Our latest book that we covered for book club was A Visit From The Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan. This book was really different than any other book I have read before. Each chapter was a story unto itself, but also connected to the other cast of characters in some way or another. Jumping forward and backward in time with the same characters. I loved Jennifer Egan's writing style. Revealing just the right amount of information about each character and generous foreshadowing. The foreshadowing was helpful to complete the picture since we might only get to see the same character at certain points in their life.
It is neither a novel nor a collection of short stories, but something in between. A series of chapters with interlocking characters at different intersections of time. Some effort is required on the readers part to remember the details and tie the chapters/characters together. I recommend reading this in a short period of time.
Overall I really liked this book. There were just a few characters that I was left wanting more info on. I would recommend A Visit From The Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan.
From the book:
Bennie is an aging former punk rocker and record executive. Sasha is the passionate, troubled young woman he employs. Here Jennifer Egan brilliantly reveals their pasts, along with the inner lives of a host of other characters whose paths intersect with theirs. With music pulsing on every page, A Visit from the Goon Squad is a startling, exhilarating novel of self-destruction and redemption.
