Paige Dearth

First, the cover of this book is amazing. I found it to be an instant draw in choosing the book. As far as the story goes, the writer works hard at presenting a variety of characters for the reader to experience the good souls and the bad that a homeless girl like Joon needs to navigate in order to survive. There are horrible things that happen to this girl right from the start. I'm not one to shy away from such nastiness, but if you are, this book might not be for you.

Unfortunately, I wasn't overly astounded by the story. Don't get me wrong, it was okay, but I didn't necessarily find myself hooked to the point where I needed to know what was going to happen next. There were a number of reasons for this, the first being what I felt was a lack of depth in some of the major players. I don't want to give too much away, but the foster mom is an example. She starts out as being rotten from the start, and she came across as a stereotype bad foster mom without much justification to understand why. Deen was another example.

Once Joon hits the streets, there are a number of characters with greater depth, and a number of harrowing situations to keep the reader interested, but sometimes the dialogue felt too "honest," or on the nose, and those moments drew me out of the story. Some relationships fell together too easily for me, but some developed nicely..

Overall, this was an okay read for me, and I fully recognize that my opinion is just that, an opinion. I want to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read it.… (mais)

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my e-ARC.

This is the third book I’ve read by Dearth. Although the subject matter is tough and the content, harrowing, they are always compelling page-turners. Even though her books are fiction, this is the unfortunate reality for many.

Rainey had a tough life from the very start. Born addicted to drugs, she spent her first couple months in the neonatal ICU. From that safe, warm, and nurturing environment, she was thrust into another that was far from ideal for anyone, much less a helpless infant. Her parents’ rundown drug hovel in poverty-stricken dangerous Kensington, Philadelphia. Neglected. Abused. Hungry. For a time, her only saving grace was her aunt Sophie. If only Rainey could stay with her forever. But that was not to be. Rainey persevered. She became strong, resourceful, and resilient. She found purpose, something — or rather, someone — to live for : her little sister, Ivy.

Inevitably, drug houses will be teeming with unsavory characters. Because of one such character, Rainey found herself in peril yet again. Her time at the juvenile detention center was better in some ways and worse in others. But Rainey was a survivor. She had to be. She was all Ivy had.

This was an intense and emotional read. I am eagerly awaiting the sequel.… (mais)