Bowlaway

This was my first time reading Elizabeth McCracken. I don't know if it will be my last. Here's the thing, I feel like I just read two different books and I'm not sure how to review this.
It started off AWESOME! Quirky characters, cool story, I loved it, loved it, loved it. And then the fire nation attacked! Not really, but it felt like it! Suddenly we were plunged into a whole other novel with characters who were like watching paint dry and we got to watch as many of the cool elements from the beginning were just...dismantled or allowed to disintegrate into dust (WHY is the house on the cover of this book? WHY?????)
Arch and Roy and Margaret and Cracker literally bored me so bad, I started staring at the meter on the audio book willing it to move forward.
Finally, it ended and I'm left with this feeling that I got the glimpse of something awesome and a curtain was drawn and I was told “just kidding!”
I'm a little bummed, truthfully.