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Book Review of Hap and Hazard and the End of the World

Hap and Hazard and the End of the World
jonni avatar reviewed on + 2 more book reviews


An unnamed little girl is telling us things she believes are important in her life. She's living in Texas just after WWII with her mother, father, and two siblings she only calls âthe babiesâ until we learn their names much later in the book.

âLittle Girlâ is telling us stories about her parents, both sets of grandparents, and her childhood friends.

Father was badly injured in the war and is in constant pain. A day doesn't go by that he doesn't fly into a rage because of that pain. Mother tries to be peacekeeper.

The story is mostly vignettes about her grandparents' homes, her father's rage, her mother's emotional distance, and the milestones of growing up. Is Santa Claus a real person? Does the Easter Bunny exist? This naivete is central to âLittle Girl'sâ story and character because the loss of innocence and the pain of growing up is the main theme of this book.

There really isn't a plot to this story. It's mostly character driven but it does tell a story that can be both mundane and heartbreaking.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I received this book in exchange for a fair review.