This is a story of two sisters Emma and Carrie who have lived through the death of their father, their mother's following depression, and then marriage to Richard, a drunk, abusive husband and father. Carrie is the protector of Emma and always has to watch out for her younger sister. Although, Emnma is much tougher than Carrie and no one bullies her at school because she isn't afraid of anyone. Carrie still feels the need to protect her because she thinks her Momma doesn't love her as much as Carrie and Emma has "secret" with Richard that worry Carrie. The family moves from Toast, North Carolina to an even smaller town in western North Carolina where their house is dirty, has a hole in the roof, and is basically in shambles. The girls return to school in thier new town and make new friends including Old Mr. Wilson from down the road who takes a liking to the girls and teaches them how to shoot guns. Emma and Carrie try to stay away from home as much as possible especially when they hear the 5th beer bottle cap clink in the trash when Richard is drinking. They find their own hiding spots in down near the creak behind their house and just try to stay as safe as possible from Richard and any other bullies.

This story is told in first person in the voice of Carrie. It is sad to hear her describe the abuse that is going on in the house in her child's view and slight defensiveness of it or when she thinks it is normal for her to live that way. As an adult viewing this, you can see Carrie's defense mechanisms working to block out as much of the pain that surrounds the family. I definitely think this is a 5 star book because it is a stunning work that describes the surreal horrors that they face everyday. The author does a great job with the voice of Carrie so much so that you can hear her southern drawl as you read. The main characters are well developed and the side characters are developed enough that you can picture in your head all that unravels in this book. The author ends with a stunning twist that I never saw coming and that alone makes it 5 star for me. I have read many mysteries and thrillers and the best ones are the ones that you have no idea what is coming or who done it. Excellent novel by Elizabeth Flock. She writes with authority and has a strong command of the themes and plotlines.

I also read her other novel But Inside I'm Screaming and again Flock does an excellent job of handing the themes of this novel.

Read Flocks novels, you will be happy with what you get!