Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a solid 4 stars. Well written with well developed and realistic characters, This is was story to sink your teeth into. Give the start a chance as it begins slowly and ramps up 1/4 of the way in.
If you enjoy a good story that can make you feel emotions this is a book for you.

A slow start to this book, but once I got into it I couldn’t put it down. I didn’t grow up in a small town, but I live in one now, and boy, did this book and it’s electric bunch of characters ring true! Everyone really does know everyone’s business, and grudges over the smallest things are held on to for generations. I liked the premise behind the book. It’s not new by any means, but its been written beautifully in a refreshing way that kept me turning the pages. I do have to say that some of the characters weren’t as well fleshed out as others, but the important ones were, and as I believe this is the authors debut I think they did a fantastic job. I laughed, I felt sad, I felt a whole gamut of emotions. Really enjoyed this and I highly recommend,

Copy kindly received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sounded interesting originally, but now that I have had a chance to sit down and try to read this, I immediately discovered that the writing style was not for me.

I enjoyed this but I realised I'm not really into sports in books like this. I think this is better suited towards people who understand the softball game better.

I did love the characters.

The Flood Girls was a slow burner for me, possibly because the setting and characters, in rural 90s Montana are so far outside my experience. However while I initially didn’t like many of the characters I warmed to them as the story went on and ended up enjoying the ups and downs of the softball team, the Flood Girls’ relationships, and of course, Jake

I haven't enjoyed an author's "voice" so much since I first read Christopher Moore and Tom Robbins. The characters here are as memorable as they get, and I was casting roles for the big-screen adaptation as I read. I will say, though, I was *completely* unprepared for the violent, punch-to-the-gut ending.

This novel is set in 1991 in a very small town in Montana inhabited by a variety of quirky characters, and told from the point of view of 2 outcasts - Rachel, a recovering alcoholic who fled town after high school and is coming back 10 years later to make amends, and Jake, a 12 year old gay boy struggling to fit in even with his family. Things were a bit over quirky at times in an almost absurd way, and while there were some very affecting moments, there was an element to the ending that I really didn't like.

'The Flood Girls' a debut novel by Richard Fifield is a story about the strange characters that inhabit a small town. It made me think about the town I grew up in.

The book revolves around three characters. Rachel Flood has come back to town after leaving a wake of destruction nine years ago. She is clean and sober now, ready to make amends, but people in town are still not ready to forgive her. Rachel's mother, Laverna, own's The Dirty Shame, the only bar in town. She is none too thrilled to have her daughter back. Rounding out the threesome is young Jake, who lives next to Rachel and spends his free time and money buying flamboyant clothing at the local thrift store, collects rosaries, and listens to Madonna music on his walkman.

There are a variety of weird characters in town, like Red Mabel and Black Mabel. All the volunteer firemen are named Jim. There are a group of female miners that hang out at the bar and get in fights. The softball team is called the Flood Girls, and they are notoriously bad.

The book made me laugh out loud and cry. I could see the ending coming from quite a way away. The writing style is good, but the book leans pretty heavily on stereotypes. There were a few small twists along the way, but I was hoping for something more to happen. Still the story of Rachel making amends and fixing up her dad's old trailer, Jake trying to find his way, and Laverna and her violent friend Red Mabel made for a fun read.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

Drugs and alcohol abuse are endemic in the small towns of America and serve as the backdrop for Rachel's story of recovery through AA in Quinn Montana. Rachel has burned all her bridges but goes back home anyway, knowing that recovery isn't complete without this step. And oh my, what bridges she has burned, including that with her mother Laverna, owner of the Dirty Shame bar.

The characters are my favorite part of this book, and as Laverna sponsors a softball team, there are plenty of colorful characters. It might seem impossible that Rachel tottering on her second year of sobriety is strong-armed into working a bar shift, I had a friend who said she stayed sober because of her bar shift knowing that she never wanted to behave like the drunks she delivered drinks to again. It seems quasi-serious until an incident near the end which I did not see coming. Life is like that and sometimes the innocent are punished and the guilty get away. Nevertheless it took my breath away.

It's a delicate dance to make an entertaining tale out of alcoholism, and indeed, while some of the sordidness is painted as comedic, the vomiting and fighting are very real. I read this over a couple summer afternoons, not quite a beach read but almost. The writing is effortless, just what the doctor ordered.

This book was a 3 star read for me. I had such distaste for a number of the characters that it was hard for me to get through some parts and I was constantly rooting for Rachel and Jake. And that ending! I can understand why the story was structured that way, but it didn't make it any easier to get through. I tend to enjoy stories with happier endings and this just didn't do it for me.

Great read! The author tells a great story. I look forward to reading more from this same author.