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Foreseeing a hopeless future in barrooms and parking lots, cagey 13-year-old
Luli McMullen bolts headlong from the heartland, aiming at Las Vegas where
she expects to find herself a sugar daddy.
Almost immediately, crooked-bodied Eddie Kreezer, a roving obsessive with a violent
streak, and a fading but lovely grifter named Glenda begin to do battle for Lulis
head and heart.
On their perilous journey westward, Luli is introduced to drifters, lowlifes, strippers,
speed freaks, gold-diggers, and a Libertarian with a dog named Karl. Along the
way, she learns the truth of American rootlessness and discovers both the power
and the peril of her own sexual curiosity.
Part coming-of-age story and part raggedy picaresque, Hick leads us at a blinding
pace down broken roads through a world that seems to this extraordinary and
indomitable young girl dangerously uncharted.

2. Did you find the events of the novel and Luli's reaction to them believable? If so why? If not, why not? If someone were to say to you that this novel "lives in the voice of Luli," what do you think they might mean by that?

3. Did you find the book funny? If so, how would you describe the humor in it? If not, why not?

4. How would you describe the tone of the novel?

5. What are some of the themes you can identify in the novel? What elements of the novel lead you to identify those themes?

6. How does the setting of the novel interact or contribute to the themes of the novel and the way you read it?

7. How would you describe Luli to someone? Why?

8. Describe the other characters in the novel, including the minor ones, like Luli's school teacher. How, if at all, do they help move the plot and expose the thematic issues in the novel? How do they contribute to the development of other characters in the novel, especially Luli?

9. How realistic or well rounded did you find the characters in the novel? Are there parts of the story that make you feel sympathetic towards Tammy and Nick? If so, what are they? What do they add to the over all richness, or not, of the narrative?

10. How would you describe the author's apparent point of view about why people act the way they do in this world? Do you agree with her, or find it convincing? If so, why? If not, why not?

11. How do you interpret the ending, or the resolution of the novel? What are your feelings about Luli and her future? What led you to your conclusions?

This book is on these lists:

Great Reads from Unbridled Books by RichR

All lists >>

• January 2010 Indie Next List
• December 2009 Indie Next List
• November 2009 Indie Next List