Be Good Be Real Be Crazy

Three teens take a philosophical road trip in Philpot's (Even in Paradise, rev. 11/14) sophomore novel. Protagonist Homer, adopted son of a pair of jovial dads, is a "confused boy with a worried heart" and a mad crush on dreamy, pregnant nineteen-year-old Mia who arrived on their Florida island alone. Mia wants to raise her child on Cape Cod with a former foster sister; Homer offers to drive; and the dads will allow it if Homer's socially inept prodigy of a younger brother, thirteen-year-old Einstein, tags along. What follows is a series of humorous, provocative, and sometimes poignant encounters with eccentric locals at every stage of the journey. Each stranger is implausibly forthcoming and magnanimous, and their characterizations are theatrical. But along with "parables" to introduce each new friend, fortuitous plot turns, and frequent allusions to famous deep thinkers, this journey -- full of references to The Odyssey, Don Quixote, and other classic works -- quickly becomes better understood as a fantasy-like quest for wisdom rather than a realistic vacation. Homer's evolving perception of his unique brother and his own cautious, earnest pursuit of Mia thread together an otherwise episodic narrative. But as these thoughtful, optimistic teens discover more unexpected corners of American life, even their stories fade into a larger chorus of human experiences -- one that gently affirms the importance of companionship and connectedness to all travelers through the "imperfect miracle of atoms and chaos" that is life. jessica tackett macdonald

Homer offers to drive his crush, pregnant nineteen-year-old Mia, from Florida to Cape Cod; Einstein, his socially inept prodigy of a younger brother, tags along. What follows is a series of humorous, provocative, and sometimes poignant encounters with eccentric locals on the journey. The thoughtful teens' own stories fade into a larger chorus of human experiences that gently affirms the importance of companionship and connectedness.