this was definitely a hard book to read, with more gruesome details than i was expecting, but it is completely necessary. this book so clearly portrays the struggle of admitting and escaping abuse. the manipulation that tara went through was gut-wrenching, not to mention the physical abuse. i found it interesting that throughout the entire book tara is examining and analyzing all of her fathers actions but very rarely does she do the same for her mother. how no matter what her mother did or said to her, she can never stop seeing her mother as the miserable, manipulated woman who was brainwashed by a horrible man. its hard for me to see her mother that way from this portrayal, but i understand that she clings to the belief that her mother deep down wants what is best for her, even if they dont agree on what that is.