Wichita by Thad Ziolkowski

This book rocked! A charming, witty, fun, dark, contemporary novel.  

For me, is perfect.  Good son, bad son, divorced parents, academia, WT, meth, E, Cambridge, south of France, etc.  Just right, with good parts of darkness, because you know it's a novel, so you're wondering how moreso than what, and then it happens.  brilliant. fun. pick it up if you like the writers I do.  NY Times review of Wichita.