Corey Fah Does Social Mobility by Isabel Waidner

Library Officer Helen Bailey reviews Corey Fah Does Social Mobility by Isabel Waidner. 

"This is a surprising, inventive, extremely readable and very funny book. If you had to give it a genre, you would probably say modern, speculative fiction. Everything is slightly hyper – you could imagine that the action takes place just slightly in the future.

Taking cues from Disney's Bambi, the author redraws familiar cartoon characters with different outlines (extra legs, strange receding insect-like mouthparts) and puts them through a roller-coaster mash-up ride of reality TV, time travel, holes in space, teleporting literature prizes with a mind of their own, and the main character's overriding detesting of neon beige.

Their adapted language sails skillfully close to an imagining of Eastern Europe and dips in and out of time with enjoyable ease. Because of that, it's all totally believable and, sometimes, shocking. Waidner's prose is lively and light, and their characters manage to remain endearing even when carrying out unendearing acts. We are never invited to pass judgment, and the whole book is a joyous journey of inclusion.

Highly recommended to read good chunks at a time, Waidner's world will welcome you".