Toon Tellegen's The Hedgehog's Dilemma is a tricky book for me to review. Why? It is not what I expected...which can be ok if a pleasant surprise. This one took me off guard and was less engaging than I had hoped. My wish was for something akin to Burgess books but it wasn't. I like slice of life stories but this is just...what is it? The hedgehog ponders inviting various creatures of land and sea to his house and wonders what they will make of his prickles. He's concerned about having enough to eat and would rather hide under his bed than visit. I can relate sometimes! He knows some animals could be cruel such as the lobster. Should he be content not to have guests?

I get this is about social anxiety but am perplexed about the story in general. Is there something more to it, something deeper?

My sincere thank you to Pushkin Press and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this unique novel.

When I first saw this book on NetGalley, I though it sounded like a beautiful book. Like a cross between an adult fiction, a children's fiction, and a self-help guide with an element of Eeyore about it. But it sadly fell short.

It is rambling and nonsensical. Which I thought was a good thing because it showed the hedgehog inner turmoil, but it made the reading of it bumpy.

I do wonder if it's to do with the translation. Some people don't like translated fiction because it loses its essence. I like translated fiction and read a lot of it, particular Japanese and French. But this...I don't know. It didn't translate very well, in my opinion. Maybe it felt stronger in its original language than in English.

I think my main problem is it was too long. 176 pages is a lot when nothing really happens. If it was condensed and published as an illustrated story book for kids it might work but in its current form, it just doesn't work at all.

Is it for adults? Is it for children? Who and what is it meant to be for? What is it meant to be? I don't know.

It is quick to read and doesn't take much brain power to understand as nothing really happens because it's just a hedgehog's random rambling inner monologue.

I requested a copy of this book on a whim because it looked good and sounded cute, but I was disappointed by it. Definitely had nothing to hold my interested and if it had been any longer I probably wouldn't have finished it.