You're No Better

by Andrew Joseph White

The brand-new YA thriller from bestselling, award-winning author Andrew Joseph White – a gritty and unapologetic queer coming-of-age suspense, perfect for true crime enthusiasts and Holly Jackson readers.

Morgan's father is a serial killer. To be exact, Morgan's father is Graham Nathaniel Slaughter—the man who brutally murdered fifty-one young women and girls across Washington DC—and the day Morgan put him behind bars was the best of his life. Now, all Morgan wants is to survive senior year without flunking out or racking up another assault charge, but that'll be difficult considering the documentary his mother just agreed to. Morgan's participation is non-negotiable and comes with rules. Like putting off transition until college. And talking about his father.

In a desperate attempt to prove he is nothing like his father, Morgan latches onto his father's mysterious final a young woman with no name and no family to claim her. He'll figure out who she is. He'll bring her peace, whatever the hell that means.

Then new classmate Felicity slams into Morgan's life, armed with a switchblade and a life-shattering secret. They know why Morgan's testimony never lined up in court. They know Morgan was taught to hurt people. And if Morgan doesn't let them help find this girl, they'll tell everyone. He and Felicity have so much more in common than he can stomach, and the consequences of the truth could destroy them both.

Genres: Horror, Young Adult, Queer, LGBT, Thriller, Mystery, Fiction

Kindle Edition

Expected publication October 27, 2026

About the author

Andrew Joseph White is the trans, autistic, and bestselling author of Hell Followed With Us, The Spirit Bares Its Teeth, Compound Fracture, and You Weren't Meant to be Human. Born and raised in the Shenandoah Valley, he received his MFA in Creative Writing from George Mason University, and lives in Virginia with his wife and their antisocial cat.

He can be found at andrewjosephwhite.com or on Twitter and Instagram at @AJWhiteAuthor.

Reviews

[Andrew White]

Hi y'all - early review copies are out in the world, so it's time to post the content warnings for YOU'RE NO BETTER.

YOU'RE NO BETTER discusses the aftershocks of extreme childhood violence in plain, straightforward detail. This is one of my rougher YA novels, and I urge you to take care of yourself. Content warnings include:

Backstory, mentions, or discussions of:
* Kidnapping, rape, torture, and murder
* Child abuse and grooming, including forcing a child to witness or participate in the above
* The troubled teen industry, the adoption industry, mental health struggles, past hospitalization, and psychiatric mistreatment

On-page:
* Narrative focus on child abuse (physical and emotional) and true crime’s exploitation of abuse and trauma for “content”
* Graphic violence, including manslaughter
* Sexual harassment and assault
* Queerphobia, transphobia, and ableism; forced closeting, misgendering, and medical/psychiatric neglect
* Mental health crises; intrusive thoughts, autistic meltdowns, self-medication with alcohol/alcohol abuse, self-harm (physical and emotional), suicidality
* Confinement
* In epilogues: hospitalization after injury, the justice system, and foster care

This story has a happy ending, or at least a hopeful one. These content warnings can be found on my website, and a more general list also exists in the author's note at the front of the book.

[Ally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got to read this early by virtue of being the Andrew Joseph Wife

When AJ and I moved in together he would sometimes sit in the room while I watched my tv shows because this boy does not watch tv, and somewhere along the way he started tuning in for this cop show with the guy who played Jesus in the Walking Dead called Prodigal Son I was watching and eventually he got really invested and asked if we could start it over from the beginning.
Picture it, Domino meme:
Tiny Domino is labeled “Alice watches Prodigal Son (2019) on Fox”
Big Domino is labeled “YOU’RE NO BETTER (Peachtree Teen, October 2026)”

God damn, yall.
If you’ve read Courtney Summers’ entire bibliography and need something new to be destroyed by, this is it. It’s a rough one, but rough in a different way from the doomsday cults and the angry ghosts of his previous books, because sometimes the most horrifying you can imagine is the fear that what’s wrong with your parents is also wrong with you. This is an angry book. it’s bloody and hateful and I can tell it’s not gonna be for everyone, but it will find its audience. And to that audience I say: you are not your worst thoughts, you are not the darkest parts of yourself, and you are worthy of love. Read the CWs, go in prepared, and have a great time being devastated; you wouldn’t expect any less from an AJW book.

[annes_mesmerizing_books · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read Hell Followed With Us, I said that book would haunt me forever and that I’d pick up everything Andrew Joseph White would write. So yeah, I’ve read all his books. And am still in awe of his writing and the way he can make me feel things.

Not only are memories imperfect, but they’re malleable. Every time you remember something, it’s like playing a game of telephone with yourself. Things get lost or twisted along the way.

With Compound Fracture, Andrew Joseph White already went in a bit of a different direction, and with You’re No Better, he took yet another path. Because, like another reader already said, You’re No Better is most of all psychological suspense, a genre that’s one of my favorites. And therefore, for me, You’re No Better might be Andrew Joseph White’s best book so far.

Oh, Morgan…

People are so complex and unpredictable, so alive, and it makes me angry. It’s too much. I’ve never been able to understand it like everyone else.

Some books make goosebumps jump on my skin, like all the time, and You’re No Better is one of them. Morgan is such an unreliable character, and he’s so f*cked up.So much so that I’d be desperate to get back to him the moment I stepped away, and still, I kept hesitating, putting off picking up my e-reader again because I wasn’t ready to go back into his head. This book feels so incredibly real, and as a mom, the horrific way Morgan grew up, with a serial killer father and an insane media-focused mother, cut deep into my soul. At the same time, I needed to be back with him because I wanted to protect him with my life. But I also know he probably wouldn’t have let me…

I’m scared. I’ve always been scared. I’ve been scared my whole life.

Somehow, I’m always drawn to dark and gritty stories, and this is one of them. Unreliable, lying, manipulating Morgan crept under my skin and wouldn’t let me go. He’ll be occupying my mind for a long time, just like Jude does, a character from C.G. Drews’ You Did Nothing Wrong. I think if you like that book, you’ll love this one too, even though You Did Nothing Wrong is adult and You’re No Better is marketed as YA. With all the themes in You’re No Better, though, this one could easily fit into adult fiction as well, in my opinion.

Thank you, Daphne Press and NetGalley, for this amazing ARC.

Follow me on Instagram

[soaphia]

AJW does nothing but cook up amazing stories and I’m sure this will be no different

[Sidney]

uhhhhh, excuse me??? i will be thinking about this for the next year, thanks

[(rey) gelphielvr ༝꩜]

I need this book like right now

[bri]

RTC!! (doing a lot of theatre reviews this month so may take a minute, I loved it tho!!! AJW always hits)

[The Reading Frog]

⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆
Pre-Read update (17 August 2026)

I don't know what type of witchcraft Teru pulled, but shortly after messaging her about how I NEED this ARC, it suddenly got approved!!! I'm so excited about it!!!
⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆

[Fred]

I’m going to give White one last try. The blurb sounds pretty intriguing, not gonna lie, but I’m afraid—after the disappointments that were HFWU and CF—that this is going to be another formulaic, flat book of his. I seriously hope this one won’t have a fakeout cishet male ally who’ll dramatically betray the MC towards the end of the book, telling instead of showing, badly-written side characters, comically evil antagonists, didactic prose about some societal issue(s), cringy Tumblr-esque lines, or an all-White cast. So yeah, I’m waiting.

Update 25/02: badass cover
Update 21/07: the publisher dropped the first six chapters as a free excerpt and it actually looks decent! I think I’ll like it more than CF, it’s definitely breaking the two-star ceiling. The prose has improved and the characters are enjoyable to read about; Morgan is more active than Miles and I hope he stays that way. I like how both he and Felicity do questionable shit. Though on the other hand, we have Morgan’s mum, who is already fighting Sheriff Davies in the Over-The-Top Villain Olympics. I’m not super optimistic about Daniel’s character either. Nevertheless, pretty stoked for this one.

[rachel x]

"In You're No Better, Morgan Slaughter must contend with his fame-hungry mother, a true crime-obsessed classmate, and his own destructive impulses to prove he is nothing like his serial killer father."

[Lou Nova]

Thank you so much to Netgalley for the advanced copy!

I don't even know where to start with this review. I've read all of AJW's work - he is an auto-buy author for me - but none of them have given me The Horrors quite like this one has. Is it the lack of supernatural element? Is it the fact that people really do thirst over serial killers? This one just felt so damn real, and it genuinely did give me the heeby jeebies.
Morgan is not a likeable character, but I think what the point of that is to show how kids are formed by their parents, and my god are there no more horrible parents than a literal serial killer and a mommy blogger who pretends to be high and mighty online but actually hates her life. I wanted to shake Morgan a few times, but I despised this woman, so I can't really blame him.
I do always love the framing device of switching between a documentary and narrative; this was a little different in that the documentary was happening within the narrative, but it was still compelling.
The reveal of who Jane Doe is did in fact surprise me despite me having questions on how she became a Jane Doe, which were of course answered with the reveal.
My final point is that I don't think this is a YA book - it's an Adult book about teenagers. The content is really heavy and graphic and I know that AJW toes the line of Upper YA with his work and we love him for it, but this genuinely shook me as being YA, because I could not see a resolution for anything that was going on here, only believing it when it was presented to me on the very last page. But that's my opinion!!!!!

[iam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing and chilling horror novel about the son of a brutal serial killer navigating trauma, autism, blackmail, an abusive mother, an exploitative documentary crew, being a closeted trans kid, and the fear of people finding out he was not as uninvolved in his father's crimes as it seems.

Please mind the content warnings, which you can find at the front of the book, here, or on the author's website.

Part of me is genuinely stunned that this is a YA horror novel, both due to the horrifying content and because it's one of the most psychologically complex books I have read. The only books that are on the same level are the author's other books. Being in Morgan's mind and experiencing his trauma, desires, and intrusive thoughts, most of which he is often unable to keep apart and which are full of violence against himself and others, was quite the experience. Adding his autism and gender dysphoria made for an even more jarring mix. I related to Morgan as much as I was fascinated and disturbed by him. Even so, I was always fully immersed in his narration.

Morgan was not an easy protagonist, but I really appreciated that. He is a terrible friend, he lies and manipulates, but he is also a deeply hurt teenager, struggling, and denied the help, resources, and support he needs from the adults around him, especially his mother and the documentary production crew that wants to turn his life into a spectacle.

I really enjoyed the juxtaposition of Morgan's friendship with Alyssa, who is sort of a childhood friend and has been there for him forever, but is overwhelmed by his needs, and with Felicity, who enters Morgan's sphere suddenly and violently, yet despite their constant clashing, the two can't help but be drawn together by each other's messes.

The book deals a lot with trauma, mental health, the pitfalls of true crime, the troubled teen industry, and how the voyeurism of social media ties into all of these.
My one complaint is that I just wanted more from all of it. I would have enjoyed more details about the cases, more details about Felicity and their story, more details about where Morgan's life is headed next, and also maybe more from the finale. It wasn't that it didn't meet my expectations, this is a YA horror novel after all without any supernatural elements, so only so much could happen at the climax. It was a great release of all the tension, don't get me wrong, but it also felt like it ended a bit suddenly.

Overall I had a great time with this, and my criticism is based on my mind still being tied up in the book and not quite having come to terms with it being over yet. What a ride. I cannot wait to see more from this author, and I am also impressed and relieved and proud that books with complex characters and thematics like these, that are not easy to read, can still be published.

I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and volutnarily.

[ric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is it out yet? No. But will this be an absolute banger book? Yes.

[blok sera szwajcarskiego · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5⭐️

Received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for honest opinion, thanks!

As a long time AJW reader, it pleases me to see how his protagonist's portrayal matured. You're No Better takes a different than his usual perspective on the main character, meaning Morgan being a selfish, mean figure that makes sympathizing with him harder. But in my opinion that is the point – Morgan does not want anyone's pity. He wants to be left alone, something that his murderer-father and neglecting mother made sure to never happen.

AJW tackles a lot of themes with Morgan's story: from a depiction of true crime and its detachment from reality in order of pursuing one's fantasy, through a real collection of ways to abuse your child, to questions such as how much actually passes from parent to child and what form morality takes when taken to extreme. And I think it hits the point. Morgan's actions can be uncomfortable or wrong, his treatment of friends certainly leaves a lot for reader to reconsider, but underneath it leads a strong will of surviving. Of getting better. Of desire to be a better human.

I like how Morgan isn't the easiest person to be around, just like I found fascinating his inside battle of finding the real self: does transitioning mean you will resemble more of your father's monstrous side? Does "comforting" to being perceived as a woman means you choose the path of your mother's abuse and suffering? Just as much as I liked the plot happening simultaneously. It's messy, raw and full of rage. Just the way I like my AJW books. The only complain I have is that I somehow wish it was longer, I feel like some sideplots could have been explored a bit more, but maybe that's just the sign of how captivating the book is: leaving you wanting more.

As I always say, AJW books are not for everyone, but they certainly hit the spot for me. I will forever be grateful to have the opportunity to receive their early arcs.

[Brend]

you guys just don't understand how fucking excited i am right now

[Emilee · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️

Inhaling AJW’s books in a disturbingly short amount of time has become one of my favorite hobbies.

I finished this in less than 24 hours (it would have been one sitting if I hadn’t needed to wake up early for work the next morning). AJW is masterful at fully immersing his readers. Even when Morgan was making poor decisions that had me wanting to scream, I couldn’t help but root for him. The raw emotions bleed off the page and had me holding my breath.

One of my favorite aspects was the examination of exploitation within the true crime scene. Given the popularity of the genre, I think it’s an incredibly important discussion to have. This novel heavily focuses on mental health and trauma—not only how they shape a person, but also the struggle to find oneself in the midst of crisis. White also sheds light on the strange nature of social media: how things are not always as they seem, the rise of apathy in online spaces, and the harm of parasocial relationships.

AJW once again delivers a delightfully horrifying and impactful experience. He continues to be one of my favorite authors, and I will absolutely read everything he releases.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

[No]

I really want to like this book. I really do. It sounds like a good book! But the problem is that all of AJW’s books sounded like good books, yet all of them, without exception, were incredibly poorly written, borderline racist, and in the case of his one adult book, incredibly degrading towards rape survivors. The fact that AJW has already published a book where he got away with blatantly fetishizing rape probably just means he’s going to think he can do it again with this YA book, and that’s not even getting into how he clearly wants to write protagonists that are unsympathetic or morally grey, yet fails because he’s more excited to write graphic rape scenes than he is to write a plot that makes sense or characterization that feels human. Morgan seems like such an interesting character, but this character’s probably going to be nothing except Tumblr discourse quips, cringe homicidal thoughts that are passed off as intrusive despite being ego-syntonic, and entirely passive characterization. I guess only a dumbass would give a shitty author a 5th chance, but at the very least, I can have a good laugh if it’s as bad as I expect.

[Adrian S]

Alright, let's do this one last time.
I feel like I've been watching Sisyphus push his rock up the hill for a long time now. I would love to see him make it to the top and have this book be good. If it is, I'll enjoy reading it and eat crow. Unfortunately, AJW has repeatedly proven that he has no idea what to do with a good concept. Four times already he's dropped the boulder and gone back to the start with a near-identical strategy. It looks like this is gonna go the same way. We have another wooby 'feral' white skinny autistic tboy in a situation that COULD make him morally questionable, but is probably going to go just conveniently enough for him to not take any real blame. I desperately want for AJW to do something, anything else. And to be clear, I'm saying this as a trans man myself. I'm not hating to hate, I'm just frustrated that this man's writing strongly represents my community in literature and want to see him do better. In my own exhausted way, I'm rooting for him. If this one is bad, I'll finally move on. Life is too short to waste time on stuff that repeatedly proves to be the Potential Man of writing.

[julian :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been hyped about this book since it was announced. I cheered when my request got approved. This absolutely exceeded all of my expectations. It’s jumped to the top of my rankings of AJW’s books. Morgan is probably my favorite main character so far. This book is definitely gnarly, but I couldn’t stop reading. It does such a good job of examining/criticizing the true crime community/industry. I can’t wait for this book to come out so I can get a copy for my library. Thank you so so much to Edelweiss for the ARC!!

[Amanda Hayman · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's no one writing YA like AJW, this was book was a fucking explosive journey. I'm not the fastest reader, so when I finish a book in two days you know I'm hooked. Thank you Edelweiss for the eARC, my first 5 star YA read of the year.

[em!! · Rating 5 out of 5]

aj white never fails

[Hadley Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

You’re No Better is the latest in a long line of absolute bangers coming from Andrew Joseph White. And on that note, please check the content warnings before you read because this book gets heavy!

Let’s get this out there. Morgan Slaughter is a complicated character. He’s trying to escape the infamy of his serial killer father, the entitlement of strangers to know his story, and the control of his Autism Mommy Blogger mother. And the entire time, he’s fighting his own brain and intrusive thoughts.

Statements I made to my friends while reading this book include:

- “All of these characters are awful(complimentary). Except Alyssa. She’s done nothing wrong.”

- “I’m struggling to decide which parent is worse, and one is a literal serial killer.”

- “I don’t know if $500,000 is enough to get Morgan the help he needs.”

- “I’m trying to decide where Bellamy sits on the scale of worst moms in the AJ White cinematic universe.”

Now, that twist/big reveal! There were Siiiiigns! I missed them all! I’m not mad about it because it was so fucked up(again, complimentary). I loved how the ending played out (I’m trying so hard to avoid spoilers I’m sorry). And…umm, yeah. If you’ve loved other books by White, you’ll love this too. And once again, please check the content warnings before consuming.

[imogen]

hm!! rtc.

[Ashley V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow wow wow Andrew Joseph White does it again! You’re No Better had me in a chokehold immediately. With the popularity of true crime, the concept of influencer mom + serial killer dad and young child in the middle of it all is super compelling. While “unlikable” main characters can very easily turn me off of a book, the way that Andrew Joseph White writes autistic, trans, teenagers (with all the realities and difficulties and nuances and mistakes and lessons learned) always leaves me with such a deep appreciation for each of the characters he creates. The body horror was a bit more toned down in this book compared to others of AJW’s novels, which is ironic considering serial killing being the central theme here, but when something happens ooooooooh it happens.
10/10

[kienn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I GOT THE ARC!!!!!!

This might just be my new favorite A.J.W. book.

"For the angry kids." - A.J.W.

( I'm trans. )

Andrew Joseph White, one of my favorite authors, writing about serial killers and true crime culture... after the horror of You Weren't Meant To Be Human, Andrew Joseph White keeps delivering... in this YA horror thriller!
This delivered. And more.
A dark and thrilling read with amazing trans and autistic rep, with a wide trans and neurodivergent cast!! Tackling facets of the experience like being closeted and shutting down... Yes, we deserve rep and Yes we deserve dark stories as well... and this book gets Very dark. Highly recommended consulting the content warnings.
Morgan Slaughter, autistic closeted trans guy who likes trains (yes, he knows this is a bit of a stereotype, doesnt change the fact) and struggles with getting close to people...... also he's the child of a serial killer. But Morgan doesn't want to be his father. Every interaction, with the true crime world, with the people he cares about and fears hurting, with his incarcerated father and their complicated and messed up relationship, revolves around this internal conflict. And each reveal was Very satisfying in this respect.
Morgan's neglectful mother is well written to be dislikable and frustrating... Though Morgan comes from a privileged background, I relate to how his upbringing essentially robbed him of agency and relate to his frustration of not being able to truly live freely or independently. The very reason why Morgan has to play along, has to stay in the closet, is the promise that he'll gain independence in the aftermath.
Felicity, neurodiverse bi nb (questioning)demigirl, approaches Morgan with a proposition. find the identity of the last unidentified Jane Doe. they go from adversaries to something closer. Felicity is a great reflection to Morgan, they bring out the best and worst hiding within him. Also very relatable, anxious, traumatized. I love them.
Alyssa, trans girl, and Morgan's friend. She does so much for Morgan, while Morgan grapples with his darker less than ideal side. My sweet Alyssa. The arc here hurt, but it was refreshingly realistic and again very relatable. And there's her sister, Leah, who is also autistic, and open to bribes (lol).
In the periphery are Morgan's supporting adults, Vincent and Dr. Lý (from a viet guy THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING THE DIACRITICAL MARKS!!!!) to show the sides of the troubled teen industry.
And there's the invasive documentary crew and the predator Daniel. We hate Daniel.
And unfortunately Morgan has to bear through it.
Nuanced and well developed, doesn't pull its punches, a critique of true crime culture and a portrayal of trauma and abuse and queer survival. Ragged and bloody and messy and so much Rage. Excellent. A book that makes you uncomfortable, and makes you see yourself in that discomfort. Cathartic.
When it comes to YA reads, I usually run into issues with how they're written with regards to immaturity and drama, but the portrayal of these teens gave them the maturity and gravity they deserved and for once the dramatic tensions were indeed very high stakes and not at all contrived but deeply painful and realistic. Morgan is not a perfect person and he hurts people, as a person who is also hurt and traumatized. if im being honest i probably wouldnt be friends with him either, but despite that, Morgan was still a very captivating and well developed character. Very refreshing to see such dark themes and messy complex characters tackled in a YA book. also, Finally a portrayal of internet culture that Doesn't make me cringe but actually filled me with morbid delight. Realistic and effective.
One of my favorite features of this book was all the media inserts of podcasts and websites and forums and transcripts, very immersive and refreshingly nuanced and cynical. Helped break up the narrative in a fun and creative way.
Definitely had me squirming at certain details. And so tense. Actually surprised me with the various twists and all of them were earned, character motivated, and kicked the tension up with each reveal. Hooked me all the way and never let up.
The end was satisfying... Morgan has both lost and survived in this journey but he's in the process of healing...

🔪 True crime... and its exploitative nature
♾️ Trans and autistic rep... with a widely diverse cast
🩸 Morally grey characters... pressured into becoming what they are
🖤 Enemies to lovers... who are messy and draw blood and still show up for eachother
🧩 Media inserts... immersive and authentic

I NEED SOMEONE TO TALK TO ABOUT THIS!!!

[Hannah Chadwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andrew Joseph White has done it again!

AJW is the king of horror and this thriller did not disappoint.

It had great pacing. I could not put this book down and I’m sure I had crazy expressions on my face as I read. It definitely went in directions I wasn’t expecting.

Morgan is a very interesting character. He was a deeply flawed character, especially compared to other main characters from AJW. I have only read He’ll Followed With Us and Compound Fracture (so far), and comparing Morgan to the other MCs, he has a certain amount of deviousness the other don’t. Morgan lies and manipulates people. He does some messed up stuff and a lot of the times feels no remote about doing those things. I had a really hard time liking him. That being said, I still rooted for him. I think it’s really hard for authors to write characters like Morgan and still have the readers cheering for them. I have finished many books that try to do this where I end up not caring what happens to the characters at the end. AJW had the perfect blend of flaws that made him complicated, but also strengths that made you care for him regardless of those things.

Some things keeping me from a 5 star is that I wish there were a few more answers. I do wish we knew how things ended up and I wanted more redemption from Morgan from certain things he did. It’s hard to explain exactly what I mean without spoilers so… I guess you’ll just have to read the book 🤷🏼‍♀️.
I don’t think these are things that necessarily take away from the story or my overall enjoyment and maybe I’m just sad the books over but that’s just how I feel about it.

Take it or leave it.

I also think Morgan’s Trans identity could’ve been explored or delved into a bit more, but at the end of the day the opinion of someone from the trans community would weigh more on this topic than mine would.

For those who are expecting the goopy first horror from other AJW books, this doesn’t have that. As mentioned earlier this is more of a thriller than a horror book. This has more of a true crime feel than anything. So if you are wanting that, you might be a bit disappointed. I, however, thought this was very well written and still has the nail biting intensity that his other books have.

Overall, another phenomenal book from Andrew Joseph White.

Also, a HUUUUUUGE thanks to Peachtree Press for this ARC. I absolutely devoured this book.

[Gabby Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is, hands down, the best AJW book I’ve read so far, and yes I have read “You Weren’t Meant to be Human”. With each book he writes, the stories become more expansive with more layers to pull apart.

I loved that this was different from his usual works, more thriller and less horror, although still horrific. Our main character, Morgan, is also different from any previous characters we’ve had so far in terms of his interpersonal relationships and honestly in himself. AJW storytelling is so vivid that it sucks you in from the very beginning and you’re connected to each person you interact with.

I think my favorite part of this book was the overlapping of trauma and the impact it has. Too often we see how trauma has hardened us and in previous books by the author I think that’s been made very clear. However, this time we really see the thought process of how trauma can make us feel inherently bad, not just broken. And, is the bad irreversible? Where does the trauma end and we start and can we be good after experiencing so much horror?

I also think this book does a terrific job at showing a form of OCD that is not talked about enough on this level which is Harm OCD. A lot of people aren’t even ready for this conversation. That sometimes when experiencing a large trauma people. A struggle with thoughts of harming others and does that make them a bad person or are thoughts just thoughts? AJW does this in such a tactful way, more tactful than I could honestly describe it here in a written review.

I also spent the last 20 pages crying, so take that for what it’s worth.

[Azhar · Rating 2 out of 5]

not my favourite ajw. the writing’s good and the story starts out strong (very promising) but loses steam as it progresses, and by the end, i was glad it was over.


thanking netgalley and publishers for the arc!!!

[Mimi Schweid]

This is going to mess me up isn't it??

[Jenn]

DNF. This ARC has something weird going on where letters were just missing and I just don't want to deal with that. Oh well.