Legends Press, April 1, 2016.
Three Stars
Aggie and her sister JoJo live on a farm in Texas
with their father and brother, both of whom are physically and sexually abusive.
JoJo tries to protect her younger sister as much as she can, but she isn’t
always successful. At fifteen, Aggie has never known anything different in her
life, but she still dreams of escape. One day, she walks out the front door as
usual – but for once, she just keeps walking.
With no experience in the outside world, and no
preparation for her journey, Aggie ends up walking the highway, hitchhiking
with anyone who will pick her up. She seems to have no fear, extorting money
from the men who pick her up by threatening them that she will say they kidnapped
her. Aggie meets many people as damaged as she is, and forges connections from their
shared history of abuse. Eventually, she ends up becoming a part of a new
dysfunctional family – a group of squatters who each have their own dark
problems.
As she settles in with her new group of friends, Aggie
finds herself embroiled in a crisis involving drugs and stolen money. Living with
her group of misfit friends in a derelict house, Aggie sees no alternative but
to help them. This is a gritty coming of age story, shadowed by the difficult
subject matter of systemic abuse and highlighting the fact that most victims
have nowhere to turn for help. Aggie’s journey is one of self-discovery, as she
searches for a better life – but instead of finding it, she just experiences different
forms of abuse.
Aggie is a strong character, and her unique opinions
and distinct speech patterns make her seem very human – but she never seemed
able to empathize with others. After her traumatic experiences with her
friends, Aggie eventually realizes that she must return home to confront her
past. However, instead of facing her fears, she learns new shocking secrets
about her family. Some scenes are too convenient and obvious, but the overall
plot has a good flow and quickly moves forward. Aggie is a difficult character,
but she grows into a strong woman throughout her tough experiences. I wasn’t
always able to suspend disbelief during Aggie’s unusual journey, but it was
interesting to be along for the ride.
I received this book from Legends Press and NetGalley
in exchange for an honest review.
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