Grote navigates Christian’s unfair life with skill, depicting his pseudo-parenting of younger siblings and overwhelming burden of responsibility through tight plotting that swiftly propels the story. Kimberly’s flakiness—she’s dated loads of “uncles” and instructs her kids on the best way to run cons on unsuspecting marks—is a grim measure for the family, but it gives Grote a jumping off point to introduce a slew of quirky but lovable characters. Those include the children’s grandmother, who smuggles them into her seniors-only community, where “the surviving male population still wore pants the color of canned fruit,” and a grandfatherly man living there who takes them under his wing, though the kids don’t realize until later that his game-changing wishes will play a significant part in their futures.

Readers will sympathize with Christian and his valiant efforts to make sure his family remains intact—and cheer when a responsible adult finally enters their orbit. The ending may not be a classic happily-ever-after, but, even Christian wisely observes that “everybody needs to have a family. And if life doesn’t see fit to give you one the usual way, you got to make do with what life gives you instead.”

Takeaway: Spirited adventure bursting with quirky but lovable characters.

Comparable Titles: Katherine Dunn’s Geek Love, Jerry Spinelli’s Crash.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B+
Marketing copy: A-