Jessica's review
This book is a part of a trilogy by Kate DiCamillo. This specific book it about a teenager named Beverly who ran away from home and is trying to get a fresh start. She gets a job at a fish lunch shop and manages to get to live with an elderly woman named Iola and she meets a boy who is around her age called Elmer whom she is romantically involved with. The most interesting character was Elmer as his backstory was never explained fully and he seemed somewhat mysterious. The book was set in 1979, giving an impression of modern history.  I found that the plot was quite slow and that parts of the book were never explained like the quote in the phone booth: “In a crooked little house by a crooked little sea.” However, I did learn about some American slang/southern sayings.