Rach's Reading Club

Flora and Ulysses tells the story of Flora, a self-confirmed teenage cynic whose love for comic books -- specifically, The Illuminated Adventures of the Amazing Incandesto! -- sees her through life's many disappointments and tragedies; and Ulysses, a lighthearted squirrel who is given new life and new purpose after he is sucked up by a vacuum cleaner. From that moment on, he flies, lifts heavy objects, writes poetry, vanquishes foes, and brings joy and hope to the cynical girl who saved his life.

Flora and Ulysses is an easy-breezy, lighthearted read. While it is written in the format of a novel, the book contains several illustrated pictures and comic panels. These illustrations, by K.G. Campbell, bring some adventurous and comedic visual elements to the book, livening up the story like sprinkles on a giant donut. They suit the story perfectly and are one example of some very smart experimental choices I would like to see done well in other books. The chapter titles, also, are fun and are consistent with the book’s narrative tone. It is a self-described tragicomedy whose tragic elements come from Flora’s cynical outlook on life and the subtle hopefulness that contrasts it, and whose comedic elements are derived from exaggerated personal quirks (my favorites being from Flora and her temporarily blind friend William Spiver), Flora’s narration, and the happy optimism of Ulysses contrasting the determined cynicism of Flora.

As with my previous review for The Tale of Despereaux, I enjoyed Kate DiCamillo’s writing style and word choice. Being told from third-person limited perspective, Flora and Ulysses is narrated more directly and specifically than Despereaux’s story but maintains the straightforward diction that I am coming to associate with Kate DiCamillo’s writing. The only complaint I have is that the ending felt contrived and disappointingly facile, especially in light of the emotional complexities that the book had, up to that point, been examining.

Flora and Ulysses is a very nice read that I enjoyed from start to finish. As someone who actively seeks out stories written about or otherwise involving animals, I found this story fun and satisfying. My favorite character, easily, is Ulysses, and the chapters where we get to see the world from his perspective were the most satisfying of all. His bright, happy, simple love for Flora and the world he became aware of brings to the story such a sweetness that is hard to find in many other comedies and superhero tales.