Reviews

• Wonderful book about an endearing fish out of water...

  Since his parents' death when he was very young, 16-year-old Sebastian has lived in Iowa's first geodesic dome with Nana (his grandmother), a devout follower of designer and futurist R. Buckminster Fuller. Nana has home schooled Sebastian and allowed him little contact with the outside world beyond the tour groups that come to the dome each week, and he is ready to follow the path that she has set for his future. When she suffers a stroke one day, Sebastian's life is thrown into turmoil. He meets Jared Whitcomb, a teenage boy with issues of his own, and his loving yet overprotective mother, Janice, who are touring the dome when Nana suffers her stroke. Later, Sebastian also meets Jared's older sister, Meredith, who teaches Sebastian a thing or two about the complexity of emotions. As Jared and Sebastian become friends, Sebastian starts discovering all of the things he has been missing in life--punk rock, processed foods, girls, and most of all, companionship with a peer. But he is torn between this new life and continuing to work with Nana on fulfilling her visions for his future. I really loved this book. Every one of the characters is endearing in their own way, even if you're not supposed to empathize with them. Sebastian's interactions with the Whitcombs and Nana were at turns funny, thought-provoking and touching, and Bognanni really gave him depth beyond the fish-out-of-water storyline. Even though I had a feeling where the book would go, I never felt bored, because Bognanni's storytelling ability was really great. I was sad when I finished the book because I'd love to know what happened to all of the characters once the story ended. That, to me, is the mark of a great story.

• Coming of age story

  I ordered this book as I sae it was being made into a film and I like to compare films vs the images if characters from books I have in my head. Its a great book with a great variety of emotions from happiness to sadness to comedy to love. The characters are well written with Sebastian and jared coming from different backgrounds but interesting trying to draw comparisons between them. I cant wait to see the movie also but thoroughly recommend this book - itll make you smile and make you alive. Makes me want to learn guitar....

• Prepare for the roller-coaster of life. An excellent read with great characterisation.

  A great book with plenty of emotion. It is a coming of age story with a twist as the main character has also led a sheltered upbringing and is then thrust into the world with all it's teenage angst.

• Punks Are Alright

  Peter Bognanni's novel The House of Tomorrow details an unlikely friendship between Sebastian, a boy who has lived in a sphere with his grandmother, and Jared a heart-transplant patient with a passion for punk music. The two bond over being outcasts and their mutual desire to stop letting people hold them back. Standing Ovation: - The characters, especially Sebastian, Jared, and his sister Meredith, were created with depth, interest, and sincerity. I genuinely grew attached to them and sincerely hoped that things would work out for them all. - I appreciated the journeys Bognanni took all of his characters through; this was more than just a coming-of-age story for the teenagers, but it was also about an elderly lady realizing that her life and mission were ending, as well as a middle-aged woman accepting that her marriage has most-likely failed. - The musical aspect of this story is important but doesn't necessarily take center-stage (ha). The novel isn't about punk music, it's about the people playing it. - It's a good story- the plot is quick paced but thoughtful and never boring. Darn Ticketmaster Surcharge - It's like buying tickets to a really great concert and then having that stupid surcharge to put a brief damper on things- the ending. I don't always like things to be tied up nicely, and while this one does leave some unanswered questions, it's not exactly a cliff-hanger or a thought-provoker. This is definitely one to recommend, and I will definitely read the next book he reads.

• Great Debut Novel!

  I picked up Peter Bognanni's debut novel, "The House of Tomorrow" after reading multiple positive magazine reviews. I'm happy to report that this was a wonderful first book by an new, original voice in modern literature. "The House of Tomorrow" is narrated by Sebastian, an orphaned teenager living with his new age spiritual grandmother in a geodesic dome. The pair live alone, mostly cut off from society except for giving weekly tours of their usual home, which supplement the grandmother's Social Security income. Their way of life is in peril, when Sebastian's grandmother suffers a stroke during a tour and the dysfunctional family visiting the dome take Sebastian into their care. Bognanni creates wonderful, rich characters that manage to feel very real, despite their rather unusual circumstances. In particular, Sebastian is a sweet boy, desperate to make friends and find a place for himself in a world that is constantly shifting around him. This is a story about family, friendship, faith and love. A story about finding a place to belong. I throughly enjoyed both the story and Boganni's writing style. It's quirky and unique. I couldn't put it down and despite being on vacation in Europe for the first time, found myself wanting to stay in and finish the book! I highly recommend "The House of Tomorrow" and look forward to Bognanni's future novels. Please visit my blog for my England trip report and book related things!

Purchase links