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The Extra Key
Corey’s quiet, middle-aged life changes the day his wife dies. He quits his job… and takes up wood sculpting. He gains weight… then goes on an odd diet. Stray dogs begin to visit him… and give him advice. He hires a young, headstrong counselor to help him… and unusual recovery methods are applied. Will Corey survive this new phase of his life? Will he find happiness? THE EXTRA KEY is a yin-yang tale of modern life. Dark and light. Serious and humorous. Philosophical and romantic.
266 pages, Paperback
Published April 6, 2016
1 person is currently reading
547 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Polman
24 books45 followersKEVIN POLMAN does his writing in Fort Worth, Texas. He is the author of three contemporary novels: THE EXTRA KEY (2016), SOMETHING (2017), and LEMON SLICE MOON (2021). Kevin has many years of experience as a research scientist and as an instructor of science and math, but he's also been paid for these other services to mankind: lawn worker, fast-food cook, busboy, guitar instructor, house roofer, car painter, hardware store clerk, furniture refinisher, nurse's aide, and music director. The four Earth creatures closest to his heart are Cindy, Leslie, Allyson, and Jack.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 18, 2018
Very enjoyable. My only qualm is the patient & counselor/therapist falling for one another, as it could be classified as yet another syndrome. But I suppose Corey deserved a happy ending. The dogs were my favorites! I won a copy from a Goodreads giveaway, without which I probably would never have heard about this book. Thanks!
April 18, 2016
A delightful tale. The nicest blend of sadness, whimsy, humor, and happiness.
July 7, 2016
As you can probably tell from the description, this book really is unique! It was a very enjoyable read with very relatable characters and an interesting, well-constructed storyline. Besides that, I would recommend this just for its humor and patches of wisdom throughout.
March 18, 2018
Very enjoyable. My only qualm is the patient & counselor/therapist falling for one another, as it could be classified as yet another syndrome. But I suppose Corey deserved a happy ending. The dogs were my favorites! I won a copy from a Goodreads giveaway, without which I probably would never have heard about this book. Thanks!
November 25, 2016
The book blurb pretty much tells you the plot—pretty much. What it doesn’t tell you is that this isn’t a book of fiction. This is a self-help book. It doesn’t tell you this because it isn’t actually a self-help book. It’s a work of fiction. It is, in fact, both at once.
It took me a while to get into the book because I didn’t realize exactly what this thing Kevin Polman created was at first. Eventually, I figured out that it’s a self-help book told through the medium of a novel.
I believe those who like self-help books will enjoy this. But people like me who wouldn’t normally pick up a self-help title will most certainly find this book is just right for them.
This book succeeds because (with maybe only one minor exception) the author avoids the proverbial soapbox. It doesn’t ever feel like advice is being given outside the context of the story.
The story itself is a little sweet, a little sad. I found I genuinely cared about the protagonist and felt for his woes and cheered for his victories. We see Corey’s journey through a rotating series of letters, visits with his uncle, journal entries, chats with an advice-expounding hound, artistic explorations, and social outings.
What I find intriguing is how Polman is able to dispense just enough relevant advice for about every situation without writing a book the length of War and Peace. Death of a loved one, bad bosses, toxic work environment, anxiety, depression, weight loss, emotional healing, maintaining social connections, agoraphobia, healthy grieving, addressing unwanted sexual advances—this book has it all.
Some of the advice is very specific, such as eating mustard as a natural anti-depression because of the turmeric used to color it (I actually cook with turmeric at least once a week because of its other health benefits. So, good advice, Mr. Polman). Some of the advice is more general. For example:
“Every single day, just after waking, before you do anything else, decide to do something that makes you truly happy, even if the happiness just lasts for a short while. Then, make sure that thing happens.”
Who wouldn’t want to take that kind of advice to heart?
What Polman has given us is a book that tells a true story. Fictional—certainly, but it speaks to the human condition. He doesn’t just want to entertain us, hold us in suspense, make us curious and questioning (though he does do these things). I think the fictional Corey best summed it up in his journal entry:
“I don’t see engineering as my platform for making the world around me a better place. I do see how I could do that with art, creating pieces and projects that educate and that bring peace and beauty to the world, and perhaps at some point, teaching others how to do the same.”
If this is Kevin Polman speaking through his protagonist, then his book succeeds 100%. Which is why this book is getting 5 stars. It does do exactly what it sets out to do: bring beauty and peace while educating.
Almost every human on the planet will find themselves grieving the loss of a loved one at some point, in a toxic work environment at least once in their life, in a situation or period of their life with an exceptional amount of anxiety or depression. And a good majority of us will end up struggling with our weight. While The Extra Key doesn’t promise the key to happiness (it makes no promises at all—it’s fiction) what it does do is tell a good story which has some excellent advice that you may take or leave. Though, if you read it, I think it’s safe to say, you’re going to be taking away far more than you leave.
It took me a while to get into the book because I didn’t realize exactly what this thing Kevin Polman created was at first. Eventually, I figured out that it’s a self-help book told through the medium of a novel.
I believe those who like self-help books will enjoy this. But people like me who wouldn’t normally pick up a self-help title will most certainly find this book is just right for them.
This book succeeds because (with maybe only one minor exception) the author avoids the proverbial soapbox. It doesn’t ever feel like advice is being given outside the context of the story.
The story itself is a little sweet, a little sad. I found I genuinely cared about the protagonist and felt for his woes and cheered for his victories. We see Corey’s journey through a rotating series of letters, visits with his uncle, journal entries, chats with an advice-expounding hound, artistic explorations, and social outings.
What I find intriguing is how Polman is able to dispense just enough relevant advice for about every situation without writing a book the length of War and Peace. Death of a loved one, bad bosses, toxic work environment, anxiety, depression, weight loss, emotional healing, maintaining social connections, agoraphobia, healthy grieving, addressing unwanted sexual advances—this book has it all.
Some of the advice is very specific, such as eating mustard as a natural anti-depression because of the turmeric used to color it (I actually cook with turmeric at least once a week because of its other health benefits. So, good advice, Mr. Polman). Some of the advice is more general. For example:
“Every single day, just after waking, before you do anything else, decide to do something that makes you truly happy, even if the happiness just lasts for a short while. Then, make sure that thing happens.”
Who wouldn’t want to take that kind of advice to heart?
What Polman has given us is a book that tells a true story. Fictional—certainly, but it speaks to the human condition. He doesn’t just want to entertain us, hold us in suspense, make us curious and questioning (though he does do these things). I think the fictional Corey best summed it up in his journal entry:
“I don’t see engineering as my platform for making the world around me a better place. I do see how I could do that with art, creating pieces and projects that educate and that bring peace and beauty to the world, and perhaps at some point, teaching others how to do the same.”
If this is Kevin Polman speaking through his protagonist, then his book succeeds 100%. Which is why this book is getting 5 stars. It does do exactly what it sets out to do: bring beauty and peace while educating.
Almost every human on the planet will find themselves grieving the loss of a loved one at some point, in a toxic work environment at least once in their life, in a situation or period of their life with an exceptional amount of anxiety or depression. And a good majority of us will end up struggling with our weight. While The Extra Key doesn’t promise the key to happiness (it makes no promises at all—it’s fiction) what it does do is tell a good story which has some excellent advice that you may take or leave. Though, if you read it, I think it’s safe to say, you’re going to be taking away far more than you leave.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews