I normally enjoy literary fiction with flourishes and an extensive vocabulary, such as Paul Auster, but I feel that Jonathan Lethem's style is closer to a kid showing off the new words he's learnt at school.

But he redeems himself with a powerful tale of awkward teenagers, racial tensions, inner-city violence, gentrification and creative outcasts in Brooklyn.

While the story touches on many taboo subjects, such as male homosexuality within the black community, racism against white people, violence against your owns and absent mothers, it simple brings another side to the table without judging. The narrative style - the story is narrated in the 1990s but most of it takes place in the 1970s - provides an historical emotional attachment and you almost forget that this is fiction, so poignant and believable the stories are.

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