Now that's some raw story telling!

After reading so many women comment about men writing in women's voices, it's now time to admit that women writing as men can completely miss the boat. Harley didn't sound like any guy I knew, nor grew up nor WAS in my life. His sentiments rang completely hollow for me; rather he sounded more like how a woman would like a teenage boy to be. The most interesting character, Misty, went almost completely voiceless and the ending was laughable, as was most of the book. easily the worst of Oprah's Book Club.

This was Tawni O'Dell's first published novel (I think) and it commanded praise from Oprah Winfrey as a Oprah Book Club selection, various accolades, etc.

This was my LEAST favorite of O'Dell's novels. I thought it was depressing as hell. If this is the first O'Dell book you pick up and think, "Uugh, this sucks!" then try one of her other books. "One of Us", which was released in 2014, is excellent. "Fragile Beasts" and "Coal Run" are also terrific options.

Bottom line, don't take THIS book as typical of Tawni O'Dell's writing and storylines. She's written and published MUCH better.

Wow and Disturbing. I wish I would've read it with Oprah as that had to have been a good discussion. The middle! I was close but not quite. The ending! I had an inkling, but the wrong culprit.

You're just jealous because those are. the shorts you wanted at Fashion Bug.

Too fat. Too geeky. Too seventies. Too eighties. Too obvious. (clothes and how an outfit looked)

Scrambled eggs and Bacon-O's.

He was one of those guys who took more pride in what he owned than who he was.

Those who know the truth are not equal to those who love it. -Confucious

very strange story of a f*cked up family...but i enjoyed it!

I had a hard time believing that Harley would continue to go to see the therapist while working two jobs and not having a dime to spare... not that the therapy was costing anything except time, but it didn't add up other than as a plot device to explain that he was nuts (in case it escaped the reader's attention).

The real story should have been told from Amber's point of view. There were complex issues between Amber, Misty and their mother that Harley would never understand, and that complexity deserved to be explored.

In many ways this felt like another tired reaffirmation of Appalachia stereotypes. The introduction of impressionist art somehow hinted that this book might rise above the jokes, but in the end it wasn't enough. There's Appalachia, with everyone in the country making fun of them, proving again they are worthy of the treatment. That leaves a bad taste in my mouth as a reader, and explains in many ways why the author hasn't been able to follow up her initial success with another (that, and the lack of Oprah's marketing support).

Beach reading at best. Unless someone gives me a compelling reason, I won't read this author again.

A dark dark book that I couldn't put down. I have a thing for stories that take place in poor mining towns.

Back roads meet backwards. This is a story of a disturbingly dysfunctional family. 19 year old Harley is a country boy, raising 3 younger sisters on account his mother is in jail for the murder of his father. Hormones running amok, sanity on the edge, an obsession with an older woman, mix in an abusive upbringing and this is formula for self destruction.

The transformation from child to man happens with the delayering of lies that reveal truths: ugly ones. He is in a constant tormented struggle with what he knows is right with what has happened in the past. A coming of age story where good trumps over evil at the cost of self sacrifice.

This was an engaging read. I like O'Dell's writing style and character development. Although her debut, I found it better than her latest release, Angels Burning. 4*

Tremendo, duro, hermoso... magnífico

This was to this date a disturbed book, even if Oprah clubbed. This many years lawyer (later).

A woman is in jail for killing her husband and has left her children in a small town wooded area, even in a house, to fend for themselves, with all the anguish imprinted in them. A obsession type romance, mild, comes about with the eldest son, toward a teacher?, in the same place. While he's juggling to keep the family going with his younger siblings, who are aware of what's going on picked up like radar, because it wasn't talked about especially, considering detail, but also the family had trouble communicating in healthy ways obviously. Friction ensues, and I don't know that it were healing (insert ironic witch laugh.) Recommended from its sticker that doesn't impress me that much, what constitutes a good book, I found in my travels. It's a slow burn and for those who aren't thrill readers. It's all there though written at not a bad a level probably a 6/10

I just wish there were less semen and violent sexual fantasies.

Like having my heart smashed in to little pieces with a hammer, glued back together all wrong then sent on my way and expected to carry on like everything is okay.