My new rule on five stars is that the book shouldn’t startle me out of my willing suspension of disbelief with awkward writing, inconsistent characters, stupid plot twists or anything else annoying. I’m already breaking my rule. McCammon occasionally comes up with a simile that’s so ridiculous I just had to stop and shake my head; but on the whole, it’s a really great book. This is genre fiction, but it reads like literature. The characters and the setting are gritty and real. I could tell where the plot was going, but I was surprised at how it got there so it was ok. Take a plunge into depression-era Louisiana and prepare to be surprised.