Review Detail

'Phoebe Unfired' by Amalie Jahn is one of many novels by this writer that is definitely worth picking up. She knows how to write about hard-hitting topics that stir interest and empathy, along with ensuring that the focus of the piece is appropriately maintained.

This particular novel centers on the pandemic and how she is terrified of how she could become sick at any time. It doesn't help that her brother, Toby, who was born with underdeveloped lungs, got COVID – from her, no less. The guilt that she feels for this makes her focus all of her energies on avoiding any possible sources of contamination. She becomes a germophobe post-COVID, which is reminiscent of how Bill Murray's character was when viewers first meet him in the movie, 'What About Bob?' Just like he needed to find what worked for him, so does Phoebe need to find what works for her in coping with her fears.

Phoebe's friendship with Walter, the owner of the used bookstore where she works, is a bright spot in the book, as they understand each other and can talk about their shared anxieties and troubles. She also likes a subway busker, and she wants to get to know him and touch him, despite her germophobic tendencies and reclusive nature since all of these anxiety issues set in earlier in her life.

The book shows that anxiety is not something that has to hold you back, but rather something you can work through and learn to understand more fully. Her family helps to show that while they care for her, they also want to keep their son – Phoebe's brother – safe, and sometimes that takes compromises, much of the time on Phoebe's part. Life isn't always easy, just like family, or health issues, or anything else, but knowing people are there, to help cope with issues as they arise, is important and so true to life.

Amalie Jahn has instilled truthful, caring, empathetic characters into a book about what could easily be a highly divisive topic to many people. She does so with warmth and character growth all the while.