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Blandine is an ethereal young woman living with three other teenagers in the Rabbit Hutch, a decrepit apartment complex in the Midwest. All four just got out of the foster-care system and are struggling to escape from the claustrophobic confines of the people and places that failed them. Blandine, in particular, is haunted by a mysterious past and a relationship that’s pushed her to a breaking point, the consequences of which play out over one week. Tess Gunty’s debut novel, which is a finalist for a National Book Award, is lush and melancholy, jumping between various points of view. It’s a meandering story that defies conventional structure and scope to offer a snapshot of one community’s grim reality. —Angela Haupt

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