Zoology by Ben Dolnick

I was pleasantly surprised by this sweet coming of age adult novel. And I'm sickened that the author is SEVEN years younger than me and writing like someone who has real promise. Ugh.

Anyway, Henry Elinsky is a college dropout (actually the college told him to take a break) and he's bored to tears living with his parents again. His older brother David, a dermatologist, and his girlfriend offer to share their apartment in NYC. On the condition that Henry gets a job. At the Zoo. Henry, who doesn't know what the word ambition is, interviews and lands the job in the children's zoo. He's cleaning poop, cutting vegetables, and not doing much else with the little animals. But he attaches himself to Newman, the goat that listens carefully to everything Henry says. And Henry attaches himself to Margaret, a girl visiting NYC from Montana. The novel tells the story of Henry during that one summer in NYC--his job, his girl, his parents' failing marriage, and his goat. Newman is by far the strongest character in the novel, followed closely by Ramon and Sameer.

I'm not sure what adjectives to use with this novel. There isn't a wow factor, but there is a quiet, settled part of my gut that says, "yesssss." Perhaps I should think on it some more. I'll let you know. Right now I'm thinking about old Seinfeld episodes....