TBR Pile Review: The Moose Paradox, by Antti Tuomainen, trs. David Hackston

Original title: Hirvikaava
Series: Rabbit Factor (#2)
This edition
Format: 300 pages, Hardcover
Published: October 27, 2022 by Orenda Books
ISBN: 9781914585340 (ISBN10: 1914585348)
Language: English

Blurb

Insurance mathematician Henri Koskinen has finally restored order both to his life and to YouMeFun, the adventure park he now owns, when a man from the past appears – and turns everything upside down again. More problems arise when the park’s equipment supplier is taken over by a shady trio, with confusing demands. Why won’t Toy of Finland Ltd sell the new Moose Chute to Henri when he needs it as the park’s main attraction?

Meanwhile, Henri’s relationship with artist Laura has reached breaking point, and, in order to survive this new chaotic world, he must push every calculation to its limits, before it’s too late…

Absurdly funny, heart-stoppingly poignant and full of nail-biting suspense, The Moose Paradox is the second instalment in the critically acclaimed, pitch-perfect Rabbit Factor Trilogy and things are messier than ever…

My Review

I bought this one last year and I’ve only just read it because I’m reading and reviewing the next book in the series next week. I needed to find out what happened between the end of The Rabbit Factor and the beginning of The Beaver Theory. I have the hardback and the audiobook, so I started reading the book and then listened to the audiobook while I was out yesterday and at home yesterday evening. I took the book to bed to finish the story last night. So technically I’m reviewing both the audiobook and the hardback.

Henri has finally got his life into something like order. Or he thinks he has. His brother, Juhani, returns and brings chaos with him. Crooks have taken over YouMeFun’s supplier, another crook wants to buy YouMeFun at a ridiculously low price, and Juhani wants money to pay off the crooks who financed his life while ‘dead’, and the adventure park back.

Meanwhile, Henri and Laura’s relationship is progressing. He has met Laura’s daughter Tuuli and he’s stayed over at their flat a couple of times. Laura has stayed with him and they have been ice water swimming. Schopenhauer is most unhappy about all these changes and makes his feline feelings clear. Laura is planning new additions to her artworks at the adventure park and Henri wants to keep his life with her separate from the problems of the adventure park (and people trying to kill him).

The story is told from Henri’s first person perspective, with all his internal dialogue and thoughts. Henri is clearly neurodivergent in some way, probably Autistic, but Tuomainen never labels Henri. The only time we hear anything is when he gets upset by being called ‘different’. Everyone calls him ‘different’ and they don’t mean it in a good way. He is utterly baffled by the reading between the lines required for conversations, doesn’t like phones, needs to be able to see people to study their body language to understand the context, tone and subtext. Also, his obsession with the Moose Shoot and need to share the facts of the financial situation.

(His parents have that impulsivity and creativity I have experienced in ADHDers, and Juhani has some serious impulsivity control problems. The entire family is neurodivergent!)

The story is enjoyably silly. It’s messy and complicated, just like real life. There is a drive forward in the plot, however, and we the reader are inside events as they happen.

Henri is a lovely characters who develops across the course of the novel and tries to do his best in every situation that arises. He comes up with a very ‘mathematical’ solution to the problem of the the crooks. He slowly learns to try new things and take control of his situation.

Osmaala, the police officer, clearly knows something of what is going on but he can’t prove anything, and he seems to admire Henri ever so slightly.

Juhani is a mess. He clearly has a creative mind, an ability to lead, but he leads people on, lies and is impulsive. He’s also jealous of Henri; he throws the accusation at Henri when Henri clearly doesn’t feel jealousy of Juhani, more frustration.

Henri and Laura are a sweet couple and I enjoyed reading about the development of their relationship. Laura is delightful – she’s trying her best to navigate a relationship with a very unconventional man while making a living as an artist and raising her child alone. I love the descriptions of her artwork, I could almost see it in my mind. Which is quite unusual, since I’m mostly aphantasic.

I enjoy Antti Tuomainen’s books, they’re very Finnish. There’s a whimsical humour to them.