"A heart-breaker. . . . [Has] enormous emotional power. . . . Simpson's story unfolds with magnetic force." --The Boston Globe

"Lovely. . . . Hit[s] just the right notes of charm, humor, satire, sincerity. . . . Casebook is about a mother's legacy to her son--important life lessons, well learned." --San Francisco Chronicle

"Captivating. . . . Lyrically capture[s] the time between childhood and adulthood, as fleeting and delicate as the golden-hour light that filmmakers chase." --The Washington Post

"Simpson's beautifully crafted novel shows us a reconfigured California family through the eyes of a smart, funny adolescent longing to keep hope alive." --People

"Singular and haunting. . . . Filled with the quirky and succinct descriptions for which Simpson's celebrated." --NPR

"[A] wonderful novel. . . . A funny and sad drama about intimacies, deception and growing up." --The Guardian (London)

"Simpson's sixth novel is full of insight, even as it showcases her deft touch with character creation." --The Christian Science Monitor

"Adult relationships are the true mystery here. Simpson manipulates the tropes of suspense fiction astutely, and the touches of noir are delicate." --The New Yorker

"A hybrid of Harriet the Spy and Chandler's Phillip Marlow books." --Los Angeles Times

"Deftly tracks the unraveling of a family through the eyes of a child and then young teenager. . . . The childlike simplicity of Simpson's prose juxtaposes touchingly with the mature themes with which she's dealing." --The Huffington Post

"Displays Simpson's signature impressionism. . . . Charming, sure-footed and as engaging as ever." --Star Tribune (Minneapolis)

"Just as in Anywhere But Here, Simpson's central, complicated relationship of parent and child is both a motif and a window into bared hearts. . . . Miles is an extraordinary character--exceptionally intuitive, observant, feeling." --Los Angeles Review of Books

"Remarkable. . . . Simpson effortlessly snares readers inside a full, intimate world. . . . Simpson allows readers to relish the innocence of childhood and the intense yearning to discover the secrets of life." --The Miami Herald

"Simpson once again proves herself a master." --The New York Journal of Books

"Extraordinary. . . . Bracingly astute. . . . Brisk, beautifully modulated writing. . . . [Simpson] create[s] real kids in all their uniqueness and aching vulnerability." --The Toronto Star

"A classic coming-of-age novel, a beautifully written example of the genre. . . . A word of warning: this is not a book to finish in a public space. Save the final few pages for private reading. This family romance deserves your undivided, teary attention." --PopMatters