Though Billy Dead was one of the best works of fiction I have ever read, Reardon's sincerity is lost in her latest.She is trying altogether too hard.I found myself, sadly, desiring to skip entire paragraphs and when I did, I missed nothing. Then I did the unthinkable. About 80 pages in I skipped to the last two chapters just to get it over with.Much like overacting, she is over exerting herself as she tries to develop believable, empathy evoking characters.Had I never read Billy Dead, I would not read her again. But knowing the talent of which she is capable, I await her next work, with hopes that she relaxes and tells me a story that compels me to read every word.