Although I slogged through the first half of this book and considered quitting several times, I flew through the second half of Skippy Dies, Paul Murray's second novel. Set in a Dublin Catholic boarding school for boys, we know from the title that Skippy dies.

What we learn from the book is just how this death affected his friends, his enemies, and the school community at large. Murray brilliantly captures the inner life of boarding school boys (sex and girls play a large part) and each quirky character came to life for me. As the school's administration tries to get on with life as normal after Skippy's death, the author shows how the event forces the adults in the book to come to terms with long-simmering issues of their own and his classmates to grow up. There is so much going on in this book, I wasn't sure how the author would tie up all the loose ends, but he does so in a stunning and brilliant conclusion. Stick with this one, and you won't be sorry.

--Recommended by Ellen

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