Zoe Elias dreams of playing Carnegie Hall, of being a famous concert pianist (though her fantasies are more about the glamor than the music), and of the adulation of the crowds.  Unfortunately, rather than the piano she asks for, Zoe gets an organ.  A Perfectone D-60, to be specific.  How could something so simple go so wrong?  Her father is agoraphobic and when stressed, makes bizarre -- an usually expensive -- mistakes. 

Rather than whining about her father's error, moping about how she doesn't fit in with the "Brat Pack" at her school, or refusing to touch the organ, Zoe begins to play, and the novel bubbles along with all of the youthful optimism possible in the face of such a serious issue as incapacitating mental illness.  A delightful cast of characters, Mr. Elias's persistence in learning through the Living Room University courses he orders, and the pitch-perfect supporting character of Wheeler Diggs make this middle grade novel one of the best I've read in ages.  Short chapters keep the pace moving, and empathy for the determined and realistically-drawn Zoe made this book hard to put down.  Linda Urban manages to tie up all of the story's threads without making the ending feel contrived.  A Crooked Kind of Perfect is about potential, hope, and perseverance, and who doesn't need a dose of that every once in a while?

Happy Reading!