Spoonbenders

Spoonbenders by Daryl Gregory, 399 pages

In the 1970s, the Telemachus family made a living as psychic act The Amazing Telemachus Family, appearing on variety programs to showcase their various talents. Brother Frankie could move objects with his mind, sister Irene was a human lie detector, and baby Buddy could predict the future, while their mother, Maureen, was the most powerful psychic of all and provided the showstopper at the end of the act. The Telemachus patriarch, Teddy? He had no psychic ability at all, but was a heck of a conman and cardshark. But 20 years after their act dissolved on national television, the Telemachus clan is not quite so amazing. Frankie owes a boatload of money to the mafia; Irene's raising her 14-year-old son alone, unable to trust any man she comes across; Buddy is constantly tearing apart and building things around his father's house, but hasn't spoken to anyone in years; and Teddy's just as slippery as ever, with both the mafia and the federal government looking for him.

This is a great story of a dysfunctional family with extraordinary abilities. The characters are full of heart, the story is compelling, and there's plenty of hilarity thrown in for good measure. I loved this book!