RaveThe Chicago TribuneJoe, his parents and a lively cast of friends and relatives do learn more about the crime, and their investigation gives meaning to the complicated task of healing. One of the true accomplishments of the novel, however, is that this meaning is never simple, never easy or satisfying … It works especially well that Joe is only 13 years old. As it is for many adolescents, the certainties of Joe's life (his mother's pain, his father's frustration, some people's cruelty, others' generosity) don't add up to anything that feels whole. Instead learning more actually feels disconcerting, a sense we share with Joe.
