Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close… I’m almost not sure what to say about this one. I was afraid to read it for awhile, because all I knew about it was that it was a book about a boy who lost his father in the attacks on September 11th. But I’m glad I did. I think it might have been my favorite book of the month (if not for Ready Player One). Bear with me on this review, it’s going to be different, just like the book.
It’s clear from the beginning that the narrator for most of the book, a young boy named Oskar Schell, has some kind of mental issue. Maybe it’s autism, maybe it’s OCD or ADD, maybe it’s just depression or a coping mechanism. Something’s going on. But you go with it, because it’s interesting and unexpected. The writing style is fast paced and close to a stream of consciousness with his sections, which are interspersed with letters from people you don’t make a connection with until about the middle of the book. The way this story is told is unlike anything I’ve ever read, and about 75 pages into it I was hooked. It’s purposely cryptic and draws you in. It keeps you involved, but it’s also obnoxious because you constantly feel like you’re missing something.
Oskar’s dad died in 9/11, and after his death, Oskar finds a key hidden away, and makes it his mission to find what it goes to. It's sad and upsetting, but not in the way you'd think. I’m still very conflicted about it. It's a story of recovering from loss. A story of hope. A story of enduring. A story about love and loss. About family and friendship. About life.
All in all, I don't know how I feel about it. I thought I wanted to see the movie but now I'm not so sure. I'm upset but ok. I gave this a four because I like the writing style and the book. I didn’t give it a five because I was unsatisfied with the ending, although there’s something to be said about how he did that as well.
How’s that for cryptic?
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