The Very Nice Box

by Laura Blackett and Eve Gleichman

Book Overview

"Laura Blackett and Eve Gleichman are linguistic magicians, and their sparkling debut manages to expose the hollowness of well-being jargon while exploring, with tender care and precision, how we dare to move on after unspeakable loss . . . [They have] constructed a mirrored fun house, one that leads us down different paths, each masterfully tied up at the end, yet reflecting and refracting our own quirky selves."
--New York Times Book...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0358540119
• ISBN13: 9780358540113
• Release Date: July 2021
• Publisher: Harper
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 5.8" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Life does not fit in a Very Nice Box

This book definitely is a satire of office life that critiques male entitlement and corporate culture. It is entertaining the way it makes fun of an Ikea type business with the names and what they build (Like SHRNK app, color tests, the name of the company even, S.T.A.D.A). It took a bit to get used to all the lingo but after the first couple chapters it was pretty easy and then I sped through this story. Ava is an engineer who designed and built the Very Nice Box and I think it represents very well what she is trying to make her life like, minimalist down to managing time by half hour "units" (which she learned during PT after the accident that upended her life). Life does not fit into a neat little box though (it is actually quite sprawling and messy and grand!) and so this is about Ava learning and growing and meeting Mat (her new boss and maybe something more?) who may or may not be suspicious. I really liked Ava and this book was a joy to read and I was very happy with the ending and everybody got what they deserved.