Billie girl

It was interesting to see life through Billie's eyes. Growing up in the South in the 1900's, she has to fend for herself often. If graphic descriptions of bodily functions and sexual exploits bother you, this may not be a book for you. However I can honestly say that I found it a necessary part of the novel. How else would Billie learn about her body than through self exploration? It isn't as though there were sexual education classes in her lifetime. In a way, it does make sense.

This story is just so dark. I completely understand why, since Billie's life is never easy, but it is a challenging read. A big part of this book is euthanasia which can be uncomfortable at times. Billie learns at an early age about “killing for mercy” and doesn't seem at odds with it in the least. The reader will soon realize that Billie never catches a break in this story. Each time something devastating happens you hope for the best, but it just never seems to make a difference. I was impressed with Billie's ability to just accept her fate and move on. Put in her shoes, I would be quite a mess.

My biggest issue with this story was how mundane it is at times. Granted we are following a character through her day to day life, but I feel as if there could have been more character development during these times. There were portions of the story that just lagged. I also never really felt that I knew Billie and her counterparts, even as I was turning the last page. Good writing, difficult story material, okay characters. With all that combined, this book falls into my “just okay” list.