Abbi Waxman’s most recent novel, Adult Assembly Required, features some of the same characters seen in her earlier book The Bookish Life of Nina Hill. You do not need to read any of Waxman’s previous books before you read this one (but I am pretty sure that you will not regret reading The Bookish Life of Nina Hill if you haven’t already). In Adult Assembly Required, we meet Laura Costello, who is having an awful day.
Laura has recently moved to Los Angeles and is about to start her graduate degree in physical therapy. She leaves her family and an ex-fiance behind, ready to begin a new stage in her life, one that includes some distance from her family with whom she has fit in. Laura is sporty and active, and her scientist/educator parents and brothers have never understood or respected Laura’s differences. Laura is also recovering from a serious car accident, and she is finding that the emotional trauma from that accident has been more difficult to overcome than the physical injuries. When we meet Laura, she has stumbled into the bookstore owned by Nina Hill, crying and soaking from an unexpected rainfall. Laura meets Polly, a bookstore employee, and explains that her newly-leased apartment has burned down, leaving her homeless in a new town where she doesn’t know anyone. Polly persuades her to move into the boarding house where she rents a room, and Laura’s life is suddenly on a brighter path.
Laura is welcomed by the landlady and both human and pet residents of the boarding house, which she finds a little overwhelming at first. Their support and friendship allow Laura to feel more comfortable opening up to them, and willing to branch out to try new things. My favorite thing about this book is Laura’s new friendships. Laura’s housemates are all quirky in their own way, and offer quiet support and patience as Laura navigates her new city as well as her healing. Laura’s friendships with the employees at Nina Hill’s bookstore are also a joy to read, as they draw her into new experiences.
This book is sweet, charming, and engaging. Multiple third person point-of-view allows the reader to see into each of the characters, including the dogs and cat. If parts of the book are a little predictable, it does not take away from the story. I appreciate that the characters each have their own idiosyncrasies and embrace them, without those eccentricities defining their entire personalities. If you liked The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, you will definitely enjoy this book. And if you haven’t read it, read this one anyway!