I do not know how to review this book.  I do not know the words to use, the viewpoint to take.  I do not have the skill to conjure the imagery required nor the sensitivity to discuss the emotions evoked.
We find 12 year old Olive Abernathy in a small Louisiana town, living with her parents and her younger twin brothers.  Her mother is shunned by the town, and by association so is Olive.  Olive hates her name, hates her brothers, hates her mother, hates school.  To offset this she loves her grandfather, her father, her friend, Henry (who is also an outsider); the bayou and most of all her book of postcards and her grandfather’s stories. 
From the outset the stage is set, the language hurtles you back to the south, the dialect is unmistakable and the language colourful, witty and funny.  Reminiscent of Huckleberry Finn and Old Yeller: children playing, discovering the world and the harshness of prejudice and the reality of bigotry. 
So Olive sets out in her Grandad’s footsteps – she is going to ‘ride the rails’ , see the world, have adventures and she co-opts her friend, Henry.  And therein lies the tale, literally.  And what a tale!
Oh, what a joy this is; it truly made my heart sing.  I read with anticipation, waiting for the next step; I read with trepidation – knowing how bad the world can be; and I wept for all the pain and cruelty experienced by those on the margins and as the world revolved again, felt thanks for those who see beauty and inspire love.  This book will remain in my thoughts for a long, long time.  

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

Olive Abernathy is a spitfire of girl who just turned 13 in the summer of 1979.  She’s feisty, cantankerous, and not afraid to speak what’s on her mind.  The one thing she longs for most is to get away from her hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana where to be an Abernathy means to be shunned, spit upon, and avoided at all costs.  

When Olive’s mother punches out the mother of Olive’s best and only friend, Henry, Olive feels she’ll never survive the embarrassment of her “redneck” mother’s actions.  When the call comes late that same night that Olive's beloved grandfather has died, she decides it's time to leave Louisiana and the Abernathy name behind for good.  Olive stops by Henry's to say goodbye and, like any best friend would,  he immediately packs up his suitcase and joins her... wherever they may be going.  However, Olive and Henry may have gotten more than they bargained for as they traverse the country in a "Trains, Planes, and Automobiles"-like adventure.

Joyfully drenched in colorful language (Olive's Mama has a saying for everything!), Kibbee richly portrays both place and time.  Pull out your ViewFinders, GenX-er's - it's time for solid wallop of nostalgia. 

Well done, Ms. Kibbee - I enjoyed it every step of the way!

When I read the synopsis of "All the Good Little Girls Keep Quiet," by K. Kibbee, I knew it was going to be a good one. What I wasn't prepared for was the emotional impact it would have on me as I journeyed along with Olive Abernathy, a spitfire of a thirteen-year-old I would've loved to have had as a friend. E

Everything about this novel was heartfelt, wickedly humorous, and full of fiery spice from two women who are anything but good quiet girls, a quality that becomes admired and even courageous by the end of the novel.

Olive Abernathy hates everything about her life. From her name, to her family, all the way down to her Louisiana roots that bind her to the family farm she's grown up on and may never leave due to her mother's watchful eyes. Growing up on the stories of others, Olive daydreams of going on similar adventures and finding the wild and beautiful side of life that she can't seem to in a town that judges her and her family. When Olive takes responsibility for a death, she becomes a restless hitchhiker who sets off to see the world and all it has to offer. Life on the road proves to be a much darker place than Olive ever could've imagined. With her friend Henry by her side, Olive navigates the darker side of humanity and comes to see the family and home she tested through new eyes with the help of the people she meets on her journey.

Kibbee is an author whose passion for writing and creating unique, vibrant characters become visceral throughout the story. Sounds, sights, smells, all of the senses come to life off the pages, creating a story that takes the imagination on a wild ride. I never imagined falling so deeply in love with the characters, plot, and story itself, but the brutally honest depictions of how life can beat a person down make Olive's adventure so special. Especially when there are characters who refuse to buckle under the weight of a tough life. "All the Good Little Girls Keep Quiet" by K. Kibbee is available on September 8th, 2020. Add it to your list right now!

Discovered this author on Twitter. Have read a few other books she has written. I love her writing style, but this book is amazing! By far, my favorite from K. Kibbee.

I adore the main character, Olive Abernathy. I fell in love with this character. All the characters are well-written, but I have to add a special mention to Mama and her witty and wonderful adages.  There's also, Henry, a voice of reason, and yet somehow devoted to Olive and her free spirit.

As a Louisiana resident, born and raised, I am amazed at how Kibbee has captured the locale and mannerisms of some of our "locals." I was quite surprised that the author is from an entirely different region. Again, this goes to show her talent.

Fair warning, this story is quite unlike Kibbee's other books. However, this truly does display the author's enormous writing talents. I have never been disappointed by this writer's work. I highly recommend this book and this author.

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. 

This is not my usual genre, I’m more into crime/thriller books and even psychological thrillers too so I  am extremely pleased and grateful to them for opening up my mind to something totally different.