The 10 PM Question

I wasn't expecting to like this; the back flap copy made it sound like another book about a “quirky” kid who finds his niche. It even had the requisite best friend with the devil-may-care attitude, the fascinating new girl, the mean older sister, etc. But it drew me in. The characters turn out to be more than the stereotypes I expected; they were individual and engaging. The story isn't complex, but it's unpredictable and told in a complex way, alternating memories, present tense, and late night conversations between the main character and his mother. Again, I thought this would make me crazy, but it worked. And in the end, there was humor and emotion and hope.