This story started out as a sweet, winsome familial tale of a lower-tier theme park based around alligator pugilism and acrobatics and a family reeling after a death, all members processing the death in an oblique, incremental way while the park flounders.

It draws energy from it's rough and tumble Ava, who tempers her sister's foray into the spiritual ghost world and her brother's ambitious education goals by being matter of fact and a sort of Scout character. Ava was a really well done character. I could feel all her relationships vividly, her respect of The Chief, the love for her mother, her loyalty to her only sister, Osceola and the skepticism she brings to all these interactions. She's being pulled along by these relationships but she isn't powerless.

Plot wise, really took a turn around the 80% mark. I was horrified and couldn't let the story go.

I loved Russell's descriptions of things, from her elegance in describing commonplace things to her encyclopedic knowledge of the Ten Thousand Islands. I never even knew this part of the country existed and now I want to visit, despite the grisly recounting. Her folklore and the sense of community she shares about this area is really engaging and makes me regret this Big City life I live. As poor and uncouth as the kids are, they are loved and the community cares for them.

I would definitely recommend this book and hope she writes for a long time. I read this book as part of the Huffington Post list of 25 Books Every Woman Should Read. I have to agree.


Spoiler alert:
This is what I wanted the Lovely Bones to be like. This book is SO SO SO much better. The plot points surprised me, thrilled me and stayed with me after reading.