If Goodreads had half stars, I'd probably give this 2 1/2. There's a solid, interesting premise here. But ultimately I was disappointed by this book, and like I told a friend, I'd rather actively dislike a book than be disappointed by it! 
 I really expected to enjoy this book. The idea of parents deliberately breeding "freaks" and the family's story sounded like a disturbing, complex, fascinating idea for a novel! And it is. There's certainly fascinating parts of the book. My issue is that they're strung out over a story that feels needlessly long and is additionally thinned out by the addition of a present-time storyline that adds nothing to the core story of the Binewski family. I wish the author had just written an amazing short story or novella, instead of dressing it up with the jumping between timelines. 
 However, even with the book feeling too long (and it's only 320ish pages, it's not that long) the emotional climax of the book was absurdly short. We get chapters and chapters of backstory through the family's history, aaaaand then suddenly (view spoiler)[everyonekillseveryoneandthekidgoesnutsandthere'sahugefiretheend. (hide spoiler)] That's literally what it felt like to read that part. 
 I also never really engaged or believed in Chick's power - telekinesis I could understand, but he was (view spoiler)[almost godlike in his abilities. I'm supposed to buy that he can fly the tiniest of cells through the air and magically inseminate people? I'll suspend my disbelief, but it just never felt real or authentic to me. (hide spoiler)] 
 Another sticking point was the whole Miss Lick current storyline. Why on earth (view spoiler)[would she want to help Miranda get rid of her tail? Her MO is to make beauties into grotesques to help them succeed. I'd think she'd want to make the tail bigger or give her more tails or even just turn her into a lizard or something to go with the tail. (hide spoiler)]