Book Review - The Noticer by Andy Andrews

The Noticer starts with Andy living under a boardwalk in coastal Florida. He hates his life, feels completely abandoned by his parents’ recent deaths, and is doing all he can do to keep himself fed and reasonably sane.

One evening, his solitude is disturbed by a stranger … a stranger who knows his name and knows that his parents have died. Andy is a little disturbed that this stranger knows all these things about him – how? The stranger describes himself as “a noticer,” he notices details that a lot of people overlook. He helps Andy, among others, to change their perspective in life for the better. This book, more than being about Andy’s change, is about the impact of one’s perspective on one’s life, relationships, and overall happiness.

 

As I read this book, I enjoyed the ways that Andy Andrews incorporated wisdom that he’s gleaned over his life into this fiction work. At times, it reads almost like a real-life study … especially since the protagonist shares the author’s first name.

 

Andrews writes characters and ideas that are easy to relate to: an adult left on his own after his parents’ deaths, a married couple at the end of their rope, teenagers wondering about marriage, a man trying to provide his ideal of living for his family …

There are some parallels between Andrews’ writing and some other books that I’ve read in the past. One chapter draws on the ideas from Gary Chapman’s The Five Love Languages. There are also some similarities in tone to Mitch Ablom’s books, which I have also enjoyed.

 

This is a good allegorical work with some very important life lessons. It’s also a refreshing and enjoyable read. I would definitely recommend it. 

I was able to review this as a member of the Thomas Nelson Book Review group:  http://brb.thomasnelson.com/