The House of Tomorrow

i warn you now that i have a bias in regard to the house of tomorrow. i went through a period of fascination with r. buckminster fuller and though i concluded that he was a loon, he was the best kind of loon and i admire and respect much of what he tried to do with his life. the protagonist of the house of tomorrow is being raised by his grandmother, a fuller devotee, in a geodesic dome in the middle of the woods.

this is pretty unusual, but when he makes his first friend, a 16 year old heart transplant recipient who desires nothing more than to be a punk rock icon, the quirkiness becomes irresistible. and then you stumble into some of rather clever, and convincing, dialogue; and THEN there are the punk rock references. and THEN, the story is delightful.

i listened to the ramones on my way to work this morning.

In many regards, The House of Tomorrow isn't a spectacular book. It follows a formula that has become trite in fiction. The story largely rolls out as most readers would expect from a coming-of-age story. Every time a new character pops up, you can guess the role they'll play. Stylistically, The House of Tomorrow doesn't stand out.

Despite its lack of surprises, Peter Bognanni's debut novel is still an interesting and entertaining read. Though it sticks with the formula and is peopled with predictable characters, the plot itself and the characters themselves are a joy to watch. This is a story about punk rock, geodesic domes, hero worship, education, and friendship. There's nothing formulaic about the individual aspects of the story, just the way they interact with one another.

Bognanni does a wonderful job crafting main characters who are believably human despite their strange circumstances. On the flip side, many of the secondary characters are used for irony and laughs. They cross lines, particularly in regards to religion, that make them overdrawn stereotypes. I get it, religion—especially youth groups—can be hypocritical and comical, but the lack of a character who countered this stereotype forced a lopsided story in this regard.

The House of Tomorrow is not one of the more memorable stories I've read of late, but it does stand out. Bognanni nails many of the aspects of adolescence that other authors miss. No, there aren't many surprises or unforgettable scenes, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the ride. I loved these characters and I really enjoyed watching their lives unfold. Despite the heaviness of the plot at times, The House of Tomorrow was a fun read.