I hate to be overly harsh but this book is so poorly written it is nearly unreadable.

I have read all of Jeffrey Eugenides books and feel an odd kinship with him because we grew up in the same suburb at around the same time. He is a beautiful writer who weaves an evocative story with rich character development. This was a great book that had all of the standard Eugenides’ flair but it did not hold my interest as well as his previous works. I would highly recommend it but not list it as one of my favorites.

This wold be a fine selection for a middle/high school reading group. It is a little light for adult groups.