Well written with characters who you care about but too many lapses that stretch credulity. Why even have the father? Ii have no idea who he is by what she wrote and he is a cliche almost to parody by not caring about whether his daughters or ex wife live or die. Because he …more has a girlfriend and rides around in a convertible - this is supposed to somehow indicate the type of man who would not attend his daughter's funeral or wedding - if his behavior is this bad give us a reason. Nobody even mentions him in inner thoughts. Totally unbelievable. And if Elv and Lorry are drug addicts which we are led to believe over and over why is there never a mention about getting them help from a rehab or narcotics anonymous or a therapist or something! And Elv magically stops on her own after being a totally self-destructive drug addict culminating in heroin living with someone who is using unto his overdose death. unbelievable. And the episode with the pedophile strains credulity as well. She saves her sister by going with a pedophile and her sister says nothing to anybody like where is this man taking my sister mom - forget dad obviously - and nobody ever says anything about this guy. I know the school covers it up but still the ring of truth is not there. Seems too contrived. And Lorry - this guy is a heroin addict for years and waits for her to get out of prison for several years and functions well enough to have a BMW and has an apartment building and - heroin addicts I have known are somewhat different especially over time. Too may lapses which is too bad because there are passages which are quite moving and descriptions which are poetic and just feels a little forced as too many books are to have elements which shock and are unique to set them apart. (less)