4/5 (audiobook)

This book...wow.

Tiffany D. Jackson really messed with my head and emotions in this one, in a good way. Initially, I thought the book was good, but a little slow. The problems that were happening, especially in the group home, seemed to be predictable...or so I thought. I felt like Jackson really set up what it was like to live with the other girls in the home, having different personalities with emotions flying high all the time, and she did a great job making the reader feel like they were a part of the group home, as well.

I was drawn into the story of Mary B. Addison from the beginning of the novel. Young girl allegedly kills three-month old baby? How can you not be curious about that? But then everything started to open up with Mary telling the story of how her mother was the one to actually kill Alyssa. As a reader, I was hanging on to each word Mary said. Jackson made her story so believable, riveting, and even heart-wrenching at times.

I think the way the story is told, being from Mary's perspective as well as the logs of interviews from doctors, correctional officers, other inmates, etc. during Mary's initial trial, helped to create such a concrete story for Mary. Her character was emotionally deceiving and seen as the victim throughout most of the story, and then, BAM, Jackson hit me with a twist that I should have seen coming, even thought that it would come, but still did not expect at the end of the novel.

As for character relationships, I think Jackson did an excellent job of making things realistic, as far as I can tell. I have not experienced what the characters in this story have, but I did not feel like Jackson just threw a story together. These relationships obviously had thought and effort put into them before creation.

For starters, the girls in the group home clashed and blended in such an intricate way. It felt like there was always tension between someone (which I suppose typically happens when you put a large group of girls in a small space), and the homeowners/caretakers, Mrs. Stein and Ms. Reba, were just monsters. Their characters lacked empathy and everything else one would expect caregivers to have.

Then there was the relationship between Mary and Ted. This relationship really messed with my emotions. Initially, I liked it. I thought Ted was caring and loving and really wanted the best for Mary. Then there was the situation with the other girls that rubbed me the wrong way and I could not appreciate his actions the way I did before. It just felt like something that he should have been up front about instead of making it all a secret. Either way, in the end, he proved to still be loyal and caring and seemed like a great guy.

Then Mama Dawn and Mary...I was so convinced that Mary's mom was being deceiving and lying about the situation - throwing Mary under the bus because she was not her kid and did not actually care for her. Though her mom was not always making the best decisions, I was still shocked by the end, and even left a little confused.

The only reason I did not give this book a 4.5 or 5 star rating was because there were still a few questions I had at the end of the novel, and me being me wanted to know it all. There is still so much more I want to say about this book, and I would love to find someone to discuss it with!