Book Reviews
[L]ayered, evocative debut… [While] the recursive structure… [makes] it difficult for readers to fully connect with… characters, Burns beautifully renders [their]… desperation. Burns stunning prose is reason enough to keep an eye out for this promising writer’s next effort.
Publishers Weekly
It's tough enough for 15-year-old Wren Bird to live in a mountaintop cabin with no car and no visitors… even as her father… spends his Sunday spouting sermons…and handling snakes.… [A] supposed miracle performed by Wren's father leads to tragedy, making her examine her family history.
Library Journal
(Starred review) This gorgeously written, plot-rich novel examines the complex lives of five beautifully realized characters…. [T]he novel is also about story and its gradual morphing into legend…. This memorable… novel is exceptional in its power and imagination… a must-read.
Booklist
(Starred review) In an Appalachian hamlet, a girl’s world is shattered by the secrets of the adults around her.… Wren’s engaging, convincing voice leads the reader through her strange world. [This] teenage girl is the strong center of a fever-dream story of hidden pasts.
Kirkus Reviews
Shiner (Burns) - Book Reviews
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