This book took a LONG time to warm up to...but in the end it was worth it. ( )

This is a coming-of-age story about a girl growing up in an unusual living situation in Philadelphia. It uses the setting of a prison to tackle issues including grief, friendship, and mental illness. ( )

Cammie O'Reilly lives at the Hancock County Prison--not as a prisoner, she's the warden's daughter. She spends the mornings hanging out with shoplifters and reformed arsonists in the women's excercise yard, which gives Cammie a certain cache with her school friends.

But even though Cammie's free to leave the prison, she's still stuck. And sad, and really mad. Her mother died saving her from harm when she was just a baby. You wouldn't think you could miss something you never had, but on the eve of her thirteenth birthday, the thing Cammie most wants is a mom. A prison might not be the best place to search for a mother, but Cammie is determined and she's willing to work with what she's got.

Written from the perspective of a woman looking back 50 years in time telling her story of growing up near a prison, her relationships with her friends, the trustee (prisoner) who is her nanny.housekeeper, the other prisoners, and the absence of her mother.
The third book I've read recently about a really angry girl who lost parent(s) and has to find her way out. This one might hold more appeal to adults because of writing style. ( )

Parents need to know that this book conquers tween issues of grief and anger. The main character, Cammie, lives in a prison where her mom is the Warden. ​The main character, Cammie, struggles to understand the changes her best friend is going through -- a new obsession with clothing, boys, and tanning. At first, it seems like a perfect book for all ages. However, she begins to act out -- trying cigarettes, shoplifting, etc. The book also has one instance of profanity. Cammie also conquers some pretty big identity issues. ( )