This was a tough one to rate. It was well-written and interesting, but incredibly hard to read. I struggled in particular with Jeannette's mother - she was a sympathetic character initially and seemed as much a victim of her husband's alcoholism as the kids, but by the end she seemed entitled and selfish. (The anecdotes about the chocolate bar and the diamond ring were particularly hard for me to swallow.) I raged on Jeannette's behalf and hugged my son a lot. It would have been easier to read this before I became a mother. 
 This did spark a lot of good discussion in my book club. Would the kids have been better off if CPS had removed them from the home? (view spoiler)[What does Maureen's relatively easier upbringing coupled with her failure as an adult mean for our children (not much, but it's interesting to think about). (hide spoiler)] How can we raise empathetic, capable children in a community with almost no economic diversity? 
 I wouldn't read this book again, and I probably wouldn't recommend it, but don't let that dissuade you if you're interested.