Review: Who Is Tom Ditto? By Danny Wallace

We join the action just as our ‘hero’ Tom, (early thirties, reads the ‘news’ on the radio) finds out that his girlfriend has NOT left him.

Tom,

I have not left you. But I am gone.
Please carry on as normal.
Love always,

Hayley
Has Hayley gone or hasn’t she? Is she coming back? If she has gone, but is coming back, when is she coming back? And what is he supposed to bloody do in the meantime? 

And what if she’s never coming back??

Trying to work out what’s happening to his confusing life, Tom tries to track Hayley down. In doing so, he stumbles across a strange and eccentric group of people with an irregular and highly-addictive hobby. 

Next, he’s being followed, but he’s not sure by whom. And then he also almost loses his job at the radio station in the now infamous ‘Jam Nazi’ episode, which of course, you know about.

Above all, Tom is trying to work out who everyone is. 

Because who is Hayley? Who is this new girl following him around the supermarket?

And who, for that matter, is TOM DITTO?

Review: wow, this book totally surprised me! I haven't actually read any Danny Wallace before but I know a lot of people who have enjoyed his previous books and reading the synopsis of this one had me intrigued. I actually listened to the audiobook version of this and I found myself finding excuses to listen left right and centre... I found this novel to be funny, thought provoking and completely compelling. It is such an original idea for a novel and made me question the way I make the decisions that I make in every day life. 

In terms of the characters, I can't say I liked Tom all that much. I found his need to please and his need to constantly wiggins and evaluate his life, have other evaluate it for him to be really irritating. I do like the way his character leads the way through the novel though. I really liked some of the females in this novel, finding Pia to be completely charming and I admired her zest for life and compulsive decisions, she's the kind of oerson you win was your best friend. The person with the theory behind the premise for this novel, has a strong voice in this book too and I thought it was an interesting choice to bring his thoughts into the novel in their own chapters, I can't say I took much from these chapters, but I understand why the author chose to write them in. 

Overall this is an extremely funny novel, one scene in particular had me crying with laughter in the car at a very busy roundabout, I'm surprised nobody pulled me over to be honest. I've been retelling that scene to people over and over ever since because I just think it is genius. This book would make a fab TV show or film and I think that just about anybody could pick up this book and take something away from it, male or female, young or old this is definitely something you should add to your reading pile because it is fast paced, funny and entertaining without trying too hard to be any of these things, just fab!