Maynard & Jennica

Picking up Maynard & Jennica was a no brainer when I found it at a library book sale earlier this year. Its one that had frequently caught my eye at the book store, mostly because something about it seemed to give off a vaguely Salinger-esque vibe, as if the characters could have been modern day descendants of the Glass family.

The Salinger comparison didn't exactly pan out, but that's okay. What I discovered instead was a quirky and interesting book. There are so many intricate plot devices and convoluted twists that I can't even try to explain them all, other than to say that its told from the viewpoints of literally dozens of characters (including a few inanimate objects), spans just pre- and just post-9/11 New York, and revolves around the relationship between the eccentric title characters, Maynard and Jennica.
I felt lukewarm about both of them right up until the moment in the middle of the novel when they finally get together as a couple. In just a few pages, the author does such a good job of conveying the way they appear to each other through lovestruck eyes that I suddenly felt like I could suddenly see all of their good traits, too. That section of the book alone was probably the high point for me, good enough to make me just about love the book.