Assigned reading for MLIS 7421: Multicultural Youth Literature.
Wow, I hated this so much. Jennalee's narrative voice made me want to scream. The writing relies so heavily on this over-the-top “country bumpkin” way of speaking, and Jennalee is downright cruel to everyone she meets, whether it's her siblings, Uncle Beau, or Rupert. Sure, she finally comes around in the end, but it's the biggest chore to trudge through her thought processes.
