In one of the more unusual and thought-provoking stories about the perils of falling in love with an older man, lonely sixteen year old Darcie finds herself risking her life for Roman, an attractive, caring zookeeper, whose gentle demeanor hides a dangerous obsession with death. In a starred review, Booklist called this stunning look at the dangers of neediness and distorted love, "a strong story that builds to a knife-edge climax."