First off, I'm a sucker for books set on sailboats, as this one is. Secondly, I like protagonists who are a little awkward, unsure of themselves. Rachel is certainly not finished, but she's heading in the right direction. The broken sister and the troubled parents kind of pile it on, but somehow it manages to work without being too heavy-handed. I liked the story, I liked the characters, and the writing took me to the deck of the 'Shared Dreams' and left me looking into the water. Nicely done.