This book is effective, moving, funny, horrifying in the way that I think almost every novel I have read, especially young adult (although this obviously is not ya), is trying to be. I'm not sure why. It achieves both a level of complexity and a clarity of purpose—in character motivations, in plot points, even in settings—that is honestly so rare and so beautiful. And beautiful is absolutely the word I would use to describe The Art of Fielding. I'm sure I'll be reading it again.