Book Review: Flora & Ulysses The Illuminated Adventures

Fantasy books will always hold a special place in our library. They often allow for escape into other worlds or even a backyard in which a scrappy squirrel means an equally scrappy comic-loving tween. Read on for my full review of Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures.

A copy of this book was provided by Disney. All thoughts and opinions my own.

Flora & Ulysses Review

Flora Buckman, a self-described cynic is also a comic book lover.  Her imagination is one of the ways she escapes following the aftermath of her parent’s divorce.  Flora lives with her mother, a writer who is working to finish a book on a deadline.  Harried and out of patience, Flora’s mother Phyllis doesn’t understand Flora’s needful reassurance.  Through a series of funny events, Flora befriends a squirrel she names Ulysses and works to hide him from her mother with the help of a new friend William.

In Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures every character is dealing with something (Flora’s father is depressed, William is overdramatic to distract from his trauma, and Tootsie is quirky and possibly lonely) but they all come together to achieve an understanding of Flora’s friendship with Ulysses. For me, the most profound part of the story is Flora realizing that her mother does in fact love her. 

I think that’s a realistic fear that many of divorce have, that their parents love them less or that the divorce is entirely their fault.  Weirdly sweet, Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures is certainly a unique story told from the view of a struggling tween and her brave squirrel friend.

Flora & Ulysses on Disney+

FLORA & ULYSSES is streaming exclusively on Disney+ starting February 19th and here is a link to view the trailer.

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