Thoughts?

[Owen]

What did you think? I liked it and I'm interested in seeing what other people thought.

[Cristah]

I liked it a LOT. Picked it up accidentally, but man am I glad I did.

[Jennifer]

I was interested in reading it until I read the cliche plot device of the parents dying in a car accident at the start of the book. Parents dying of any sort of terrible accident is usually so off putting for me that I can't bring myself to finish reading. Too often it's used as a heartless catalyst just to give the protagonist drama... Is it any different here? I'm fearful.

[Betsy]

The car accident isn't used as a heartless catalyst here. Initially, the accident is used to highlight the fact that Cameron's emerging self-awareness is so conflicting, not having to face her parents knowing her "secret" is a relief. Later, being orphaned sets the stage for living with her religious Aunt, who is key to the story.

It's a great book. Give it a try. ;)

[Jennifer]

Could the story have not worked if the parents had been the religious ones? I guess that's what I don't understand about the usage of that sort of thing. The story would work just as well with a single mom, or just having the home life be that sort of set up.

[Owen]

I think every book is going to have a cliche plot device, or character, etc. but sometimes the author makes it more unique so I think emily m. danforth did that here.

[Betsy]

I don't think the story would have worked as well, if the parents had been the religious ones. As a result of the Aunt moving in with Cameron, a whole series of large and small changes occur in Cameron's life at a very pivotal time.

[Partial spoiler alert...]

One theme that runs through this book is Cameron's borderline obsession with VHS movie rentals. After Cameron is orphaned, the movie store owner lets Cameron "rent" as many movies as she wants for free. As her Aunt is settling in, Cameron takes the TV and VCR from her parents' bedroom and moves it into her room. These seem like minor details, but they are repeatedly relevant to the rest of the story.

Later, when a Really Big Problem pops up (I won't ruin it), her Aunt handles it in a way that just wouldn't be as believable if Cameron were still with her parents.

[Jennifer]

Of course such details are relevant to the story. If the author hadn't used such a cliche trope, she'd have found other ways to manage such things.

Just within that first chapter we have mention of how both the narrator and her mother should have died or had some injury at some point (the narrator having her head split open or however it was described, and the flood in the camping area). Not sure if it was meant to be some form of foreshadowing or what not but it seemed a little bit much to be drilling it into the readers head. I think the opening chapter would have been stronger without these references considering what the author was going to do with the plot.

Don't get me wrong--I've given it a read, and the writing is really quite well done--but relying on a car crash to set things in motion is painfully amateur, and in my opinion does detract from the book slightly.

[Anuja]

It was a very believable story. the characters, the plots and everything. Its a very good read, well written.

[Gen]

I liked it a lot and put it up there with Thirteen Reasons Why as a must read, for LGBT individuals my age especially.

[Scott]

One darn good book! I really couldn't put it down once I started. I don't believe it was simplistic or overdone to have the parents pass away, it just highlights the stark contrast in values between Cameron's parents and her extended relation.