The author writes with an unselfconscious brutal honesty. This is an intense forensic exploration of a dysfunctional family. I was totally enthralled and appalled and couldn’t put the book down until I found out what happened to Lily and her siblings. I was reminded of Flowers In The Attic (the Virginia Andrews classic, not the film) but this is the truest evocation of lingering trauma I have ever read. This bildungsroman is boldly written, at times shocking, creating an emotional rollercoaster of anger and pity. Compelling, visceral and immediate: an unconditional masterpiece.