By Kelsey Norden
“Eyeballs Growing All Over Me … Again” is the third short story compilation from author Tony Rauch for young adults. The book contains 23 stories full of action, adventure and fantasy that are funny, charming and fantastic.
The imagination behind these individual plots is endless, with each story almost as far-fetched as the last. One story will be about a girl so sick that her head must be replaced by that of a goat, while another is about a boy visited by aliens that take him to rock concerts of the past. The reader will find tales of strange secrets, odd events and amazing surprises all wrapped up in this one book.
Despite the odd circumstances each story leads to, they all manage to stay rooted in everyday life so that their events seem completely plausible. In the first story, for instance, a man comes home from work to be greeted by a nasty, smelly monster in his living room. When he asks his wife what happened, she just shrugs and said the thing wandered in, as if it were completely normal.
In addition, some stories attempt to teach the reader a lesson. A man who feels like he has wasted his life one day suddenly finds himself hunted by a giant chicken. He eventually gets sick of running and gathers the courage to fight back, learning a lesson about himself in the process. The chicken becomes a metaphor for solving your problems.
The book is not necessarily one that can keep the reader invested from cover to cover. Upon finishing one story you’ll feel fulfilled enough to set it down and do something else. The stories vary in length, from less than a page to ten or twelve. The longer ones can leave a reader spent and ready to move on with their day.
Rauch’s book is a delight to read. Each story has its own way of connecting back to the reader, giving you an extra level of understanding beyond the plot’s detail. It’s almost as if you are the main character going on a series of wild adventures.
“Eyeballs” is a fantastic book, great for reading on breaks from work or school. If you are looking for something to let your imagination loose, this is the perfect book for it.
