Below is a summation of the members' reactions to this work.
This selection is a fictional account of three children whose family operates an alligator wrestling theme park in the Florida Everglades sometime in an unspecified time period. When the mother dies, the family begins to come apart and 13-year-old Ava struggles desperately to save what is left of the only life she's ever known.
Most of the group members found at least one element in the book that they enjoyed, particularly the historical elements about the various attempts to develop the Everglades. But, most members also felt the story was too strange to recommend to others. The sister who falls in love with a ghost and the unconventional family dynamics made it hard to suspend disbelief. One member expressed dismay at the language used by the brother and his coworkers later in the novel. Yet, every member felt sympathy for the young heroine and admired her struggle. Several felt this was a good title for book groups as it generated a great deal of discussion. There were some members who couldn't get into the book and abandoned reading it while others said they were definitely glad they had kept reading as the end was worth it.
