Families and Other Nonreturnable Gifts by Claire LaZebnik

• Title: Families and Other Nonreturnable Gifts
• Classification: Adult Fiction
  
• Genre: Realistic Fiction
  
• Format: Paperback, 304 pages
• Publisher: 5 Spot (September 1, 2011)
• ISBN-10: 0446555029
• ISBN-13: 978-0446555029
• Author's website: http://clairelazebnik.com/

They say every family has a black sheep, but in some families it's not the black sheep that stands out, it's the white one. Such is the case for Keats Sedlak. She's the only white sheep in the flock. Her family is full of geniuses who tend to be a touch eccentric and/or reclusive. As Keats' father is fond of saying, "It's a fine line between madness and genius." 

Keats, named after the poet of the same name, is the middle child of three. She's been in the same relationship with Tom for 10 years. Her parents and Tom don't get along, but they tolerate each other. Her mother is divorcing her father, a man 20 years her senior, and is selling the family home. While cleaning out the family homestead and dealing with the reality that her father may not be around that much longer, Keats will reconnect with her family on a new level and realize you can't escape who you are or where you come from. 

This is a book about family, love, and growing up. It's about making choices that aren't always easy and leaving your comfort zone. It's about being independent and standing on your own two feet. It's about family, and while you may be able to take the child out of the family, you can't always take the family out of the child--after all families are nonreturnable.

I loved seeing Keats grow throughout the story. I liked seeing her truly bond with her family for the first time in years. I also liked seeing how the dynamics of such an eccentric family worked.

Where the name of the book come from? The main thing that starts off a chain of events in Keats' life is a seemingly innocent gifting of a tattoo, which is a gift that's nonreturnable, hence, the name for the book. I gave this book a 4 out of 5 roses.