I loved this book. It was such an emotional read, and I was drawn to the characters, glorious in their eccentricity. (Except T-Ray. I hated him, and I feel that he didn't deserve the redemption arc the author tried to give him.)
The story is strongly... how to put it? Femisnist, without being militant. It was kind of a tribute to the joys and sorrows of being a woman, and the need deep inside of us all for the wonder of a mother's love.
Don't get the idea, though, that this was a "bright and sweet summer read". It's the story of an abused fourteen-year-old who runs away from her home with her only friend, Rosaleen, her family's black servant. Lily has grown up with the crushing knowledge that, at four years old, she accidentally killed her mother.
So you can see this is not entirely a feel-good, meandering romp. However, it is so uplifting, so heartfelt, so forgiving, that I can't categorize it as one of those "raw and heartbreaking" books. (Of course, this is not at all to say that the pain and suffering Lily experiences on her journey towards forgiving herself is melodramatic or superficial or thrown in only or drama!) The thing is, her childhood trauma is not the main focus of the plot, but rather a backdrop to her character development.
The ending is cathartic and satisfying- it's unexpected, though, so I won't say another word about it. Strongly recommend to any woman or girl doubting her identity, or the reality of her emotional pain. We are all in this together.