Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
I loved the premise of Ivan, Boris and Me by Suze Leonie. The story revolves around twenty-five-year-old artist/children's book illustrator Elodie Ginsburg and her clown Boris, who has been her closest companion ever since she was four years old. Elodie lives with Boris, who creates much chaos in her life, in the house she inherited from her late grandmother. She is not particularly close to her family, who don't approve of her career choices. When she strikes up a friendship with her new neighbor Ivan Lennard, a former professional cyclist who is also dealing with his own life problems, she notices Boris behaving even more erratically than usual. As the narrative progresses we follow Elodie as she navigates her budding friendship with her new neighbor, her strained relationship with her family especially her mother who is critical of everything Elodie does and the shift in her her dynamic with Boris.
The novel touches upon themes of loneliness, emotional abuse, social anxiety, individual coping mechanisms, kindness, compassion and personal growth. The author poignantly portrays the deep impact of emotional abuse on a person’s sense of self-worth. The characters are well thought out and the narrative flows well. I loved the descriptions of Elodie’s artwork. Boris’s antics and the interactions between Boris and Elodie were hilarious. Elodie is an endearing protagonist - kind and thoughtful despite her inner struggles - and I was invested in her journey and was glad to see her evolve into a more confident individual.
This is a well-written, imaginative and emotionally impactful story with endearing main characters and much to reflect upon. The ending felt a tad rushed and I would have liked it if the author had delved deeper into some of the important issues that were addressed in the novel. My heart ached for Elodie and I could sympathize with her plight, but there were some issues that I found hard to ignore, such as how clueless everyone around her was to her situation, which seemed unrealistic. I did like how Ivan and Elodie’s dynamic evolved through the course of this novel, but I was left with a lot of unanswered questions and felt that the ending was abrupt, though I did appreciate that the author ended the story on a positive note.
I do not want to venture into spoiler territory, but I think you would enjoy this more if you could take the story lightly, which was not possible for me on account of the sensitive themes.
I loved the cover art!
Many thanks to Fidessa Literary for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
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