This is a most unusual book. The protagonist is a one of four sisters in a Japanese family who settle on the Canadian prairies where the father tries to grow rice (wrong climate!) and she tries to model her life after Little House on the Prairie. This is interspersed with the pajama-wearing protagonist as an adult, now living in the big city (Calgary) and trying to sort out herself and her place in her dysfunctional family. There are Japanese mythological creatures, alien abductions, lesbians and lots of cucumbers.

The book started out strong, but then got kinda confusing. There were parts I thought were great, but there were too many time periods and places, and I wasn't sure where and when I was. Also, the author was really fixated on bodily fluids--she covered all of them, including eye boogers (though I think she missed belly button lint, ear wax and toe jam). Talking about bodily fluids is not really my thing. But in the second half of the book, things came together, I stopped being annoyed by the protagonist and had more fun with her, and the weirdness grew on me. I've always been a fan of weird art, but this was almost too weird, and honestly, if I didn't have to read this for class, I might have given up. But I didn't, and I'm so glad. I finished it this morning, and I've thought about the book all day in a very warm, happy way. I have to write a paper on it, so I'll reread it, and I'm looking forward to revisiting it. I initially gave it 3.5 stars, but I've reconsidered and raised it to 4.

Recommended for: Readers who enjoy weird books. ( )