I loved Steve Amsterdam’s linked dystopian short story collect Things We Didn’t See Coming for it’s inventiveness. In his new book, What the Family Needed, Amsterdam tells the story of a family over 30 years again through linked short stories. As each family member faces a crisis, they discover that they’ve gained some sort of superhero power that helps them get through it. It sounds silly, but in Amsterdam’s hands, it appears natural, as part of the person’s inevitable growth. While every chapter is not as strong as others, I found myself moved by the family’s travails and quite engaging.