Shelter discussion

I am disappointed in the plot as far as character development goes. The main character, Mickey, has a terrible past that I imagine is intended to make the reader feel sympathy for him, but the author speeds through the events far too quickly for it to have an impact on the reader. Though it is such a fragile and important statement, practically the furthest into detail he goes on the subject is the simple fact, “my dad was dead, my mom in rehab”(Coben, 1). Even though he narrates the entire book, and his recent past is clearly something that bothers him frequently, the author never allowed him to share his true feelings with the reader. I feel this would make for stronger character development as well as a more realistic take on what a young boy would be feeling after such horrible events.