Figgs & Phantoms (urspr publ 1974; utgåvan 2011)

Mona Lisa Figg is full of teenage angst against her village weirdo family, all except her Uncle Florence. When she realizes that she's going to lose him, things fall completely apart for her, and she decides on a desperate search for the lost island of Capri, to which the more eccentric members of her family believe they go when they die.
This one started out strange in a quirky and good way, but once Mona embarks on some strange fever dream quest, the quirky and good starts to fade and we're left with just plain strange. Disappointing, really: Westing Game this is not. ( )

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Mona's family doesn't believe in heaven, they believe in Capri. Not the real-world island off the coast of Italy, but a paradise specific to their family. When Mona's favorite uncle "goes to Capri," she's determined to follow him there -- but can she find the way?

This is a truly weird little book, and not in a good way. I felt off-balance all the way through, due to the unlikable main character, the intentional absurdity of the details, and the extended dream sequence at the climax. This book was awarded a Newbery Honor -- but I'm still not quite sure why! ( )

It was harder than usual for me to get into this book. But after the first few pages, I was hooked. Mona is a teenager from a strange family - but one that loves each other. So when her Uncle, her best (and seemingly only) friend hints that he is going to Capri, the family word for heaven, she revolts, struggling to understand how to deal with his death. This is an exceptional book - one that deals with a hard topic - the death of a loved one. It's not an easy book to read. There is lots of magic and metaphor, with a fairy tale sequence. I highly recommend but with the caveat that it's a strange book, strange but good. ( )