This was so cute!

In The Guncle by Steven Rowley, Patrick (or GUP, Gay Uncle Patrick) loves his niece Maisie and nephew Grant, but also likes his home in Palm Springs, where he leads a solitary life as an aging actor (well, aging for Hollywood standards). And, as much as he likes Maisie and Grant, he also likes that they can go home to their parents at the end of the day. But when tragedy strikes, and Maisie and Grant lose their mother, everything changes. Patrick’s brother, the kids’ father, has a health crisis shortly after, and so he asks Patrick to take the kids for a while. So Patrick, despite feeling entirely out of his depth, agrees—what else can he do? And he soon learns that taking care of kids full time isn’t as easy as being an uncle sometimes… but he also learns that it’s rewarding, even beautiful, to open up his heart again.

Like I said, this is really cute. It’s honestly the kind of feeling I wanted from A Man Called Ove and didn’t personally get from that book.

Firstly, I thought Patrick was a great protagonist. He’s pretty self-involved at the beginning of the story, but also dealing with quiet grief and fear of being vulnerable that give him some depth. And Maisie and Grant are fantastic characters, full of the wacky antics of young kids but also carrying deep pain after losing their mother to cancer. They just really tug at your heartstrings, but still make you laugh.

And the dialogue! Rowley is adept at witty banter, and still making it sound like something a real person would say. The kids sound like kids, Patrick sounds like a flamboyant actor, but none of them sound like archetypes or stereotypes. It makes for a really entertaining read, just listening to them converse.

There are, of course, some serious moments. Maisie and Grant are dealing with a lot, of course, and the narrative allows them space to explore their grief and sorrow without letting the entire story be defined by only that. Further, Patrick had been friends with the kids’ mother Sarah for years, and his own pain is also given space to be felt. It’s moving to see how his memories of her affect him still, and also motivate him to grow.

And despite the somber elements, this story is so defined by finding joy. Patrick, Maisie, and Grant demonstrate to the reader over and over again that even in the face of great strife, there are still reasons to smile, reasons to be kind and silly and entirely yourself. It’s such a lovely message.

In the end, I really liked The Guncle. It’s a quick read, but a touching one. The characters are excellent, and I loved how they helped each other become better. Though it’s a story marked by loss and grief, it’s also a story about love and family, and it’s very sweet without being unrealistic. If you want a light summer read that still has substance and positive themes, read this!