My Inflatable Friend: The Confessions of Rollo Hemphill

Magdalena Ball (Compulsive Reader) says: Let me be honest here. This is not a genre I'd normally read. I had to be dragged, kicking and screaming (very quietly) to it. But that said, there are times when you really don't want to work too hard: a hard day in the office, screaming kids, nothing on the tellie, and only cold water in the tap. Everett Jones take me away. My Inflatable Friend is well written and funny, with Rollo's first person confessional narrative making the reader a willing ally in the story. Rollo makes for an effective protagonist, between his self-deprecation, and his extensive vocabulary, which combines to form an almost comic effect. The book is pitched to a male audience in the main, and makes no apologies for that -- there's plenty of wish fulfillment, skirt chasing, and a definite male perspective. But the book isn't dumb either. The language is rich, the plot fast paced, and satisfying, and Rollo is a well rounded character that won't jar a feminist.