The voice of the narrator is completely spot on. The narrator (12 yr old girl) keeps that young innocence and inexperience in her voice throughout the novel, even when describing an adult topic she has witnessed for the first time. My favorite thing about her use of language was the ability to hear the accents and see their expressions while reading. The characters are authentic and genuine, especially for this setting (North Carolina, 1950s).
The author creates the epitome of all antagonists in this story, and his emergence into the life of the main character and her family is deviously unfortunate. For those who love the spoken truth, characters who are not without fault, and humble beginnings with unspoken pasts, you will enjoy this book.
It was very hard not to like anything, but I can’t say I was 100 percent satisfied with the ending. Not enough to take a star off or go into details about though. Definitely worth the read.
Notable topics not for the weary-hearted: rape, physical abuse, emotional abuse, murder, Klu Klux Klan, racism, sex