Two young girls and their mother move to a neighborhood featuring a communal park after their father/husband commits a serious crime leaving their family home in ruins. The girls meet an eccentric group of children with an even more eccentric group of parents, a perverted grandpa called Puppy, and an old lady with a giant rabbit. Weirdness ensues.
The story begins leading the reader to believe they will be consuming a page-turning murder mystery/thriller; however, this reader found herself struggling to push to the unsatisfying end. A few years back, I made a commitment to quit reading books when I didn’t like them. This book almost made that cut. Something kept me coming back, but I can’t say it wasn’t merely the fact that it was a quick read.
But back to that giant rabbit… I think it was the most likable character, and sadly, it only appeared on a handful of pages. Actually, it received fewer mentions than grandpa Puppy’s diabetic foot wound, which was the only plot-line that had any sort of sensible resolution.
How did the father/husband keep himself out of prison? Did he even have a trial? (Or did I care so little that I completely missed it?)
Who killed that other girl? (Yes, the book did feature a murder, but it was so boring that I can’t even remember the name of the victim.)
Why didn’t anything come of the super-strange scene with the creepy man holding hands with a pre-teen in a private room?
Who was Max and why was he just randomly strewn throughout the book?
How could Tyler see through the top of the elevator? Is that elevator safe?
What is a communal park?
Would my dogs get along with a giant rabbit?