I prefer the literary quality of Mud Girl over that of Alone at Ninety Foot. Acheson imparts a realism to her characters while at the same time offering her readers superior prose. Mud Girl is a glimpse into one girl’s struggle to scrape together meaning from the mediocrity of her life, a mediocrity that is fuelled by circumstances seemingly out of her control. A depressed father, an absent mother, a run-down house on the mud banks of the Fraser River in Delta British Colombia—all of these elements are woven together by Acheson to create a novel about a young girl, Abi, becoming a young woman under less than ideal circumstances. Acheson focuses on how Abi grows from the new relationships forged throughout the novel, particularly her more experience boyfriend, Jude. The decision Abi comes to make at the end of the novel is unexpected but should be interpreted as insight into the kind of person she seeks to become. Also recommend M. Buffie’s Out of Focus (2006). ( )