I was surprised how much I loved "Crazy: a Novel" by William Peter Blatty. I received it as a birthday present from my brother who only bought it for the blurb on the cover by Julie Andrews, " Crazy is terrific! A  wonderful novel! It's funny, touching and so full of love!" I agree. Joey El Bueno starts his tale in NYC 1941 when he is thirteen. He meets Jane, an eighth grader, who is in and out of his life mysteriously. She tells him after spending the day with him, "That is okay to love me. But don't be in love with me. Okay? And be good to your father. He loves you so much." and then she is out of his life and he can't find her." What a mystery she was: plucky as short, fat Tony Galento getting hammered in the ring by Joe Louis, and jumpy as fleas who've just gotten great news; dropping the F-bomb and then teaching me to pray; making sense, then being totally wingy." Read the story of Joey El Bueno and be touched, despite Blattty's long run-on sentences, which I just had to mark up in my book for effect until I got hooked on the story. Wow is all I can say.