This book would have been great if it had focused on homelessness. I would read it and my brain would say adverb. They just would not stick in my brain, especially Early. The character's names drove me absolutely nuts. I also didn't buy Early and Jubie calling their parents by their fist names. But all of the detective work seemed out of place in this story. Balliett did an excellent job with the details. I found myself interested in Early's experiences at the homeless shelter and the new school. Trying to connect them into one story was like mixing oil and water. Life in a homeless shelter and the mystery surrounding Dash. I felt like this book was running two plots. Summer and the kids end up in a homeless shelter. But the library job doesn't pay much, so Dash gets involved in book collecting on the side. His daughter, Early, and son, Jubilation, appreciate their dad's love of books. He works at the library and loves Langston Hughes, books, words, dictionaries and rhythms. Although Dash and his wife Summer got married in high school, he is really intelligent. I loved the opener describing the disappearance of Dash at 1:11, 2:22, 3:33 and 4:44. I really had to slog through it to get to the end.
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