Review: Not for the faint of heart
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 03 10, 2012
Nancy Callahan, house mother at Pine Grove School (a detention center for juveniles), is 6'2", insecure, severely lacking in self-esteem. She has college degrees, experience and professional position, but is jealous of the childcare workers' (especially Maritza's) ability to build rappport with the residents. Jessica arrives. She's a horribly disfigured young woman, a victim of her father's abuse, who professes to be a witch. The police officers who deliver her to the school think that word should be spelled with a "b".Jessica eventually tricks Nancy into thinking she likes her -- a lot. Then one night Nancy is left alone with the houseful of girls, because Maritza's child is ill and she leaves work early. What ensues is a vivid depiction of the influence that prior events in our lives have on us, how they determine who we are and shape our behavior.This is a gripping, horrific, fast-paced and well-told story. It's also very disturbing, with disgusting language and situations; not for the squeamish.As far as punctuaion, grammar and homophone issues (your/you're, bridle/bridal, etc.), there were far too many to count. If those things annoy you, don't buy this book.