This book was a surprise for me. At first I thought it was a typical sort of book with lots of characters who gradually come together in the end for either happiness or tragedy. As it turned out, the book was more than that, and I was pleasantly surprised.
It starts off pointing out some of the residents of a public housing project (nicknamed “The Rabbit Hutch”) and their private activities in their private spaces inside the large building. But from there, the story expands to include the area around it, and especially focuses on one very intelligent disadvantaged young woman. She is finding her way in the world, attending a private school and hoping for something better out of the world around her.
The way the book is written is very non-traditional, characters and situations are presented in odd (but effective) ways. One chapter is entirely of illustrations. I appreciated the extra creativity here and the bravery to break the mold.
The book has many opportunities to make social commentary on contemporary America, especially the areas that may be less affluent. The author has a genuine talent in writing – especially writing about emotions and heartbreak. It also contains a lot of support for young women growing up in a place that carries some real risks for their mental and emotional health.
With all this unusual writing there were some misses for me – I sometimes found it hard to follow the streams of some of the character’s thoughts, and sometimes it felt like one or two weird people were weird just for the sake of being weird. This was an ambitious novel and so I could forgive these points.
So finally I enjoyed this surprising book. Not a perfect book but well-written and one that takes chances.
Next I am reading This Train by James Grady. I’ll bring this book and some old favorites along with me on our winter trip to Malaysia and Vietnam. There should be some time to read while relaxing near a pool, hopefully!
