I was expecting a Benedict Society inspired whodunnit, and was happy to be proven wrong.

This book absolutely stands on its own two feet with a protagonist who copes with her own difficult life with spunk, quirky wit, and plenty of non-frilly heart. Tabitha comes into her own throughout the book, and her coping mechanism blossoms into real bravery, intelligence, and hard-earned skill.

Plot-wise, Nooks & Crannies is unique, too. The twist at the end completely pulled the rug out from under me (something that rarely happens), and I was completely delighted to be hoodwinked. Almost every character was flawed and interesting (excepting a few baddies).

Often, I wait until the book-crush glow has lifted before writing a review of a book I really enjoyed, but this time I decided to toss my rule to the wind. I'll be happy to read this to my kids over and over. Fabulous.