*4.5*
*please be aware that this book is set in high school*
This book came to me at the right time. I absolutely ATE it up. The characters were flawed and honest. The story itself was an interesting ride too. Especially so the farther you fall down the rabbit hole.
It took a little while for a plot to fully form, and I think the strength of this book is well within the characters, their relationships and dynamics. The other major strength of this book lies in its emotional grasp. I was on the rollercoaster.
Character-driven stories are my bread and butter.
Here’s the thing though, this story and these characters are TOXIC. The book is marketed this way, so don’t go into thinking you’re going to be reading about perfect relationships, characters or situations. It’s raw and gritty and I was here for it. I will be a filthy dark romance girly for life.
Cade
This man. Wow. I’m obsessed with his obsession with Sky. Some of his POVs and scenes were intense and I could sincerely feel his desperation. His inner conflict was believable because of this. He has very strong moral convictions, and somehow Sky turns his whole world upside down and makes him question himself. I thought his inner monologues about death were thought-provoking. I think about these things too often. His descent into madness was wild, to say the least.
Sky
I loved her! She was a sweet breath of fresh air, it was nice to see something a little different in a FMC. I was living for her equal obsession with him. She could be so relatable to some, including me. The trauma she works through in this story is something too many women can relate to (not a spoiler, listed in trigger warnings) and there were definitely accuracies that made me feel so deeply for her and her situation.
“The wind howls outside, sending the candles into a flicker, and leaves drift from the roof. It’s an omen. I feel it in my chest […] like a warning from God himself, a wrathful portent to not touch one of his angels.”
- Cade
I would recommend this for the dark romance lovers.
You know who you are.
If you are triggered by mass school crime then I might avoid this one, and definitely avoid the alternate ending.
Thank you so genuinely for allowing me the opportunity to ARC review this story.
*side note - the alternate ending destroyed me in every way possible, so no thank you for that. *