This was one of those books I never wanted to put down. It's the story of a girl's life (Astrid's), first with her mother, then in the foster care system, after her mother goes to prison for murder. There's no doubt who gets punished more for this crime! Astrid is subjected to the supervision of a succession of adults, all who have problems and agendas of their own. Astrid must struggle to become a level-headed young woman who knows herself and what she wants from her life. The movie was good, but, as usual, there's so much more to the book.