I enjoyed this book so much and I can't really put my finger on exactly why. The writing was done really well and the plot had a little bit of everything - tragedy, murder, mystery, young love, found love - but I think it was how well drawn the characters were that really endeared me to this story. The author has a easy talent at creating characters that are instantly familiar without ever forcing anything on the reader. Each of the characters in the book were given the same amount of fluid and thoughtful attention by the author. This attention gave them the ability to seamlessly drift through the entirety of the story, weaving themselves in and out of the plot and in and out of each others lives without ever leaving anyone behind. Each time a character came back into the forefront it was like seeing an old friend. It's been a long time since I have thought a book was too short, but when I got to the end of this one I could have had much more the stories these characters have.