Author had a good understanding of the teenage mind with all its turmoil, confusion and angst. Especially of those teens growing up in such a poor and depressed town.
I didn't feel a real connection to any of the characters, with the exception of Heather, and some of their actions (Bishop's for example), didn't really makes sense to me.
"The sky was deepening, the light was fading and so were the colors, swirling away behind the line of trees beyond the ridge, as though someone had pulled the plug"
"...about her fears that she would never get out of Carp and it would eat her up, swallow her as it had her mom, turn her into one of those brittle, bitter women who is old and drug-eaten and done at twenty-nine."
"My point is, when you love someone, when you care for someone, you have to do it through the good and the bad. Not just when you're happy and it's easy."
I just finished this one and feel pretty much the way you do.
Nice to have someone agree with me Laura - now to just get the kids to agree with me LOL - thanks for commenting Laura!