You could say that this book is ripped from the headlines, but that wouldn't be fair. Bret Anthony Johnston's riveting novel picks up where the tabloids leave off, and takes us places even the best journalism can't go. Remember Me Like This is a wise, moving, and troubling novel about family and identity, and a clear-eyed inventory of loss and redemption.

I used to describe myself as a comic novelist, but my concerns seem to have darkened over the past few years.

I write about kids growing up, I write a lot about schools and parents, and all of my experiences with those things have been suburban experiences.

I no longer believe that just about everything is funny, if viewed from the proper angle.

As for writing about temptation, there's no drama without temptation, and no novel without drama.

I was also known as Frodo because I was an early adopter of 'The Lord of the Rings.

It's not the cheating. It's the hunger for an alternative. The refusal to accept unhappiness.