Wow. I need a bit more time to properly process this. My friend Megan is also reading this and she said it is Lemony Snicket-esque in the writing and I agree. This book gets me on so many levels. I really love this and am so glad that I chose to get into it. I feel for many of the characters in this book and could see this being a really cool movie or just a kick ass book. I love LOVE the shoe scene and the description of the parrots on the flowering trees.