It is really difficult for me to rate The Rib King -- if I could give half stars, I'd say this is more of a 2.5. It felt like two separate books crammed into one and the overall effect it left me with wasn't great. I enjoyed the first half of the book from the perspective of Mr. Sitwell (who would become The Rib King), though I did find it a bit slow and meandering. It was well-written and engaging enough that I kept at it, even after putting the book down once or twice when it didn't hold my attention. Once the perspective shifted to Jennie years later, I just couldn't get into it. The storyline felt jumbled and pieces kept being introduced that didn't really go anywhere. The ending was just ... not good. A lot happened all at once and it didn't feel like it was fleshed out in any real way. By the time I finished the book, I was left asking myself what I just read and feeling really dissatisfied. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this to a friend.