read at my own pace. I'm really looking forward to reading more Matthew Dicks books

This was a cute idea and I really liked the premise. However, it did get a bit redundant after a while. This doesn't mean I didn't like the book, because the storyline was great and the author is witty.

This book was just not for me. Some readers have noted that the format was not to their liking, but I didn't mind the story unfolding in list format. I've read other books not told in traditional narrative prose, such as Bridget Jones's Diary told in journal entries and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen told in emails and inter-office memos, and enjoyed the newness of both of those. However, the content was a different story. While I love novels about bookstores and booksellers, there wasn't enough of that in this book to hold my interest, along side the lists of the less savory parts of Dan's life. In fact, I just didn't like the main character Dan enough to care about his lists. Not every book is for every reader, and I'm happy to read another of Matthew Dicks' books to see if they suit me better!

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-book of this novel.

This was such a cute, sweet, yet emotional book about a man who quits his job to open a book shop--which, hello, would be amazing! But it also causes him to reflect on his life and his love life and to question whether or not he is a good person. He also hasn't told his wife that the book shop is not doing well and will probably end up failing. Then his wife gets pregnant, and now he does not know how to tell her. I also really loved the way this book was written, in list form. I am a huge lover of making and following lists, so this appealed to my inner perfectionist.

Wait...this whole book is written in lists? Literally?
Yep, that was the first thought I had as I started this book.
I don’t know why I didn’t actually realize the extent of the list making in the book, based on the descriptions, but....I certainly didn’t expect it like this.
Shortly thereafter I thought, I hate this.
Then I thought, this might be brilliant.
And that’s pretty much how my thought process went through the rest of the whole book.

It actually was pretty impressive how the author was able to convey the plot and the in depth character development through a bunch of absurd lists written by the obsessive main character, Dan. (Even though I hate people/characters who talk in the third person!)

And seeing how Dan grew throughout the book of lists he wrote was quite endearing.

But I still don’t know if I hated the book or thought it was brilliant.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book:
A novel written as a series of lists? Seriously? I thought there was no way this was going to be readable, much less good,, but I have to admit I found it kind of enjoyable....kind of. The lists were easy enough to follow and it all made sense once I started reading. It's quick, somewhat funny, BUT....Dan, the main character, was not likable. He owns a bookstore that is losing money, his wife Jill is pregnant and has no idea about their financial situation, and he spends his time trying to come up with creative (read: illegal) ways to save the business. As I got further into the story, I found it harder to believe and the incessant lists became tiresome. I think more dialogue would have helped the narrative along.

This was a strange book. Told entirely in list form. Seriously, each chapter is a month and made up of several lists. I admit I skimmed a couple of the lists where he referred to lists other people wrote. I smiled at a few parts which is why the book got 3 stars instead of 2 but overall, I was underwhelmed and kind of annoyed it took him as long as it did to pull his head out of his ass.

I was very eager to read Twenty-one Truths About Love once I saw that it was a book comprised of lists. As a list writer myself, I can appreciate how a story can be told in this format. However, it didn't work well for me. While many of the lists were relatable, there was also just regurgitation of a what was researched. So did the character really just re-write what he had read about historical facts? Also, it wasn't very believable to think that the character really wrote down the dialogue of the person whom he was speaking with. I get that some of this context was necessary to tell the story and fill in gaps, but it was tough to get through.

The premise of the story and the story itself it heartwarming and honest. I appreciate Dan's struggles and desire to love and be loved. That was not lost by the way the book was written.

More charming than this is sad, there are moments of humour throughout, and characters that enter into Daniel’s life add some much needed, fatherly moments of advice that remind him that after all, what truly matters is love.

I really should not have picked this up to read. I love lists and my life survives on the to-do lists I make for work. But a whole book written in the form of lists is just plain irritating. Dan is not a character I could relate to…in fact I disliked him intensely. The one positive about this book is that it is a quick read. But other than that, I wouldn’t recommend it unless there is nothing else available for you to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

I loved this book so much I couldn't put it down. It was such a fun, fast-paced read. I love, love, LOVE that it was written entirely in lists. It was a really interesting way to play with structure. This book was quirky, hilarious and absolutely spoke to my inner anxious person.

I really liked this unconventional format, thought it made a bit difficult to figure out the plot at first. Daniel is deeply relatable in his quest to understand fatherhood and love. Life and relationships are rarely simple and it was really really nice to see that complication reflected in this story. Not earth-shattering, but worth reading. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ #netgalley

1. I love, love, love lists!
2. I love books, even more
3. I really liked Twenty-one Truths About Love


The creative "list" format was irritating and strange at times but I liked it! Matthew Dicks writes with a unique voice and style and I found the story genuinely entertaining! It was a change of pace from my usual read, a book I will always remember.

Unfortunately, I could not stay interested in this book. While the writing was humorous, the format became monotonous and failed to stay exciting from beginning to end. For those who struggle with long chapters, you would love the rapid pace of this novel. For me, I was looking for something in which I could stay engrossed. This wasn't it.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

The main character, Dan, is struggling to keep his bookstore afloat. The story unfolds as he writes lists. Oh so many lists. And he constantly lies to his partner, Jill, or hides things from her.

Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into this book. I didn’t connect with the characters, and the format threw me off. It promised to be humorous, but it wasn’t my particular sense of humor, so it really wasn’t for me.

I tried really hard to get into this book but the writing style/layout was just not for me! I had heard a lot of great things which is what made me pick this book up!

The first thing I noticed about Twenty-one Truths About Love is that it is laugh-out-loud funny, but I soon realized it's also incredibly unique and heartwarming.

This book is unlike any epistolary novel I've ever read because it is a series of lists, but these lists tell a story. The protagonist -- a married man in his 30s -- writes lists about everything from the serious to the seemingly mundane. Through his lists, you gather more and more about his life and his insecurities, bit by bit.

Dan is also the owner of a struggling bookstore. I think any book lover would appreciate the bookish lists, including lists of books to feature in the bookstore and lists of complaints from bookstore customers.

I thought the premise of this book was fascinating - a book that is written completely in list form. Unfortunately, the list concept wore thin for me and I had trouble following the plot. I got about halfway through and just couldn't finish it. DNF 3 stars.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.