Matt Haig has a remarkable ability to take fantastical premises and fill them with warmth and humanity. His vampire novel, The Radleys, became a touching family portrait and his alien novel, The Humans, became a beautiful exploration on the difficulty of fitting in. Now, with How to Stop Time, he turns his touch to immortality – or rather, near-immortality. Tom Hazard has anageria, a rare condition that has him looking just 40 years old, despite being born in 1851. He keeps his condition a secret and works as a history teacher, always maintaining his one rule to keep his long lifespan bareable – that rule being “don’t fall in love”. As you might expect, that rule becomes difficult to maintain. How To Stop Time is a charming and empathetic book, a perfect crossover between literary fiction and fantasy, and a must for fans of either.
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