false 1687223 118215 97473 0143112120 9780143112129 1531 398 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171380264m/97473.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/97473.Special_Topics_in_Calamity_Physics 2362 3.67 9770 2384 4 11 false Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Tue Jun 05 14:48:17 -0700 2007 Wed Dec 16 20:47:30 -0800 2009 As a literature junkie, I also think I understand why these characters are always precociously smart- because former English majors and literature geeks dream them up, and it's such fun to dream up a character that lets you quote Joyce and Shakespeare nonstop.
So, maybe I couldn't help but take this book with a grain of salt, and maybe the main character seemed just a bit too grown up for her years. But here's the thing- I couldn't stop reading the book. Like, I was obsessively carrying it around, and during the climactic sequence, I just sat there on the bus and didn't even notice I was late to work. So it's got formulaic elements, but the solution to the mystery bears no resemblance to either Daniel Handler or Donna Tartt. And so heroine Blue seems a bit too wise for her years...so does Harry Potter, after all. I'd pick this one up if you like intrigue and don't mind a bit of academia along the way. (Yes, there are references to Joyce and Shakespeare along the way).]]>