Y a novel

Very close to a four-star book, actually, but I'm not feeling generous today :) I was completely swept up in the tragedy of Shannon's early life as she bounces between foster homes and suffers the indignity of not knowing who she is. Celona emphasizes the importance of family in creating identity, but Shannon cannot move forward until she understands her past. Things disintegrated for me towards the middle of the book, as Shannon struggles through adolescence. and though I appreciated the empathy and kindness of strangers towards the end of the novel, it felt a bit forced. And even though she forms the structure Y, Shannon's mom, Yula, didn't seem fully realized.