TW: sexual assault, rape, physical and emotional abuse, substance abuse, elder abuse, incest.

This is a super difficult book for me to review. It follow Indy as her mother decides to send her to live with her aunt and uncle after not being stable enough to keep living with her. Her mother is an alcoholic and consistently sleeps with different men, but her grandmother is super understanding and her continues to support her mother as her life spirals. Upon moving in with her aunt and uncle, she stays in her cousin Gary's room who has moved out, and makes a quick friendship with her cousin Smiley, who is about the same age. However, Gary moves back in, and as Indy is forced to sleep on the couch in the living room, Gary subsequently feels entitled to her.
Obviously, mature and difficult themes ensue.
It follows the effects of generational trauma and how generations can follow in the footsteps of the previous generation through no fault of their own. It is lack of proper care and funding that goes into the communities such as the one Indy grew up in. Especially because Indy is black, her community is much more neglected than that of other communities.
I can't rate this higher than I have because it's one of those book that I appreciate being written, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

thanks to netgalley for the advanced e-galley!