Update
I can't get this book out of my head. I talk about it at random times and I think about it very often. I had to bump it up another star, because it obviously affected me deeply.

Original Review
This book started out really strong. I immediately noticed how beautiful the prose was, especially for a translated book. I really liked the characters, and I loved the way that you got snapshot POV's for other side characters. Sometimes the characters did things that I didn't like, but every single time I could understand what drove them to do the things they did. These were exceptionally flawed characters, especially Abel.

I also loved, so much, the way the book read as though it was old fashioned. That beautiful prose almost left you with a sense of a historical, except you knew that it was modern times because of the phones they mentioned and references to the internet. I thought that added to the depth of the story. And this was one deep story.

Anna notices the 'Polish peddler' one day at school and something happens that draw these two together. He's reluctant but she manages to worm her way into his heart, and boy did Abel love with a serious depth. Over the course of their book you get a very intricate fairy tale that Abel is telling Misha his little sister, and through the fairy tale you get a glimpse of the intricacies that make up Abel.

(Don't read this unless you've finished the book!)(view spoiler)[I knew. The whole time I knew that it was Abel. It was a lot like Jellicoe Road, people. It wasn't that you shouldn't know the secret, it was about the way the secret is revealed. That is the brilliance. And for the record, I never hated Abel. I still have no problem loving him. What he did was horrible, terrible. What was done TO HIM was horrible, terrible. Does that excuse him? No way. He knew that though. He didn't want to be excused or forgiven. What it does do is make it easy to sympathize. At least it did for me. I, like Anna, was able to still love him even if I couldn't forgive him. And that's about the rape and the murders. I mean, how many times does a man have to say 'stop, no'? In my opinion, Anna was also wrong, albeit on a smaller scale. I was uncomfortable with the scene long before he lost control because Abel kept saying he didn't want it. Just because a man has an erection does not mean he WANTS sex! It's a body's reaction to stimulation and they can't prevent it. Anna's not listening to him was also wrong, it doesn't matter that he was the man. (hide spoiler)].

I also really loved the ending. I was so sad, but I understood. On a less devastating level, it was what I hoped would happen.

Now, I've gushed and gushed about this book, so your asking yourself why only 3 stars. I read the first half of this book rabidly. But at about 56% I sort of lost steam. It started becoming more of a chore. When I got to about 80% I got back into it, though. I'm not positive what happened in that 20% of the book, honestly. I think... I think maybe it just got so... sad, lol. I think it was hard to read for me because it was just so desolate. The whole tone of the book was down trodden and heartbreaking and I think it just got to me.

I'll still recommend this book like crazy. Despite my 3 star rating, I absolutely still believe it deserves recognition. The End