This book had LAYERS. So much was happening, but it never felt like too much. It would have been nice if the book had an actual timeline, as I think it started not all that long after Katrina, and moved towards the date it was written. That confused me for quite a while, because at first I thought it was set when written, and then realized they were talking about like Hurricane Katrina wasn't all that long ago. Sure enough, the book covers quite a stretch of time. A few things seem just too convenient. But the characters are full and flawed, and exceptional. I would happily read more about many of them. Read this book.