The book is a unique take on the fantasy genre and is an interesting take on children's' understanding of emotions and social constructs.

That being said, the concepts never really gel and the reader is forced to reconcile several plot holes and narrative jumps. The use of sushi as an anchor doesn't quite make as much sense as was perhaps intended.

Not a bad read and a strong effort with encouraging possibilities but the execution was not there.

I got this book on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

When I was about 11 or 12 years old, I discovered a wonderful story called The Number Devil that found a really funny and playful way to explain some complicated and weird Mathematic problems. It was what made me fall in love with numbers and maths and it's one of the reasons I now work at a financial department. So, when I discovered that this book was all about Quantum Mechanics and Morals, slightly inspired by Alice in Wonderland, one of my favourite classics, I was sold.

But maybe my expectations, because of the comparison with Alice in Wonderland and the Number Devil, were a little too high for this book. Because although this book was amusing and entertaining, I don't think it comes close to the atmosphere and brilliancy of those two books. And it's hard to explain why, but maybe it's simply because the book is trying a little too hard and maybe it's because it's trying to put too much in one book.

This book combines both morality and quantum mechanics. I really like the effort, because the result is a book that actually tries to build a bridge between science and religion. There are a lot of nods towards well known and famous stories from all Holy Books, in a world that follows the rules of Quantum Mechanics. But, although I'm a huge fan of the idea and although I really loved some elements of it, I don't think the execution actually worked.

The charm of Alice in Wonderland is that it's an adventure and that along the way we learn something about maths and logic, that's nice, but it doesn't stand out. This book keeps on reminding us that this is the world of Quantum Mechanics and then inserts long monologues and info-dumps, but it actually fails to really explain Quantum Mechanics. Most likely because it's something that can't really be explained. At the end of the book, I still feel like I don't know anything about Quantum Mechanics and understand even less of it.

The morality part of the book works a little better, especially because the Holy stories it's based on are very recognisable, but that part also feels as too much, as an overkill, as trying a little too hard. There are way too many characters and way too many different storylines following their own timelines and then all of a sudden connecting. And I'm not entirely sure how great the stories work if you don't know their origin stories.

So, it's a really amazing idea and the story is entertaining and yet I think the author tried to insert too many things in one book, resulting in an overwhelming world where not one element truly gets the attention and glory it deserves.

Travels with Sushi is an odd book. It is a thinly veiled mash up of Bible stories, Pilgrim's Progress, World War 2 Jewish experiences, Lord of the Rings, and who knows how many other works. The book claims to relate a science lesson but everything is lost in the chaos of the many, many stories which ramble along through the book. I was hopeful that I would finish this book with a better knowledge of physics even if at a primary level but instead, I finished aggravated and astonished that this book had fallen so very short of its potential.