What: Author Jaclyn Moriarty wryly and thoughtfully follows members of the Zing family into illicit swimming pool visits, through fake letters to the editor, past aeronautical engineers, over a beach umbrella, across some state-of-the-art surveillance equipment, and --- most of all --- beyond a family secret that necessitates clandestine weekly meetings. In a garden shed. As you do.
Comparable to: Imagine William Goldman (author of The Princess Bride) writing about Lisa Lutz's Spellman family, but cunningly threading out a channel of story for each character.
Opening lines: "Once upon a time there was a watercolour painter who thought he could invent a parachute. This was in the early days of parachutes."
Representative quote: "A year ago she didn't even know the Zings. Today, she gets a spasm in her right eye when she sees one. (The letter V has the same effect.) Also, she has lost her personality. She lost the personality a few weeks back. To be specific, it was burned to cinders in the Zing Garden Shed."
You might not like it if: All the story threads get tangled in your brain before you get to the wow at the end.
How to get it: Honestly, I'm going to go ahead and recommend buying it online, at least for those in the U.S. Otherwise, the Australian-published book could be tricky to find.
Connection to previous Wreckage: Jaclyn Moriarty is also the author of Feeling Sorry for Celia (Rec. #48).
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