Buongiorno Los Angeles - Bright Shiny Morning, by James Frey (2008, USA)

Using pieces of many diverse people and pieces of its history, the author tells what Los Angeles is, how it's born, grown up, changed.
Old Man Joe is a good and kind of wise homeless, Dylan and Maddie escaped from violent families and try and survive being happy, Esperanza is a young brilliant girl that ends up having a hope, Amberton is a famous actor secretely gay. Everybody tries and be happy.
It's effective. A true complex picture of LA can be painted.