2007 book 71

Lesley Kagen's Whistling in the Dark
This novel centers on ten year old Sally O'Malley. In the summer of 1959, her mother's in the hospital, her drunken stepfather isn't around, and her older sister is preoccupied with being eighteen, so it's just Sally and her wild little sister Troo, who Sally promised their dead father she'd protect. Meanwhile, there's a murderer and molester in town and Sally is not only convinced that she knows who he is, but that she's his next victim. It's a pretty riveting story--my only beef is that the writing gets a little too faux-childish at times, and the ending is clear to the reader long before it's clear to the protagonist, which can be a little bit frustrating. Still, I really liked the way the twists and turns played out, so I'll give it an A-.