Woodrell’s later book “Winter’s Bone” was one of my very favorite books read in 2007 and I’ve finally gotten around to reading one of his earlier works.

This novel has a similar focus on a downtrodden, lonely teen in a harsh poverty-struck landscape. But this book is a LOT creepier than Winter’s Bone and you are not (at all) left with the same sense of hope. That’s not a denigration / more of a gentle warning.

Lovely lyrical rhythm to his writing. But woah to come to that end…