This is no sunny stroll through the heartland, folks. More like a tornado. You'll get to fly along on the tattered coattails of young Luli as she leaves behind a pair of hopelessly alcoholic, despairing, self-absorbed parents and sets out west for Las Vegas in search of a better life. At thirteen she's smart ... damaged, but smart. But she gets caught up in a whirlwind of trouble when she runs into a violent cowboy drifter and a sexy grifter named Glenda. This is a dark, harrowing read, but Luli is funny, ambitious, resourceful, and determined to come out on top no matter what. You keep rooting for her to not only survive, but to win. A very worthwhile read.

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Bittersweet coming-of-age story about a 14-year-old who sets out to find herself a sugar daddy after her alcoholic parents abandon her, with predictable results.

The character of Luli is a heartbreaking blend of naivete and sass, responsible for herself for most of her life as her disillusioned and dissatisfied parents drink and feud their way through life. When her mother takes off with what Luli assumes to be a new boyfriend and her father hits the road in disgust, she makes the logical (for a 14-year-old who is just becoming aware of her own sexuality) decision to hit the road for Las Vegas, where she is sure she will find a sugar daddy to meet her worldly needs forever after.

Predictably, the world she leaps into with such eagerness is much less forgiving and welcoming than she had assumed it would be.

The novel is saved from unrelenting gloom by Luli's narrative voice, which is absolutely unique and spot-on. She has seen too much, yet understands too little when she sets out on her Quixotic journey, unaware that there can really be only one end.

Much is made on the cover of this novel becoming "a major motion picture", but one can hardly imagine the transition being successful. Skip the movie. Read the book.

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