Sara's Reviews > The Miss America Family

I'd like to have a teenager read this and ask him or her an opinion about the book. The story is told from two points of view - a mother and a son. I can't really tell why they were the ones who told the story, though. The divergence between the two styles establishes character, and I understand that, but I don't understand why these two characters are the ones chosen to tell the story. The mother mostly talks about other people, so it might have been more useful to have some of the other characters speak, as well.
I attempt to hesitate to be judgemental, but I feel comfortable saying that the mother character and her mother are bonkers. In small spurts, that's OK. Over the course of an entire book, though, it was annoying. I've read a lot of literary books (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, for examply) that used discontinuous thinking. I'm OK with that, even. However, long-term bonkerosity (yes, it's a word; I refer you to Terry Pratchett) becomes tiresome.
If you choose to read this book, look for Ezra's voice. He has a voice a lot like Augusten Burroughs, but not as amusing. There's some sex, some drugs, and a strange portrayal of gay men.