A story from the Sonora desert to NYC from youth to young adult from immigrant parents' control to self control. Spirits and death seem to lurk in Ahlam's life. She things going to NY will keep the spirits at bay.She goes with her friend, Laura, where they find their friend, Dylan, an artist who gives them a place to live [a tent]. A tale of their experiences of the heavens, stars, sea and ghosts.

I've meant to read this for so long and finally did thanks to the publisher, Soho Press, via Netgalley. Assadi was recently honored by the National Book Foundation as one of their "5 Under 35" authors of acclaim.

The settings (Sonora Desert and later New York City) are vivid and the two female friends growing into women are connected to the landscapes in a number of ways. Either one of them or the place might be cursed, because other teens start dying in their community. Ahlam, the daughter of an Israeli mother and Palestinian father, has dreams/visions that feel like clues.

There are elements that to me give away that this is a debut novel from a writer with an MFA program influence - extraordinary drug use for one - but it is stronger and more captivating than most novels in that vein. I liked the multiple timelines and storylines and the focus on the parents at times. The biggest strength is the sensory writing.

I was excited to read this book as I have lived in the area in which the book takes place. I was disappointed when I found that I could not follow the thread of the story. It seemed to jump from past to future to present often in the same paragraph. It was difficult to follow.