This is the story of Emma who is trying to outrun her past and runs headfirst into trouble. She meets Lowell who agrees to take her to the Badlands, her final destination. She and Lowell end up in a fight and she leaves him for dead and steals his van. The van runs out of gas in front of a little diner and that's where the story really gets strange. She comes across a little boy, Earl, wearing a tinfoil mask to hide his scarred face. His mother is gone (and become a crow he says) while his violent father is on the prowl. Earl wants Emma's help to get rid of his father George so they can continue to live in the little community together.
This story is full of violence from the beginning and while this isn't the usual type of story I read, I couldn't put it down. There was so much going on from the first page, it really holds your attention and you find yourself suspending belief while reading parts of it.
As the book continues, Emma, finds out that you can't always run from your past and you have to stand up and take responsibility for it. Maybe Earl is just the person to help her do so.