Instruct: Classify Amazon reviews into positive or negative sentiment
Query: Because it doesn't know where to go...

Having never read a J.C. Oates book, I used the Amazon reviews to select this book. I loved the premise of the book and found the writing and the character development to be excellent. Oates paints a gloomy and believable picture of life in a small, depressed town in the 1950's.While the book lived up to its promise in the first half of the novel, it degenerated badly once Iris leaves Hammond. Oates wants to maintain a connection between Iris and Jinx, but she has to stretch very hard to keep it alive. (I felt that it didn't work at all.)The compelling story lost its punch. I kept expecting a powerful denouement, but instead found myself scoffing at the circumstances surrounding the assault scene on the night of Kennedy's assassination.I'm sure I'll try another Oates novel in the future. I only hope it hangs together better than this one.