Warner Books
ISBN: 0-446-57875-4

Ronnie Swan's childhood ended when she held her two little sisters as they bled to death. The man who attacked the children is diagnosed with schizophrenia and let off light, as far as Ronnie is concerned. Fear and anger become her constant companions as she struggles through the next four years. A devout Mormon, the questions of a faith and retribution war with her need to be part of a living family.

Told from Ronnie's viewpoint years down the road, this novel follows her spiral from normal kid to seeker of vengeance. Determined to make Scott Early pay for the loss of her sisters, Ronnie devises a plan that will put her within striking distance.

In a complex voice very few authors can pull off, Jacquelyn Mitchard has once again raised the standard. She has woven a maelstrom of emotion that will suck the reader into depths few people have explored. What would you do if you were only twelve and your baby sisters were slaughtered right under your nose? What effects do family, religion, community, and one's own personality have in the aftermath of tragedy?

Mitchard explores these questions and more in this intricate tale. Although the reader knows from the beginning that Ronnie was victimized and seeks to find her own path to justice, there are surprises all along the way, not the least being the way Ronnie's plan plays out.

In a masterful stroke, Mitchard will drawn the reader from childhood bliss to the depths of human emotion. This is an excellent novel, but come to it prepared not only with tissue boxes, but with a courageous heart.

Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer
5-15-2006

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