From my bookshelf: Special Topics in Calamity Physics

Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

So when my book club picked this book to read, I was a little unsure based on the title and the cover. Yes, I judged the book by its cover.  I asked, "This is fiction, right?"  It sounded so academic and boring.  Boy was I wrong.  Special Topics in Calamity Physics was anything but that.

Blue Van Meer and her father move at least once a year, never staying in one place long enough to make friends.  Her father is a professor and she is a highly intelligent high school student with a dark sense of humor.  For her senior year, they move to a small town in North Carolina where Blue falls into favor with this interesting group of friends that is led by her charismatic teacher, Hannah.  And when a series of life-changing events occur, the book became really good.  I could not put it down.

The author, Marisha Pessl, knows how to build suspense, character development and good old-fashion storytelling.  I would definitely recommend this book to others.