Well-written and tragic story. Not something I would ever want to read again. ( )

3.5 Miggy is a seven year old force of nature. She is curious, fearless, determined, strong willed and easily bored. She is like a whirlwind, flinging herself from one activity to the next. An only child indulged by her father, slightly less so by her mother, she is off putting to other children. Until one day at a dance class taught by her mother, she meets Ellen. Ellen is the perfect foil, quiet, calm, willing to indulge Miggy, follow her every lead. They are bet friends. One day though Ellen makes her own wishes, thoughts known, a day that will result in a terrible accident. Now, grief and guilt will enter their lives.

The writing, prose is wonderful, strongest when it centers on the girls. This is also the strongest part of the story, the adult world, relationships didn't have, for me, the same impact. A novel very much about relationships and the mysteries within, child, adult in different manifestations. How does one get over something that leaves a hole, not just in a family but in ones own being?

ARC from Edelweiss. ( )

A tragic novel with clear, precise prose. Characters that are relatable in how they think and act - written to be flawed and human. Although it is certainly not a mystery, it is a suspenseful tale about childhood. I look forward to reading more by Marisa Silver. ( )