Where'd You Go, Bernadette? By Maria Semple

There were a number of young women in my 9th grade English classes that chose to read Where'd You Go, Bernadette? for their summer reading novel, so I put it on my goodreads list and it finally became available on OverDrive last week.   It is written in a multi genre format, which normally I love, but I'm not sure I do this time around.  The plot is unique - It takes place in Seattle, where a bigwig Microsoft exec's wife, Bernadette, basically goes off the deep end.  After living in Seattle for over ten years, she has not a friend to her name, except Mandala, a women she has become friends with online, who it ends up is a scam trying to get her money.  (So far, Bernadette has sent Mandala social security numbers of her family members, bank account information, credit card numbers...it's not looking pretty).  Meanwhile, her husband is trying to get a doctor to commit her to a temporary hold in a psychiatric hospital, both against her will and without her knowing.  Meanwhile, their teenage daughter narrates the part of the story that isn't written in the multi genre format.  She is just like any teenage girl, trying to fit in and find her place among her friends.  I am about halfway through at this point and am really curious about what is going to happen next.

Here are a few questions I have:

• Where is Bernadette going to go?  Is she going to leave in the physical sense, or is the title referring to her "leaving" mentally?
• We just met her dad's brother, who is going to be staying with the daughter while Elgie (the big wig) attempts to get Bernadette placed in a psychiatric hospital.  Van (the brother) lives in Hawaii and definitely seems to have a free spirit.  Is he going to become a main character, or will his visit be short-lived?
• Will Elgie be successful in committing Bernadette?
• What is going to happen to their Antarctic adventure?  (They are currently planning and about to leave on a trip to the southern hemisphere)

This book is okay so far.  I don't love it, but I don't hate it.  It is a relatively easy read with a unique plot, but it doesn't keep me on the edge of my seat.  I should finish it this weekend and then I will update my thoughts.
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Update on 10/14/2013

This was a very quick read and I finished it earlier this weekend.  I thought the book was okay, and if you don't want any SPOILERS, do not read on.  I just want to model for my students how when I have questions (see above) I can go back and answer them.

1.  So Bernadette ends up going on their previously scheduled trip to Antarctica.  She escapes when her husband and others try to stage an intervention to get her help at a mental treatment facility.
2.  Elgie's brother ended up being a very minor character.  In fact, once Bernadette disappeared and Bee and Elgie started searching for her, I don't think Van was mentioned again.
3.  Elgie was not successful in committing Bernadette, but it seems by the end that she wasn't really as crazy as the author had originally made her seem.
4.  The Antarctic adventure was one plot twist after another, but all three of them did make the trip and there was a happy ending.  (I don't want to ruin everything for you if you decide to pick this one to read).

Sidenote: I don't ever want to go to Antarctica.  The description of the cold and how it felt on their faces.  Not fun!  I think I'm more of a beach-goer when it comes to vacation!