I have mixed views about this book, it was captivating but a little hard to follow. I also find the fact she was in love with her cousin a little bit too weird, we don't even know why she loves him. Also, I think some of the moral values are askew: C'mon, Emond smokes, drinks and drives at age 14! I had to read this book for a English class and some of the topics were controversial for kids (12-13) and the fact that the Author didn't use "" quotes did not make it an easy book to read.