Lanny: A Novel

"Max Porter’s Lanny is a story of an extraordinary child (of somewhat ordinary parents in a rather ordinary English village) who, one day, goes missing. In lesser hands, much of what makes Lanny so compelling could come across as gimmicky. There’s fabulism and folklore and text that dances across the page instead of marching neatly from left margin to right. Porter’s inventiveness is a perfect fit for the narrative, however. Couple that with his wry humor, engaging prose and a plot that gradually ramps the tension up to “11,” and Lanny deserves a spot as one of the year’s best."