Hartnett’s dense, sensory prose captures the misery roiling beneath the surface of Plum’s awkward, average existence, while the adolescent sense of drama that suffuses the plot should allow teen readers some purchase on an otherwise difficult, though rewarding, read.
—The Horn Book (starred review)
The deliberate pacing, insight into teen angst, and masterful word choice make this a captivating read to savor.
—School Library Journal (starred review)
The portrait of Plum is exquisitely written; the third-person point of view is steeped in emotional clairvoyance and expressed in poignantly age-appropriate phraseology.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)
Hartnett’s exquisite prose is soaked in visceral descriptions of consumerism, human weakness, and an ugliness that lies just below the surface of everyday life.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Suffused with the helpless shame of being unable to soothe the private sadness of loved ones, this is another strong addition to Hartnett’s impressive bibliography.
—Booklist
Lush with a melancholy beauty.
—Kirkus Reviews
With heavy language, lavish imagery, and a psychological focus, Hartnett’s novel is, stylistically, a piece of literary fiction—a genre not often seen in the cannons of young adult literature.
—VOYA
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