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Not for Everyone Foer's first book, Everything is Illuminated was the kind of novel that either worked for people, or it didn't. Hence the reviews varying from one star to five. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close is similar, and if you enjoyed the first book, I think you will like this one. Summary, no spoilers: Oskar Schell is a precocious (to say the least) nine year old who lives in Manhattan with his mother. His grandmother lives a few flights upstairs. Oskar's father Thomas was killed on 9/11. He was in a meeting in the Twin Towers when the planes struck. The story follows Oskar as he finds a "mysterious" key in his fathers closet. Because he is so deeply wounded by the loss of his father, he makes a mission out of finding the purpose of the key. This quest takes Oskar all around New York. In between chapters of Oskar's quest, we hear about the history of Oscar's grandmother, who's husband left her before Thomas was born. Although confusing at first, when that plot comes together, it is very touching. Foer is truly an original, and I find his writing unique and quirky. He can manage to make you laugh out loud and then tear up, all in the same paragraph. Saying all this, I am still giving this book 4 stars, because I found Oskar's precociousness so overbearing at times, that I actually found myself skimming some of the story. Highly recommended.