Wasn't sure quite who this book was aimed at when it was suggested to me by the publisher and since it is a 120 page novella and a new author who I note has written some excellent articles and essays on narrative perspective and voice I thought I'd download it to kindle and read.

Its clearly a young persons book and an interesting take on a 12 year old dealing with growing up and the pain of separation from her best friend who has a terminal illness. Rather than get sentimental LaValle's flourishing imagination takes the girls to a place that may or may not exist on an adventure of a zombie-ish kind.

I think this book and others like Neil Gaiman's Coraline are really interesting for youngsters like my daughter who are drawn towards the much more imaginative, often dark, transformational kind of ouevres. Its not what I read as a child, but I see not only what my daughter reads, but what she creates herself (including graphic novels) with different characters, more Gothic and avant garde (not even sure of the word to describe it) and wonderful in a kind of ghoulish way.