Tournament of Books - Round 2 Recap

Round 2 is now complete.  In the biggest match up of the Tournament so far, Freedom beat Room.  Although I enjoyed both books, I thought Room was far more compelling and original.  The judge disagreed, finding Room's five year old narrator confining and narrow.  That was the point of the book, wasn't it?  The story is about confinement and creating a world within that tight space.  I guess we disagree.

In the other three quarterfinal rounds, Goon Squad beat Finkler, Next beat Nox and Lemon Cake beat Model Home.  I'm surprised Lemon Cake made it this far.  It was a very good book but was not as strong as Super Sad True Love Story or Lord of Misrule.  Perhaps one of those books (or Skippy Dies) will make a run for it in the zombie round.  (For those unfamiliar with the Tournament, the winners of the semifinal rounds must face off the two most popular books that were eliminated in the Tournament before advancing to the finals.)

The semifinals are set -- Freedom versus Goon Squad and Next versus Lemon Cake.  I'm sticking with Goon Squad to win the whole Tournament.  While I enjoyed Freedom, Goon Squad is original, diverse and beautifully executed.  The semifinal and the zombie rounds start on Monday.  Stay tuned!