YMMV / Out of the Dust

• Nightmare Fuel: Billie Jo's description of Ma's injuries, and her own for that matter.
• Tear Jerker: To the point where it could be published under the title Tear Jerker: The Novel.
• What Do You Mean, It's for Kids?: This is a popular children's book in America. It's told through poems from the eyes of a teenage girl living through the Great Depression, more specifically the dustbowl. Out of the Dust is nothing but a miserable story about a girl whose pregnant mother suffers graphically described burns in a freak accident and who later dies of her injuries alongside her newborn son. The protagonist herself suffers painful burns to her hands which almost end her piano playing hobby. Her father ends up distant and depressed after all those events. That's not even related to the fact they live in a poor, rural area where dust storms are an everyday occurrence. There is an optimistic ending, but the book is mostly tragedy after tragedy. The author received complaints for how grim the book is and has noted that she believes children can handle harsher topics than adults give them credit.
• The Woobie: Damn near everyone.

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