June's suffering at the hands of her stepmother and stepsister make life at home unbearable, and school is no better. Her mom is dead, her dad doesn't have any idea of what is happening to June, and her teachers ignore the bullying she suffers. Then one day June meets Blister in the woods, a boy who is home schooled nearby, and he provides an escape from her reality.

The alternating time periods were difficult to follow at first, but the intended effect was not lost. Beautifully written and heartbreaking.

The story of abuse in this novel is emotional and raw. It tears at the soul. But the non-linear timeline really detracted from the story for me. I kept wondering why we were always flashing forward and backwards and to what value did this literary device add to the narrative.