Rating: 
Summary: I loved this book!
Review: I hardly have time to read books, but I made myself sit down and start this. Well, I could not put it down. It is absolutely wonderful! I wish Laura Moriarty would write a sequel, so we could know what happened to these characters. Evelyn is realistic, and all of the events in the book relate to realistic things that happen as someone grows up! I love the connections to the 80s, since I am an 80s girl. READ THIS!
Rating: 
Summary: A Great Read, Wonderful Characters
Review: I know that lots of comparisons have been made to Harper Lee and To Kill a Mockingbird, but that's not entirely fair as this book would stands on its own with no predecessors of the form. The main character really triumphs, in the end, surviving exposure to about every "bad influence" possible, and rising above it all. Some of the situations presented are tough, but they only make you bond more with the heroine and follow her progress all the more closely. I read it in one day's time, neglecting all other responsibilities! Highly Recommended
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful debut!
Review: I learned of this book in PEOPLE magazine. OK, so PEOPLE may not be the Times Best Seller List, but I was intrigued by the fact that it was about a girl growing up in the 1980's. I, too, grew up in the 1980's. In fact, I was the same exact age as the main character, Evelyn, during this period. The period references were right on the mark. Laura Moriarty captured the thoughts and feelings of Evelyn perfectly as she grew from a 10 year-old to an 18 year-old girl. I could relate to Evelyn in so many ways. Overall, this book was well-written, enjoyable and a quick read. I was sad when it ended. I look forward to Laura Moriarty's next novel.
Rating: 
Summary: good, but not great
Review: I liked this book, but I did not love this book. It came highly recommended to me, and I can see why many would like it. The writing is excellent, and the author knows her subject well. The characters are people I have known growing up in the South, with all their trials and tribulations. However, I read for escape and this book is not about escape. It was depressing to me.
Rating:
Summary: A nice surprise
Review: I picked this book because this little snippet of storyline I read caught my eye. I was in for a very pleasant surprise. A very nice read. The storyline is extremely relatable. I thought it first this would be another book filed with teen angst, but instead it was filed with triumph of the spirit. Life sometimes gives you lemons and this book is about someone making lemonade. This story is about how you are born into certain life situations and what we make of them.
Rating:
Summary: Evelyn rises from Kansas
Review: I recommend this book to readers my age (roughly the age the protagonist's mother, Tina, might be)and to readers of the heroine's age. Although the protagonist, Evelyn, shows little compassion for her mother or for other women trying to raise kids on their own (Travis and Deena's mothers, for example), the coming of age story rings true of the experiences of my own daughter, her friends, and those of my students. This writer, Laura Moriarty, is sophisticated and skilled enough that as she herself ages, her narrative gift will mature as well. I liked the parallels with the Wizard of Oz (which the goofy mothers watch with tears in their eyes). The novel opens with Ronald Reagan; is he the Wizard? The child, Evelyn, thinks that Kansas must be the center of the world just as she is the center of her own world, not because she wants to be, but because she has to be grown up far before she's able. Fathers hardly exist in the novel--Evelyn's grandfather spawns many children and has left his wife permanently disabled and paralyzed, and he calls his daughter (Tina) and her child (Evelyn) [prostitutes]. Evelyn has no idea who her own father is, and appears to have no desire to find out. The thematic text about good and evil, chance, infinity, life and death, giftedness, and spirit is all deftly painted through the actions and interactions of the characters.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Voice
Review: I resisted buying this book three times, and finally (I have to admit) it was the Anna Quindlan recommendation that convinced me. My only regret is that it cost me a week of knowing Evelyn and her wonderful view of the world. Evelyn's observations about her mother, teachers, church and peers are funny, wise, witty and honest-- the author has captured the voice of a teenage girl and made these observations believeable. Evelyn endures much, survives it all, and the story is so compelling that I stayed up all night to find out what would happen to Evelyn in her high school years. This is a great book. I can't wait for Laura Moriarty's next main character and story!
Rating:
Summary: An enjoyable, well paced read
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book, especially the early pages when Evelyn was youngest -- though at those early ages she was remarkably erudite and thought-full. Was I at those ages? Hmmm, I don't think so. An unusual child (Evelyn, not me). I could identify with Evelyn's self-absorption. Toward the end, when her friend gets pregnant, it felt like "Riding in Cars with Boys" -- probably because how so many young lives were changed by a teen pregnancy/teen lust. I recommend this book; seems more of a book for women's tastes, rather than a man's, but maybe it's just me. I'm female.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully written but a downer
Review: I thought this was a very well-written book. The characters, situations and dialogue were very real and believable. However, there was always an underlying of feeling sadness and dysfunction that I found to be too much of a downer to make me run out and tell all my book-loving friends to grab this and read. I wanted it to be a bit more charming/sweet to balance the depressing parts.
Rating:
Summary: One of my new favorites...Highly recommended!
Review: I was quite surprised to read that the previous reviewer found this book "depressing", I found it completely inspiring...my daughter saw this book in SEVENTEEN Magazine and HAD to have it...she loved it so much that I read it as well....my husband is reading it now, too...I wish this book had been around when I was growing up....the main character, Evelyn, does face many hardships, and Moriarty completely nails what it feels like to live on the outskirts of nowhereville, but she learns through trial and error that your choices define you more than your circumstances....the voice of Evelyn rings so true, and I love that the mother, Tina, is neither a saint nor a sinner...details about the 1980's, from a child's perspective, bring the story to life...I am going to recommend this book to everyone...anyone who feels that life isn't always fair will find this book inspiring....very well written, apparently this is her first novel, and I would love to read more of her work.
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