I so wanted to like this story more than I did and was a little disappointed that the story went in directions I wish had been played differently. The characters (Pepper, Dorry, Coffee, Loochie), however, were instant favorites. I was disturbed by the reality of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and how that can easily turn into a perpetually nightmarish situation. The staff treatment gave me shivers, and I rallied for the patients at their smallest victories. I was more frightened for the patients than I was of the devil who terrorized them. The author only hints at Pepper's outcome, leaving me with a bittersweet aftertaste and more than a little frustrated.
