The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place (by E. L. Konigsburg)

The new neighbors in their newly gentrified neighborhood have convinced the town to order the demolition of the towers. Margaret gathers what allies she can and goes to war with the town. But her greatest allies will come from the most unexpected source.

This respect for her audience has led her to experiment in her last few novels with increasingly complex structures, and that is certainly evident here. Margaret, the narrator as well as heroine, leaps around in time and space with gleeful abandon, and hunks of chapters are headed with bits of quotes from characters earlier in the story. There are parallels between different parts of the story, literary and historical references, and characters who pop in and out and in again. The result is a challenge for inexperienced readers, an ending that may disappoint some, and a unique and fascinating literary creation that flows like a page turner. After the disappointment of Silent to the Bone, it's great to see Konigsburg back in top form.