Wow. This is one of those books that I know I will have trouble getting out of my mind. I can't stop thinking about it, the characters, and what the truth really is. About blame. And about the stories people convince themselves are true in order to feel better about things they have done. I can't decide how I feel about any of it. Where were the problems here? With Noa's mom who taught her to lie rather than face any trouble the truth may (or may not) bring? With Sarah's mom, who was so over-involved in how she thought Sarah should live her life that she never considered the ensuing consequences from her attempts to steer things where she wanted them to go? And who used her influence on everyone to get what she wanted so that in the end she never actually got what she wanted as she may have if she just let things play out? With a father/lover with too many mistakes in his past to avoid blackmail? With psychology...a childhood trauma forced to bear alone or the loss of a child with no support? With Noa herself, just intrinsically? With the judicial system in the US? So many places to put blame...and in the long run where is the right? Where is the justice? O my gosh this was an amazing debut. The only thing I didn't like was the ending...I don;t know why I was not surprised that Sarah's mom never passed on the items Noa sent her, since that was her M.O. from the beginning, but it just left a very unsavory feeling in my mouth. Maybe that was the point. In which case, bravo author, bravo. This book nailed it.