(This review contains spoilers.)This is certainly a very lush and evocative coming-of-age story, sounding much more YA-ish (conflicts with parents, missing friends, crush on boy) in the first half than the second. I particularly liked the way Benita's mother was drawn, and I thought her father's boorish behavior and conflicts with the natives were (sadly) about what you would expect would happen in real life. However, the last part -- "suddenly we all get along like BFFs even though we were at each other's throats last time we appeared in the book" didn't quite ring true for me. I'm not saying Benita should have to come home to the ravaged foundation of her family's house and scorched fields of their plantation, but the sudden spirit of happy cooperation between Dad and the islanders just didn't jibe.I can't make up my mind about the old woman. Real-life hermit, witch or shape-shifter? Or all three?