Kitty S. (kittynewengland) reviewed on 10/16/2011 + 116 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 2

Oskar Schell is the unforgettable protagonist of Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. What other nine-year-olds send fan mail to Stephen Hawking? Oskar is highly intelligent and quirky, but at heart is simply a young boy grieving the loss of his beloved dad. The reader learns through flashbacks of the very special relationship Oskar and his dad had. Oskar's quest brings him on a journey toward recovery and maybe the realization that the value of his relationship with his dad can be measured in things other than length of time. A parallel story of Oskar's grandparents, who lived through the bombing of Dresden, reminds readers that previous generations have faced cataclysmic events and been broken, but have survived. The author's unorthodox use of photographic and typographic elements, for me, did not distract or necessarily enhance the story, but I can see where others might feeling strongly about their use. Highly recommended, though you will left with "heavy boots."

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