As soon as I picked this book up I was immediately drawn in. So much so that I read right through the entire book in just one day! Throughout the novel the author dropped hints of each character's past without getting too deeply involved. This technique worked so well for the narrative; even though each character had depth and darkness in their lives, the reader "watches" them learn not to be sunk down by it, just as the reader is not allowed by the author to sink into the rich darkness of each of their pasts. It was so refreshing to me that the author could take such heavy issues, address them all and still make the reader feel this was a lightweight read. It was nice to have touched on these issues without the politics that are usually involved. It was really cool to stop and realize that the actual present of the entire book takes place within 24 hours (I was so impressed with how the author did that!). The only reason I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 is because I became so invested I was hungry for more details- there were times where the vagueness was a little frustrating.