I think I'm on a bit of a Melina Marchetta kick. She's one of the few YA contemporary authors that I actually like. She's good though. I approve of her. 
 This is her first book, and that's evident by the writing. The wonderful lyrical prose that I loved in Saving Francesca and Jellicoe Road wasn't there. Or, if it was, it was dulled down quite a bit. The pacing also felt off, and the whole book seemed stilted as opposed to flowing. 
 That doesn't mean that the book was bad. On the contrary, I loved it. I just had to look deeper to find the things I loved so much. 
 I found them in the wonderfully rounded characters, the rich settings, and the themes that Marchetta delved into. Racism, illegitimacy, finding oneself, suicide, and family. All of these themes are deep and if done improperly, can leave the reader feeling too heavy and weighed down. Marchetta has the perfect balance that shows the serious side of life, but doesn't force the reader into a dark place. 
 Josephine was a marvelously strong character that I liked almost immediately. Her struggle to truly understand her mother and grandmother touched me. She was selfish, yes, but still a good character. 
 The thing that I must appreciated, however, was the way she held on to her innocence. It seems rare nowadays for purity to be addressed as something precious and perhaps something to be kept close. I liked that Jose didn't just give her body away at the first offer, but saved her virginity. Marchetta wrote this without being preachy, but still got her point across, and I loved it. 
 All in all, this book was good. Not great, not bad, but good. I'd probably give it 3.5 stars if I could, but four will have to do.