Think back and try to remember your childhood. You probably can’t think of a distinct order of events, but instead recall tiny bits and pieces of your young life.

Trying to remember yourself such a long time ago can cause a few events in your younger years to stick out in your mind.

This is the way Joanna Rose writes “Little Miss Strange.”

The entire novel is seen through the eyes of Sarajean Henry, beginning with her at the age of five, when she is walking to preschool by herself, up through her pot smoking teenage years.

Sarajean is growing up in the “free-love” world of 1970s Denver, living with Jimmy Henry, a Vietnam veteran she accepts as her father.

Throughout her life, Sarajean’s best friend is a girl named Lalena Hand. People drift in and out of the main character’s life, but she is perfectly content with her abnormal existence and the few constants that make it up.

Sarajean’s trust is then betrayed when she discovers that Jimmy is not her father and her mother abandoned her as a baby. At the same time, Lalena runs away to California.

Soon, Sarajean is on her own to discover who she really is and who she wants to be.

Rose writes an interesting tale that makes you wonder about the era called the 70’s, but unfortunately the characters lack the same quality.

Sarajean herself is the only endearing character. You find yourself wanting not only to help her, but rip her out of the plot and into another book entirely.

Jimmy comes across as someone to be pitied and is often taken care of by Sarajean more than he takes care of her.

Many times, Lalena is less of a best friend than the devil on Sarajean’s shoulder, causing her a lot of confusion and selfishness.

Any other characters are too fleeting to get attached to or even form an opinion about.

This is Rose’s first book, and with just a bit more depth put into the story and characters, it would have been great.

2 1/2 stars out of five

Kelsey Foutch is a sophomore in journalism and mass communication from Waterloo.