Gail Giles

This is essentially a novella about relationships between people with problems. It's exciting and a very easy read. I found it absorbing to just jump into and read through, and I finished it in a single sitting. The author's writing style is engaging. The ending was pretty dramatic.

Unfortunately, there were some problems. In general, the editing was good, but it's pretty much unavoidable that a couple errors will slip through for the first printing of any piece of long fiction, and one show more editing problem in particular of this book is accidentally using the name Jeremy where it should have been another character's name, which made for a very weird moment while trying to understand what was going on. The ending wasn't so much an ending as an attempt to leave the reader shocked. The way characters were portrayed made it feel like the meaning of the whole story was either about how certain stereotypes are bad (cheerleaders, fratboys, recreational drug users, and goths) or about nothing at all -- a sort of nihilistic refusal to convey meaning. I suspect the intention was more about the latter, not having any meaning, just being pure entertainment for the reader and revenue stream for the author, but even if it didn't have any real meaning behind it people will read meaning into it, and I don't like what this book says if I start trying to find meaning in it. It's a bit difficult at times to discern whether particular tendencies to judge and stereotype are features of the characters or of the author.

Thinking about what happened in the story, what I saw was that almost everyone was a bad person, and to the extent they were good people they all got screwed over. Thinking about the consequences, it looks like everything is about to get much, much worse after the last page.

I suppose there might be one other interpretation of meaning in this book: the whole world sucks, along with everyone in it, because if you try to not suck you're going to get screwed over the hardest.

I enjoyed reading it, all the way through it. I did not enjoy thinking about it after the fact. Maybe it'll give you a couple hours of enjoyment to read it, but I don't think it'll ever make your life better to have read it. show less

Brilliant, moving book told in alternating chapters by two girls who have just graduated from the special ed program at their school. One has had brain damage inflicted on her by her drug addicted mother's boyfriend. The other was born with learning difficulties and has had a baby that she has had to give away. Set in a small town in the US. This is a harrowing story from two angles - one girl is afraid to look pretty and be nice or even talk to the opposite sex in case she is raped again. show more The other girl is so defensive and super tough that it means she is indeed attacked and raped. In between these two girls is the well meaning miss Lizzy who offers them a home and a job and, after a few mistakes ( i.e she is a bit patronizing) steps up and helps the two girls stand up for what is right and good.

AS the mother of a disabled son (Autism) I found this a moving and insightful look into how the disabled perceive themselves....those with enough intelligence to understand the concept of id without the smarts to protect themselves nor understand what is really happening around them. I highly recommend this to anyone who works or cares for high functioning intellectually disabled young adults...especially girls. show less

I received a complimentary advance reading copy of this book (and am very pleased to have done so).

I was glad to find a YA novel accessible to both boys and girls. The strength in this novel lies in the relationship between the three thirteen year-old friends/band members and the dynamics within their families. The boys have distinct and believable characters and I enjoyed their diverse backgrounds. The love and respect within the family circles and the strength of the boys' friendship show more counteracted their' (accidental) Faustian pact with the devil and provided a sense of security and relief. I wanted to experience more scenes of family life and I also look forward to finding out more about the card-stealing crow and the mysterious librarian.
Most importantly for me, the writing and imagery were superb and caught me unawares at times with their perfection. The band also has some very catchy lyrics. SO catchy that I have had them playing in my head to a made-up tune for days after I finished the book! show less

When David commits suicide, his older brother is out for revenge against the girl whom he believes is responsible for his death. Giles's characters are frighteningly believable. The story is part mystery, part psychological drama that involves dysfunctional families and abuse, and part crime investigation. Readers won't forget David's suicide note, pinned to his skin: "Words are teeth. And they eat me alive. Feed on my corpse instead."