I forgot I was reading an excerpt - once I met Sparrow I became so absorbed in the story that I was surprised when it ended. Mary Cecilia Jackson has created characters so real and relate-able that I'm dying to read the rest of the story. I am worried about Sparrow - the story description mentions abuse in Sparrow's past and a "brutal assault" by the seemingly dreamy Tristan - but i'm interested to see how Jackson handles the situation. I run the library at a middle school and I'm excited to recommend this book to the kids who will love it, as well as to kids who need it.