When it feels like you have no family, and all the family you do have is dead, crazy, or deserts you, what do you do? Twelve-year-old Ibby (Liberty) has to face this fact head on as she is abandoned by her mother to live with a grandmother she did not know existed after her father dies. Moving from Olympia, Washington to New Orleans is quite a culture shock for her, as she experiences strange, but tasty food, a new kind of love, and a new kind of people. However, she has to contend with race, secrets, and her continuous loss as she tries to grow up and create an identity for herself. Set in the 1960s, this novel captures the spirit of the south in the eyes of a young girl new to its experiences.

The voice of Ibby was written extremely well. None of her narrations were over-thought (as she is only 12 in the beginning) and they reflect accurate feelings and situational awareness. The narration switches, however, from character to character. This can get confusing sometimes, but it keeps the story interesting as we alternate between characters and their own pockets of knowledge. The book did not seem to have an extremely structured plot, but rather the story became a character itself as it was shaped by the players and events that acted in it. Rather than the plot developing, the story did, as it follows Iggy growing from twelve years old to twenty. This story growth, as opposed to a typical plot development, made a very lovely collection of anecdotes that collect to shape Ibby and her new family’s life.

Unfortunately, none of the characters seemed very dynamic. Instead, they all fell in to an ending that felt very natural, but also predictable given they didn’t change much throughout the text. This flatness may also explain the lack of plot development. However, the characters themselves I did not feel needed to be changed much. Ibby was strong and passionate, did what she wanted (which was usually what was right), and expressed her emotions without hesitation, and this was seen from the first moment we meet her. It is extremely easy to absorb into her makeshift family, and to want to read this book all night long.

Bottom line: this novel brings up many issues including race, rape, and class, but does not resolve any of them on a worldly or moral-shaking scale. The characters are not extremely dynamic, but they are interesting nonetheless. If you are looking to absorb yourself in a well written read that feels like you’re hearing many stories told by a loving and wise grandmother, then this is the book for you.