"[Pérez's] layered tale of color lines, love and struggle in an East Texas oil town is a pit-in-the-stomach family drama that goes down like it should, with pain and fascination, like a mix of sugary medicine and artisanal moonshine." The New York Times Book Review "A powerful, layered tale of forbidden love in times of unrelenting racism."-- Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review "Elegant prose and gently escalating action will leave readers gasping for breath at the tragic climax and moving conclusion." Booklist "This book presents a range of human nature, from kindness and love to acts of racial and sexual violence. The work resonates with fear, hope, love, and the importance of memory. Set against the backdrop of an actual historical event, Pérez's young adult novel gives voice to many long-omitted facets of U.S. history.

"-- School Library Journal "The beauty of Perez's prose and her surefooted navigation through the dangerous landscape of the East Texas oil field in the late 1930s redeem the fact that anyone who dares read this agonizing star-crossed love story will end up in about six billion numb and tiny pieces. Absolutely stunning."-- Elizabeth Wein, author of Code Name Verity and Michael L. Printz Award Honoree.