This was great writing about such a group with so many problems
354327
This was great writing about such a group with so many problems.  I could not put the books down until I finished everyone.  Great read
641747
This is a must read about a dysfunctional family.  The writing is excellent.
1936010
The tragedy of Indian/American legal conflicts -- seen in questions over who has the right to prosecute crimes on Indian land versus  land in the control of the American government -- makes this painful story even more frustrating (which is great writing). This is not a happy ending story, but it's a great read  and you see a number of people dealing with painful realities, trying to survive.
2571019
The writing was not the best ("And then I walked here, and there, and everywhere"), but the message was incredible. The stories were fascinating & propelled me forward, & I would definitely recommend for anyone who is interested in learning about the mentality of religious groups, Scientology, parental choices, child labor (ha..ha....not actually funny), & coming-of-age stories. Especially one that involves breaking out of a cult that has been indoctrinating you from a very young age.
3842618
This is such a sad story in so many ways.  Here's a family trying to make it by working hard and buying into the American Dream only to have that dream shattered by racial/religious intolerance.  What a sad commentary on our country's original purpose.  This is also a fascinating read on how the administration both local, county, state and national reacted to the horror that was New Orleans.  I felt I was there with the dogs barking and the people stranded - not a comfortable read by any means but necessary to all of us.
2400800
This book is well written and interesting and brings up some ideas that are good for discussion.
Even though its setting is not realistic for today's society, the issues and concerns raised are very pertinent for children and adults today.
I found myself both sympathetic and frustrated with the main character; I wanted him to make the right choices and at times wished I could jump in the book to tell him what to do because he just wasn't getting it.
When I can be sympathetic to a character like this, the writing is very good.
It is interesting from the first page so it is easy to get involved with the story from the start.

I know some people were upset by the ending, but I thought it was appropriate.

I would recommend this go on your TBR list.
3876320
Its a very good insight into the many problems each of the two main characters faced and the good and the bad of both.
1430085
Very good writing. An unpleasant story with many unsavory details of the poor in London as well as the treatment of the blacks in Australia.
3244212
I was fortunate to get this as a free book. The writing is great and the story is heart breaking. I agree with another reviewer that this is not a happy book but it's frighteningly realistic and made me very angry at families who throw away their children, no matter the age, just because they cannot accept one thing about them.
1315084
These poor people in the book really have a lot of issues!  You keep thinking - surely there will be a positive side to the story somewhere!  Don't get me wrong - I loved the book.  It was complex on some levels and suspenseful enough to keep me reading.  Give it a try.
2459221
Very well written - they went through a hard time - family is certainly the key element in this book.
3159473
I found this book to be very well written but it made me very sad.  It helped me understand some of the challenges of the mmigrant community.  The characters were very well drawn but their communication skills were sorely lacking - thus the title of the book.  The narration stays mostly in their heads and they have a very difficult time sharing their true feelings about anything.  Their love for each other is strong and I kept wanting to encourage them to just talk to each other.  I would recommend this book to those readers who like novels with complex, not necessarily likable characters.
2494395
This was such great read..... This is a touchy subject, but a subject that needs to be addressed.  Well written, Generational Curses are real.....
2802076
I could feel all the problems she experienced, I too had so many of the same situations.  I loved it when she was trying to  get a job and the first thing they asked her was "could she type ".  It brought backk many memories.
3785730
This book took a lot of work, details many, about three 3 women (mid-east, USA, S America), all involved with women's abuse issues. One man also had his story, top police officer, typical anti-women, pro abuse, but he gets won over finally to support womens rights.  Many Secret Sisters groups were created as places where abused women and their children could go to find hope and protection. Sad but a powerful bell-ringer of a much too-common problem. Each person's story moves as series in sequence over time, which made it a bit hard to come back onboard and connect with earlier stories, but I got it. Definitely well-written and strongly makes the point -- stop women's abuse.
553017
Loved the writing! Great tackling of difficult themes- reason vs.superstition;mob mentality; self doubt; great tension & pacing. Could deal with some editing - Soutar comes back too often. All in all well worth the read!
174478
This book must have taken an incredible amount of research to write; its bleak tone was perfect for the depressing subject matter.  The author's skillful writing sucked me in, and I found it very hard to put down.  There was a very disturbing account of child rape that bothered me for days--even though it was fictional--because the perpetrator narrated it so nonchalantly.  That just demonstrates the author's talent for switching viewpoints among even the minor characters.

This novel follows 3 members of a family, which can get confusing--especially when it dragged in a few places with too much detail.  Nevertheless, it disturbed me long after I finished it--that's how realistic it was.