Did anyone else have trouble connecting with the characters?

[Lucinda]

There were some things I liked about this book, but I simply couldn't see any of the characters as real people. They came across as cliches or as inconsistent for me. The ending made matters worse.

[Maria]

I came across this one from cover envy only- a random grab at my library, I actually really liked the characters- took me a little while to picture "charm"- I was ver surprised at the ending!!! I truly did enjoy this one

[Deb]

Yes... in fact I stopped listening to it midway because I realized I was "hate-listening". Partly the narrator but mostly the flat characters. I loved her 1st book!

[Lucinda]

I haven't read the first one, and I never listen to books, but I imagine that this would be a weird one to listen to anyway since each chapter focuses on a new character. Seems as if it wouldn't fit together well.

Maybe my expectations were too high because I had heard great things about the author.

[Chickenlips422]

I did not have trouble connecting with the characters, especially the two sisters. Maybe, because I am the oldest of two girls. I did not like the way her parents treated Allison. I did not expect the ending and as I looked back, I realized it should not have been.

[Ida]

I think there are two reasons the characters are difficult to feel empathy for; they lack depth and realism... those little details that make you think they are real in somebody's world, and their perspective pieces are too short (and too thinned out due to the vast number of them) to really give the reader time to nestle in to the character.
My larger issue with this book (and I cannot believe the rave reviews!) is the unrealistic nature of one event after another. From a girl and her entire family not knowing she is very pregnant, to the vicious, non-sensical bullying of ex-cons toward another ex-con, to the constant coincidences of the child and everyone connected to him... I won't go on for spoiler's sake. I have no comment on the ending because I quit on the book about half way in. I found myself detaching from the characters and not believing their over or under-reactions to the events around them.