Snyder presents important and sensitive themes in the context of a suspenseful story. Most readers will find themselves intrigued by the turns of the plot and stimulated by the challenges the Mclntyres present to standard images of the family unit.

The characters' names symbolize their personalities. While Oriole and Sparrow possess free spirits, Summer offers light, growth, and hope to a family lacking responsible parental guidance. Summer's letter to Mr. Pardell at the end of the novel is a symbol of hope, demonstrating that she has begun to replace her intense longing for her father with more beneficial relationships.

Aside from the suspenseful conflict with the drug dealers, secondary confrontations add interest. Early in the book, Snyder introduces several conflicts that are not resolved until the end.

For example, Summer devises a way to bring Sparrow along when she moves to Connecticut with the Olivers. This...