Fallout by Ellen Hopkins, I love this book so much and it's not right to just let it end the way it did so I'm going to attempt to write more. Starting off from the "family dinner" thing…

Hunter

Kristina might have just admitted the inevitable.

About turning her back on her family, the people that loved her most of all.

Stealing, lying and hurting them in a quest to only care for her. To

So called self medicate herself with the monster that destroyed her life, everyone's life.

This could have been a normal family holiday with joy and happiness, but this is our family and where anything but right now.

Nikki's steady grip intertwined with mine keeps my alcohol fueled words from spilling out of my mouth again.

Kristina has managed to pour a couple of crocodile tears. Just like her words they mean nothing.

I look around into the eyes of my kin and find similar shades of anger, fear, disbelieve. No one was prepared for the venom of our words the anger we all have with the same person.

She excuses herself to the bathroom, eager to escape the torment of eyes filled with so much emotion. Emotion she cannot feel anymore because of the meth that ate away at her brain. She will never know our pain.

Autumn

Tension spreads like wild fire through the room. Silence slices through to where only the clink of silverware on dishes is heard.

Hunter's penetrating eyes scope the room looking for something.

The numbness returns to my fingers. And I close my eyes once again to ward of the light headiness stirring around in my head. Breath. Breath. I hear Kristina excuse herself. The object of discussion leaves so should the tension as well?

I reopen my eyes to see Summer buried in her hands. Aunt Leigh knocks back another eggnog. Grandma Marie is frozen like a statue, no touching the food she spent all day cooking. Hunter sits while his Nik strokes his arm. So much for family dinner right?

It's a quiet feast as eating ensues, and only small talk is muttered. Nobody treads on the choppy waters anymore. Grandpa Scott returns to the eerie quiet of family dinner, with my brother Donald close behind.

Grandpa, brother, sister, family? Are we family? It's hard to think that when everyone is so angry. Kristina has ruined a lot of their lives but they still welcome her here. She doesn't pay attention to anybody but my father. Is that good or bad?

Summer

It's a good thing I have the sanity to back down from the now cooling discussion of Kristina's parenting skills.

She doesn't realize what she stole from all her kids. She robs all of us from a childhood, but does she feel sorry. She says she does but are her words empty of meaning?

Autumn is the lucky one she doesn't know what it feels like to be abandon, lacking the love of your mother. I wonder how she feels now, being surrounded by a family she doesn't even know. I might test that later.

Hunter's done well, I mean for being adopted by Grandma Marie and Grandpa Scott. The love him dearly, and he loves them as if they were his real parents. Is he in pain like me knowing our mother abandoned us for her addiction?

And me I've been tossed around from foster home to foster home. I hate it but no one claims me as their own, so what am I supposed to do? Where will I go after Christmas? Not like I'll be allowed to live with dad, will I go back to Bear and Blonde? I really hope not. No more foster homes, I refuse.

But what really gets me is the fact that the only person Kristina seems interested in is Trey, Autumn's dad. All her children are here, her family is here, on a holiday that's supposed to be full of love and joy. So what keeps her from taking a little bit of effort, to notice us any of us. Is it so hard?

So what did ya'll think? Was it good, should I continue? Please review. Read Review Love… ~Jaylynn