Occasionally, I drive up the coast and visit a nearby relative. Other than the free food and wine (and, of course, the wonderful company) what I love is the collection of books in the den. A whole wall filled with all kinds of things to read. Here, I often pick up recent best sellers. On my last visit, I checked out this novel by Junot Diaz. The constant sci-fi and fantasy references were a bit of a distraction but, in the end, didn't take me away from the story. This is the first work by Diaz that I have read and I really enjoyed it. In fact, I'm on my way to the library to see what else I can get my hands on. His writing style is wonderfully descriptive and creative. The title had me thinking, of course, about Oscar's ultimate end and as I read I really kept thinking in the back of my head, "He's going to make it!" If you plan on reading this book don't keep reading this post as I don't want to impact the ending for anyone...
...I must admit that I was pretty disappointed by the ending. Looking back, I'm not exactly sure what I expected it to be but something left me wanting. Maybe I didn't get it, maybe I just didn't want the story to end. It doesn't keep me from recommending this book but it does mean that every time my mind wanders I find myself creating new endings for Oscar.
