WE ARE PIRATES by Daniel Handler
Phil Needle has finally figured out the truth about humanity. “We are pirates!” he announces to the crowd of party- goers who have come to his home to gawk at his wealth. They don’t understand. But then, they weren’t part of the insane events that led Phil to this conclusion. Except, of course, for his teenage daughter, Gwen, the shoplifter, whose supreme dissatisfaction with life was bound to drive her to the high seas.
This strange realistic fiction novel is at times poignant, often humorous, and occasionally deeply disturbingly. The loose chronology and shifting POVS require the reader to pay close attention, and much of the humor comes from the quirky and often deliberately misleading narration. You will know a few pages in whether this is the book for you. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy off-beat, humorous novels and absurd, twisting story lines that keep you guessing.
Susan the Librarian 