It's 2 A.M.: Do You Know Where Your Fifth-Grader Is?
Now, you already know where this book is headed — if you haven't figured that out yet, take another gander at the title — and that sense of predestination isn't the only thing about this book that reminded me of a finely honed sitcom. The book isn't a pure comedy, exactly, but Bertino's plot points still land like punch lines, delivered with a brief setup before being shouldered aside to make way for the next one. Most characters are dressed with an eccentricity or two, thrust onto stage to speak a few quips and herded off to wait until they're called again. Bertino's Philadelphia brims with such quirk and coincidence, it begs for a studio audience — both for better and for worse.
Let's get worse out of the way first. This sprightly tone, while entertaining, doesn't serve the story quite as well when Bertino ventures into rougher waters. In darker moments, scenes of domestic abuse or hints at drug addiction, the book seems not to have wiped its smirk off in time. With one notable exception — a devastating exchange between Madeleine and her dad — pain comes packaged a bit too neatly to be convincing, like a backlot set designed for a tragedy.
Still, these missteps aren't enough to slow the novel down. Bertino has a knack for turning phrases, and she uses it to make otherwise mundane observations into jabs in the gut — whether they concern two skinny teens whose "collarbones vault in upsetting directions," or a "dumb scratch of moon" that lingers over Sarina's long walk home. And while the story may feel as if it's told in punch lines, more often than not, those punch lines hit their mark. The book is consistently funny, no matter which character takes a turn at center stage.
Most important, 2 A.M. at the Cat's Pajamas also shares this in common with the best of TV sitcoms: Despite the contrivances, its characters are worth rooting for. Lorca, Sarina, especially Madeleine — even Bertino's version of Philadelphia — are all imbued with such wit, flaw and charm, they deserve whatever love they're offered. Just don't count on the city to return your affections.
Read an excerpt of 2 A.M. at the Cat's Pajamas