Chloe Archer is one of the most complex characters I’ve ever read. I genuinely cannot tell if I hate her or love her, mainly because she is constantly changing over the course of the novel. She can be a little unreliable and sometimes you seriously don’t know what’s real, but the progression of her mental illness is done in an artful series of building and releasing tension. By the time Chloe realizes what’s happening, the reader is already aware and it is TOUGH to read. You feel sad because she’s scared and suffering, but it’s also incredibly frustrating. Watching her cycle through trying to control everything, lying, keeping secrets, breaking, pushing everyone away over and over and over…it’s maddening.
At the same time, though, she’s been abused almost her whole life and she’s only 16. She’s been conditioned this way. She doesn’t believe she can be upset without turning into her mom, she never focuses on her own needs…she doesn’t even believe that she matters. You want to root for her because she’s smart and she’s kind and she’s loyal to a fault. She’s a bit of a Bella Swan, but that’s okay. You want her to be free and have peace, but the small glimpses we get of her happiness always feel too short, too good to last long enough.
Honestly the last four chapters of this book had me all the way fucked up and I’m…I don’t even know. Livid? Heartbroken? Depressed? Anxious? Take your pick. All I know is that somebody better fix this shit with Jackson EXPEDITIOUSLY or I will riot!!! I love him ☹️
I’m gonna have to read like six fluffy rom coms just to recover from this 💀