I am always touched by woodson’s writing style but I did not like this as much as “red at the bone”. I wanted to feel more connected to the characters, especially given how important the girls are to august. nonetheless, there are a lot of moments that are tremendously sad yet written with a gentle touch that eases you into the situation. the brooklyn setting is vivid (like out of spike lee’s “do the right thing”) and speaks to the culture of the time.