Ah, another coming of age novel - I've read quite a few this year. As with a number of them, this one was also a bit on the depressing side. However, I turned the pages with great anticipation - how would Michael turn out, would he be OK, would his father come back? A lot of interesting themes and I liked the juxtaposition of the fantastical idea that his father might actually be on the moon and the gritty realism of their day to day lives. It was touching and thought provoking novel.