Book Review - Adventures in Foolishness

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After years of working among shelves that groan under the weight of the classics, the bestsellers, and the “we’ll see how long that one circulates” titles, every now and then a book lands in my hands that makes me stop, smile, and mutter to myself, “Now this… this is different.” Title Goes Here: Adventures in Foolishness by Dewy is exactly that sort of book—an odd little treasure that defies neat categorization, yet belongs squarely on a shelf marked “must experience.”

Dewy, an author whose biography is as elusive as a good parking space on a Saturday, has crafted something that feels part literary experiment, part intimate conversation, and part—well—spell book. Yes, spells. And not in the vague “here’s a recipe for tea” way, but actual written incantations alongside existential poetry and sharply observed short fiction. If your reading diet has been heavy on predictable plots and overly familiar tropes, this book will clear the palate like a sorbet with a dash of stardust.

Structured in three sections—existential poetry, five short stories, and a collection of magical instructions—Title Goes Here delivers its charm with a sly wink. Dewy’s poetry contemplates big ideas with nimbleness, sometimes dancing around the point, sometimes hitting it square in the jaw. She addresses the “true cost of watches and war” with lines that are at once funny, aching, and strangely beautiful. It’s the kind of poetry you can read in under a minute, yet find yourself pondering hours later while waiting for your coffee to cool.

The short stories range in tone from whimsical to darkly satirical. Some are laugh-out-loud absurd, others feel like parables smuggled into modern life. Dewy’s characters aren’t heroes or villains so much as they are human—flawed, hopeful, occasionally ridiculous. And that, perhaps, is where her real strength lies: she sees the folly in us all and invites us to laugh at it, without meanness, but with a gentle nudge toward self-awareness.

Then there are the spells—practical in the most impractical ways. They promise immortality, invisibility, and other fantastical outcomes, but they read more like meditations on longing, possibility, and the human need to feel a little more magical in our ordinary days. In the right light, they’re as much poetry as the poems themselves.

As a librarian, I can’t help but think of this book as a hidden alcove in a grand library: easy to miss if you’re rushing past, but unforgettable once you step inside. It’s not meant to be devoured in a single sitting. Instead, it’s a volume to keep close by—something to dip into when the world feels too sensible, too tidy, too unwilling to risk foolishness.

Dewy may be a mystery, but her work speaks with a clear and confident voice: life is too strange, too fleeting, and too precious to take entirely seriously. Title Goes Here: Adventures in Foolishness is an invitation to embrace that truth, to laugh and think and maybe—just maybe—try a spell or two.

File this one under: “For the adventurous reader, the daydreamer, and the wise fool.”