andrea draper

This book is very true to life. That's why I thought it was excellent. That and the story is very well crafted. It is a bit predictable if you are an adult. But the target audience is 12-16yr olds. & for them without a fully programmed brain, not so predictable. What I like the most about this book was that the characters are like characters in my real life. They are so flawed. But not pathologically flawed to the point that they would be, you know, doing some kind of crazy off the wall crime making them unique. No, these are your run of the mill stupid people making stupid choices that result in lots of suffering for everyone involved. Most of the choices are made out of the desperation of poverty. This is the half of U.S. society that works in the kitchen, works at the Walmart, works answering phones, works the Amazon delivery system, etc. At least as far as my life is concerned that's been the norm: the type of behavior exhibited by many of the characters in this book. I'm not one of those people. I mean, I guess I am to some extent. But I didn't go having any children or anything like that. Because I realized that I am not emotionally stable enough. These are like the people around me who did have children. Dickens characters come to mind like Fagen, Nancy & Bill Sykes. I do have some people around me, particularly in my neighborhood of origin where I grew up, who are way more run of the mill characters in books/film. They're way more stable, make better choices, which lead to better outcomes, in turn better lives, etc, like the type of people in Judy Blume novels & Norman Lear sitcoms. They're more affluent & inhabit the middle class- just in over the threshold of the wealthier half of U.S. society. These people can afford to make better choices. This is not that kind of novel. These are characters like from a Roald Dahl novel or a John Leguizamo film- they make bad decisions, they lead sloppy lives. Hopefully it allows a young person to be able to compare & contrast their own path. Then come to the realization that they can make better decisions than the adults so far around them. & can begin to see, thanks to the dramatization in the novel of similar people to the people in the child's life, to see through those book characters where the adults around the child's life are going wrong. INSIGHT! This book can provide a lot of insight to a certain sect of people that we wish to have this kind of insight. This book can provide a lot of support to a certain sect of people who need that kind of support. This book is a benefit to so many people. That's why it was awarded as it has been. Those who cannot find value in this book have a deficit of insight, empathy, awareness & depth. That's why they can't understand the awards. Trust the literary scholars, this book 100% deserves every one of them.