Jeanette Walls knows what it is like to grow up in a dysfunctional, poor family. In this story, the characters are young girls dealing with a delusional mother. The girls figure out how to take care of themselves. Luckily, they find the support of an uncle. All of the characters were well-developed. Although the story-line was not as strong as in her other books, this book was not a memoir, or based on her life. That may be way it doesn't have the same punch. I enjoyed meeting these characters and spending some time in the small town in this story. I really loved the ending.

It was an easy book to read, but it was not nearly as good as The Glass Castle.

I really like this one, but not quite as much as her memoirs. Some of the characters feel flat and predictable. But Bean, the main character, is fantastic!

Definitely not as good as her other books!

This was not my favorite Walls’s book, but I did enjoy it. I particularly liked the narrator.

This was a lovely, quick read, and I'd highly recommend it as a good summer "beach" book. It's Walls' first attempt at fiction (after her Glass Castle, etc. fame), but I admit that I like her nonfiction much more. There is a lack of depth in her fiction, which perhaps comes from a lack of practice with the form. Still, her characters are delightful and relatable, and I read the book in one sitting because the plot was enjoyable too. This is a good example of a successful child narrator (Bean is 12) and an honest portrayal of a dysfunctional family that somehow finds function. I just felt at times that the solutions to their problems came a little too easily. Maybe that's why I like Walls' nonfiction better -- I'm more apt to believe in the truth of the world she's created, since she's actually lived it.

Fun story with happy and sad moments. Very true to Walls upbringing and Glass Castle, so she writes from the heart.

3.5 - Even though this isn't her best book, I do really enjoy her writing. Her talent is undeniable and I'm glad I read this book.

I love this author, her memoirs and now, her fiction.