LitPick Review
"The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet" by Reif Larsen is, well...different. The storyline is about a twelve-year-old boy who wins a prestigious illustrating award from the Smithsonian. He goes on an adventure to get all the way to D.C. from his home in Montana. Along the way, he meets questionable characters and ponders his family's conundrums. Written in first person, it is as if the boy speaks to the reader. Also included are side illustrations from the eponymous character himself.
Opinion:
This book does not get into the main storyline stamped on the synopsis until the last eighty pages or so. The beginning chunk of the book is devoted to the boy finding out he has won an award and actually getting there. Interspersed throughout are random thoughts and family history moments. Also, once the boy arrives in D.C., he isn't there for long, and he doesn't encounter much science. Some may find the book existential, while others will just get annoyed at the excess material.
