Bastard Out of Carolina
★★★★★Read Jul 2, 2025
Phew, that was a heartbreaking book. But also very true and meaningful. I love the narrators voice in this. She seems young but insightful, and her emotions come through very strongly. The family situations are often infuriating or sad, not to mention the central conflict's awfulness. But that's all just good writing to convey that.
Goodreads readers give it 4.15★, from 49,289 ratings. I gave it 4★, −0.2, where I'm usually −0.9: I rated it like most.
Readers call it Classics, Coming Of Age, Southern, Literary Fiction, Queer, LGBT, Contemporary, Southern Gothic.
Won Ferro-Grumley Award 1993, National Book Award Finalist 1992.