This book has left me perplexed. For the first half, it felt like a light read, silly at times, with a vapid main character who never "developed" the way main characters are supposed to. There's a reason for it, but it's only hinted at, so that's perplexing too. I like my southern lit a little more on the dark side, and the dark side really only comes in the last 50 or so pages - and it's almost too dark. It was a strange little book full of strange, mostly dysfunctional people. Crystal is not very likeable, and I found myself wondering how she might've coped with her life differently if she'd been born twenty years later, when women were more empowered and it was more acceptable for them to be in control of their own lives. She was so passive, and I found that irritating. But it was entertaining and well written, and I would add an extra half star if I could.