BK's first novel? It's safe to say she hit the ground running!
I love how she writes her characters and shows how interdependent they all are on each other.
Others of hers I've read (and loved) do tend towards the didactic: here, the surprise was humour.
Despite the horrible, horrible things that happen off the page, it's a book that restores my faith in people (which is no mean feat!) My book of the month, for sure.