Review of Airy Nothing

[Ekezie1998]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Airy Nothing" by Clarissa Pattern.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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John Flaxen decides to run away from his rural English home and abusive father after his mother and sister are killed by a plague. His father’s hate is due to John’s feminine looks, behavior, and preference for female clothes. When John has had enough, he decides to head to London, the supposed land of dreams, in order to get a better life and ‘find the Faerie Queene.’
 
Airy nothing by Clarissa Pattern is a coming-of-age book that explores the story of a young boy who struggles with his identity and is so lonely in the world that he creates imaginary fairytale creatures as companions. Once he arrives in London with help from his Hobgoblin, he realizes that the city is not what he imagined, it was just a place where most had to steal to survive, and criminals were executed in public without mercy. How does an effeminate boy survive the harsh struggles of medieval London? Find out in this amazing piece.
 
There were a lot of positive aspects to this book. I was unable to find a lot of errors, which is proof that the book was professionally edited. The book is set in 16th Century England, and the setting is clear from the author’s use of detailed descriptions and expressions. The book centers a lot on the themes of human struggles and self-development. John starts out as a naive figure, and everyone is willing to take advantage of his innocence.

But subsequently, he experiences a lot of hardships and decides to find a way to continue doing what he loves by joining the Globe Theatre to act. Thus, John proves his character is special, not just because of his dainty looks but his ability to see the good in others. His burden and loss go a long way to shape his character into a more mature version. I consider these themes vital because they contain lessons that are necessary for everyone to learn.
 
One of my favorite parts of this book is the way both main characters were able to build such a beautiful connection from nothing despite their huge character differences. The book might initially seem like a romance novel at first glance, but further reading will prove that it entails much more than that. In fact, it draws focus away from any chemistry between Jack and John but centers on the mental evolution they both undergo. The plot is well written, with a lot of drama and suspense-filled scenes.
 
I only found one minor negative aspect from reading this book. The grammar and vocabulary are very complicated, and this means that not all readers would be able to understand the author’s message quickly. As a result of these reasons listed above, I rate this book four out of four stars. I recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction and young readers interested in coming of age and slow-burn LGBTQ books.
 

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Airy Nothing
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[Hania Gowaily]

Great review! As a fan of historical books, you gave me a great overview of the book that I find myself wanting to give it a read.

[abstactlemon]

Struggling with identity is something a lot of people deal with. This sounds like an amazing read and any positive addition to the LGBTQ community is always welcome.

[juma david]

This story defines the aspect of LGBTQ in the society and really illustrates that " no one's disability is inability".As the book simply shows that John was hated by his own Dad due to his feminine look and behaviour and the love of feminine clothes but John had a dream to achieve since he knew his purpose and that's why he moved from home and went to London in search of greater pastures and opportunity as the book says"Land of dreams".

[juma david]

This book really teaches us about accepting people with disabilities and treat them like humans since they have a purpose and let's appreciate them not hate them.