i knew at 21% that this was a 5/5 and by 30% that this was going to be one of my top reads of 2025. i was a wreck from start to finish and binged it in one sitting, despite the fact that i cried so hard a few times that i couldn't see. the entire book being told in prose from the perspective of a young teen girl navigating her tumultuous life was a perfect parallel to my childhood favorite book "keeper of the night" by kimberly willis holt. which is why it comes as no suprise to me that i connected so quickly with the format and narrative. now this book means as much to me as holt's does. i can't possibly come up with any version of a review that does this book the justice it deserves beyond saying that "home is not a county" has become a lifelong favorite. thank you safia elhillo, for this book and for what this book has done for me.