THE LEFTOVERS (Tom Perrotta) - October 30/11

This is probably the most disappointing Perrotta book I've read since I became obsessed with him. For one thing, the book takes a really long time to get going; I didn't wholeheartedly get into it until about 100 pages in. For another, the whole pseudo-rapture thing didn't really work for me. Not the event itself, which is fine, but the way it impacts certain characters. The Guilty Remnant thing is probably the most problematic issue here, as I just couldn't swallow that a suburban mother would give everything up, take a vow of silence, start smoking, and, eventually, participate in the death of her newfound friend. It's all too much. As such, the book, which unfolds from the perspectives of several different characters, just feels uneven, as certain perspectives are far more interesting and compelling than others (eg everything involving Kevin the Mayor is a highlight, especially his relationship with Aimee, his daughter's hot friend). Still, it's very well written and I was certainly curious to see how everything was wrapped up, but I've come to expect much more from Perrotta. *** out of ****