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Warren Ziller moved his family to Southern California in search of a charmed life, and to all appearances, he found it: a gated community not far from the beach, amid the affluent splendor of the 1980s. But the Zillers’ American dream is about to be rudely interrupted. Warren has squandered their savings on a bad real estate investment, which he conceals from his wife, Camille, who misreads his secrecy as a sign of an affair. Their children, Dustin, Lyle, and Jonas, have grown as distant as satellites, too busy with their own betrayals and rebellions to notice their parents’ distress. When tragedy strikes, the Zillers are forced to move to Warren’s abandoned housing development in the desert. In this comically bleak new home, each must reckon with what’s led them there and who’s to blame—and whether they can summon the forgiveness needed to hold the family together. With penetrating insights into modern life and an uncanny eye for everyday absurdities, Eric Puchner delivers a wildly funny, heartbreaking, and thoroughly original portrait of an American family.
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If I dislike a story so much that I want to stop reading, then does it really matter if the book is well written? I am going to be honest - I bought this audio book at the half-price store. It was a $40 (US) already on clearance for $3. When I finally opened the case, only the first four CD's had ever been removed from their sleeves. This made me nervous, but I like a variety of stories that others do not, so it didn't deter me from listening.
The story is extremely depressing, negative and almost disgusting at times. The narrator has a wonderful voice, however, he reads very, very slowly. These two things combined, made me understand why the previous owner(s?) never got past CD 4 (if they even got that far).
I kept the narrator out of it, and decided to focus on the story. But it got worse before it got better.
I'm not sure why I continued to listen. It made me sad and I realized it was impacting my own personality and I was angry and upset a majority of the time I was listening. I finished this story, but will not pass it on with the rest of my audio books to my sister. Instead I will donate it and hope someone else might want to listen.
