Whenever I read a review on good reads that starts: "This was too dark" I just roll my eyes. Bring on the complexity, bring on the darkness. But this may have been too dark and sad even for me, not saved by an end that felt tacked-on. Darkness and sadness this deep needs some hint of humor to make it bearable, and this story is almost completely unrelievedly, unremittingly dark. (Well, okay, the World of
Darkness was pretty funny).

I loved "St Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves" and really, really wanted to love this book. But I got so frustrated by last half (which I won't give away). Too much mess - too many unanswered questions and story threads left hanging. One major character (Ossie) is a total cipher, and at the end of the book, I had no idea what happened, either with her character or with her plotline.

But I'll give it four stars for originally imagined characters and settings described with the kind of details that make you live there for a few days. I feel as if I could walk through the Swamplandia! gift shop, and through the Bigtree Museum, and felt like I was kayaking behind Ava and the Birdman through the swamps.

So proceed at your own risk.