In excruciating detail, author Mun tears the protective skin of family from her teenage protagonist Joon. Joon, left utterly exposed, is thrown to the wolves of sexual violence and addiction, among other perils. Mun's rich layering of Joon's character prevents "Miles From Nowhere" from becoming just another cautionary tale, e.g. Joon gets high not just to escape the misery of her conditions, but to get high. As a social worker I would love for the "counselors" who would have helped Joon to have come off a little less pathetically, but Mun plays them as another sad shortcoming in an adult world that does little to protect its own children. Depressing, beautiful prose. Highly recommended.
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