In a voice that is fresh, raw, and haunting, Portes takes us into the taboo world of pubescent female sexuality through Luli McMullen, a thirteen-year-old vixen wannabe who unflinchingly relates the sordid details of her life while blithely popping her bubble gum. Stark and disturbing, HICK is ultimately uplifting, a reminder that shedding the blinders of our naiveté always extracts a price in pain--even for a child deprived of innocence. This rich and complex novel is the first work of a major talent in the making.