Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

Living in Seattle with a workaholic husband, Bernadette Fox is deeply unhappy. Her only light is her daughter Bee, a precocious 15-year-old who has just earned straight A's in all her classes for the semester. Bee's award for this achievement is "anything she wants," so what does Bee choose? A trip to Antarctica with her parents. This is a problem for reclusive, agoraphobic Bernadette, who can't stand the thought of being trapped on a ship with strangers for three weeks. In Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple, everything goes downhill fast after Bee's announcement, culminating in Bernadette's disappearance.

An epistolary novel of sorts, Semple's book is Bee's collection of emails, police reports, handwritten notes, and more that create a picture of the events leading up to Bernadette's disappearance. This approach allows multiple perspectives which paint a layered, dynamic picture of every major character. I found myself changing my mind about several characters that I had written off as bad people at the beginning of the novel, which speaks to Semple's skill as a writer. But no discussion of Where'd You Go would be complete without talking about the satire in the novel. Semple's writing is hilarious and biting, and I found myself laughing out loud on several occasions. I listened to this book on audio and without doubt it is one of the best audiobooks I have ever listened to (audiobook version here, e-audio here). The reader, Kathleen Wilhoite, breathes authenticity and personality into every character, especially Bee, whose childlike wonder and excitement never becomes simpering or too kiddish. Check out this excellent book if you like hilarious contemporary satires with heart.

Shannon Wood, Adult Services Librarian