The Angel's Game (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, #2) - Carlos Ruiz Zafón
I always finish Zafon's books thinking that I missed a bunch of things—in a good way. His stories are complex, but his characters are so well developed that they just jump off the pages. There's no doubt that some of his storylines are a little . . . weird. But I learn about about the Spanish mentality from his books, and he has a great gift for creating a sense of the place. (In this case, Barcelona.) They say that fiction is the willing susension of disbelief, and Zafon's books are just that for me. His author-view so unique that I thoroughly enjoy his work.

I'd call The Angel's Game a coming-of-age thriller story, and a twisted romance. I recommend it if you're looking for something off the beaten path.