As I read the beginning of this book and imagined the scenario described--so many people from all over the United States living in close quarters thanks to the stress and economic hardship of war--I couldn't help but be reminded of a reality TV series (The Real World). This book is very compelling because it offers a detailed picture of such a unique and specific wartime scenario, and uses regional difference to highlight the complexity of the United States in the face of World War II. The writing was well done, and has already made me develop some very pointed alliances with characters in the book. The living situation in this book reads like a powder keg just waiting to go off, and I can't wait to know more about how that will unfold!