If you are looking for a light, feel-good book stay away from this one, but if you want a book that can make you feel from the depths of your soul-- anger, hurt, sadness, laughter, and pure joy then read this book. Cupcake's story (yes that is her real name) shows you the worst of humanity and the best. I spent much of this book disgusted by the cruelty of people Cupcake encountered in her childhood and youth only to be constantly amazed by the generousity and compassion of those who she
encountered later in her story. But truly the most amazing person in this book is Cupcake herself. She is proof that with determination and hard work dreams can become reality. I am sad to have to leave Cupcake now, but her story will never leave me. This is one of those that sticks.

I really wanted to love this book and there were things about it that I did love, but it was very predictable for me. I loved the dog's perspective on things but really didn't ever feel like this book took me as deep as I wanted it to take me. It dealt with some pretty depressing things yet I really didn't feel the pain the way I would have expected to feel it. I am a person who cries at everything and I thing I only shed a couple of tears in this book, (and honestly I can't recall a book where I didn't.) I still think it was a sweet book and I recommend reading it, just perhaps not with as high of expectations as I had. The members of our club who went in with no/lower expectaions seemed to enjoy it greatly.

This was an incredible story of the authors troubled childhood. The thing I kept thinking was how did people with so much promise wind up such a mess and how did the author come out of this as such a seemingly normal, well adjusted adult. The way Walls describes the events as she felt them at the time without the judgement that comes from reflection and age really added to the book. So many things were just accepted as reality. I couldn't put the book down from the very first chapter.