by Mona Simpson
First published 2014
Miles Adler-Hart begins listening in on his mother's conversations to learn what she has planned for his future. Instead he discovers his parents are splitting up. His mother Irene is a mathematician whom his best friend Hector describes as pretty. Miles recruits Hector to help investigate deeper. The boys search through Irene's belongings, tap her phone calls, and dig through her computer files. Their detective work leads them to her bedroom and puts them on the path of a mysterious man from Washington, D.C. What starts as innocent snooping pushes the boys into adult secrets that threaten their family's stability and mental health. Armed with dangerous knowledge, Miles and Hector must face the reality of evil while plotting revenge schemes that mix comedy with childish innocence. The boys eventually learn to comfort those who have been hurt and find their own way to healing.
Genres: coming-of-age, mystery, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator
ebook · Knopf Publishing Group