i read this once when i was 13, and I read this again when i'm 18. Still amazing

I so love sweet middle grade books that is so humanly human and so genuine for a 12 year old narrator. The tone, the words, and the descriptions are so simple but so deep and makes Ruby Clyde Henderson so smart for her age (but not too smart that she doesn't sound 12). Ruby Clyde has gone through so much, from watching her mom getting arrested for something the boyfriend did, to losing her nun aunt after all the things she'd done for Ruby. Almost Paradise such so heartbreaking for a middle-grade book, but Ruby was so smart and strong and understanding throughout the events of this book. The pacing was surprisingly great too! The major events was well detailed and the flow of the story was so smooth that I never once got bored with exposition and filler scenes. Idk, I like happy endings that are well-deserved, and Ruby Clyde does deserve one