Hey everyone! I am yet again with a new book review. Hope you'll find it interesting after reading this review.

 I'd absolutely no idea about the premise of this book when I began reading it. I wanted to dive into the story without any context, to see how I'd perceive it, not having a single preconceived notion to guide me through. And I must confess -I intend to make it a regular practice now onwards - it was crazy fun!

Jolie & Robert have recently moved to a countryside not very far from London, with their young son Lanny. Lanny is like no other kid his age. His imagination runs wild & everywhere, compelling him to keenly observe this magical mystery of a world he lives in, making him a strange yet endearing hoarder of curiosities. But people, terribly judgemental as they can oftentimes get, find him rather weird. He keeps lurking around nature and breaks into sing-song randomly, behaving in eccentric ways that inevitably become a hot subject for everyday gossip.

Soon, his parents enroll him in art lessons with Mad Pete, a once-famous & aging artist, in whom Lanny later discovers a friend he didn't know he needed. But not all is well with this English village, for it is also home to Dead Papa Toothworth, a monstrous spirit of sorts who keeps moving around the town, eavesdropping its residents with unclear intentions. And then one evening, Lanny disappears.

To be precise & awfully cliche about my feelings - I loved this book. Seriously a lot. Max's writing style is nothing like anything I've read before, so fresh and experimental in its approach. He completely shuns the single person narrative & gives each character a perspective of their own, so even in shifting conversations, you come to know exactly what one is thinking. This must sound ridiculously vague, I know, but you'll have to read the book to get an idea.

I also thought that it was immensely gripping & fast-paced, with elements of magical realism & a strong sense of urgent suspense, keeping the book entertaining throughout. I just wish the story was more atmospheric in terms of the setting and world-building. But I'm not complaining at all.

The best part is - Lanny was longlisted for the 2019 Man Booker prize.

I hope you'll give it a read after reading this review and if someone already read it then give your thoughts in the comments. Have a good day!