Jonathan Safran Foer's Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, published in 2003, is an examination of how people deal with tragedy and what people do to overcome emotional trauma.

Though the book can be confusing and irritating and the protagonist's personality is implausible, it's still entertaining.

The book follows 9-year-old Oskar Schell, whose father was killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York City. Schell is a clever, bright and curious young man. He makes jewelry, writes letters to celebrities and plays the tambourine. He also possesses a mental capacity that far outpaces that of most other 9-year-olds.

One day, Schell finds a blue vase in his father's closet with a key in an envelope labeled "BLACK." Thus begins Schell's epic journey through New York City's five boroughs to meet everyone whose last name is Black.

I enjoyed this book for the most part. However, the premise of a 9-year-old having an older person's mind was difficult to overcome, as was the idea that his grandfather doesn't speak.

David Salazar is a recent graduate of Santa Fe High. You can reach him at davidjsalazar@gmail.com