I liked a lot of things about this book, but there were also a lot of things I didn’t like. This book is tackling a lot of sensitive subjects in a very short amount of time, but the main subject is domestic violence with our MC getting hit by her boyfriend. This was done very well, but I think one of the things that threw me off the most with this book was the chapter titles and how it took a very long time to discern point-of-views for our main characters. 

So, with the POV thing, most of the chapter titles start with “The Cool Girl” or “The Anxious Girl” or “The Popular Girl”. I’m almost positive this was done on purpose so as not to show who was talking when, but I found it very confusing once it’s revealed what those characters’ names are. It made me want to go back and start over so that I had a clear picture painted in my head. Like I said, I’m pretty sure this was purposeful to kind of get the idea of how gossip spreads and how we often see ourselves (and while it was done wonderfully), I still think it was too confusing. 

With our main characters (once you know who they are), I really felt like they were so developed and layered. Both of the characters had so many thoughts and aspirations and fears that they felt fully formed. The only problem I had with the characters is that I was often confused as to who was talking when (see above) since names aren’t mentioned until you’re well into the story. 

Plot-wise, this book was easy to follow. I knew what the purpose of the story was when I started and I knew where I was supposed to be towards the end. I just wish it would’ve been easier to tell in the beginning who our MCs were. 

With everything that this book delves into, I would highly recommend looking into trigger warnings before reading. However, I do feel that each subject was written with care and concern for the reader. It was honestly beautiful the way that so many sensitive topics were broached with such care, kindness, and consideration for someone who may or may not be going through what the MCs were. 

Overall, this book was poignant in its telling of the high school girl’s experience as well as how it handles domestic violence. Many many trigger warnings (so go check those out before starting this book), but a very important and thought-provoking read. 3.5 out of 5 stars rounded up to 4 for all the social platforms. If you liked this novel, I’d highly recommend Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers or Something Happened to Ali Greenleaf by Hayley Krischer.

Source: Personal Copy

(P.S. You can read this book for free by signing up for a free trial of Audible, which gives you two free audiobooks of your choice!)