What do you think?
Look What You Made Me Do
How far would you go to break a cycle before it breaks you?
Margot is no stranger to suffering. Such darkness feels familiar when you have a violent drunk for a dad and a single mom working multiple jobs just to stay afloat. But Margot yearns for more than these bleak circumstances.
When she falls for the golden boy of her small New England town, she thinks he will be her escape. But she is unprepared for how ugly twisted love can become. Breaking free isn't easy, but unconditional friendship and untainted love spark a defiant hope that cannot be dimmed.
As the line between love and abuse blurs, Margot must face the stories she's told herself about who she is and who she is becoming.
Margot is no stranger to suffering. Such darkness feels familiar when you have a violent drunk for a dad and a single mom working multiple jobs just to stay afloat. But Margot yearns for more than these bleak circumstances.
When she falls for the golden boy of her small New England town, she thinks he will be her escape. But she is unprepared for how ugly twisted love can become. Breaking free isn't easy, but unconditional friendship and untainted love spark a defiant hope that cannot be dimmed.
As the line between love and abuse blurs, Margot must face the stories she's told herself about who she is and who she is becoming.
342 pages, Paperback
Published September 22, 2026
About the author
Summer Atkinson
1 book1 followerSummer Atkinson grew up in Connecticut and now lives in beautiful Colorado with her husband, Jackson, their dog, Bilbo Waggins, and cats Mr. Whiskers and Mosey. She has a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and a master’s degree in public health, which she uses in her day job as a life science consultant. Her professional career has been particularly devoted to women’s health and reproductive justice. When not writing, she can often be found in the mountains, either hiking, backpacking, or snowboarding. Passionate about travel and the great outdoors, she catalogs her adventures on a travel blog and Instagram titled Out There Travels. Connect with Summer online via summeratkinson.com and @summeratkinsonbooks on socials.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 9, 2026
«We often fear the wrong things, don't we?»
(Scroll down to read the English version of this review).
Look What You Made Me Do o traducido al español como Mira lo que me hiciste hacer es el libro debut de la autora estadounidense Summer Atkinson. En este libro se nos presenta a Margot, una niña que vive con sus padres, el problema es que su padre suele tomar mucho y cuando eso pasa, golpea a su madre. Todo cambia un dia que la misma Margot presencia como su padre casi mata a su mama, cosa que hace que ella misma marque al numero de emergencias, y aunque la señora decide no presentar cargos, le pide el divorcio.
Años despues, el padre de Margot ha entrado a terapia, ella se mudo a otra casa con su madre y empieza la preparatoria. Ahi conoce a su mejor amiga Lex y tambien a un chico encantador llamado Asher, todo parece ser de ensueño para Margot creyendo que habia dejado atras esa vida llena de preocupaciones. Sin embargo, las cosas entre ella y Asher rapidamente se tornaran demasiado oscuras.
Trama: 8/10
Es muy probable que yo no sea el publico al que va destinado el libro. La trama, sin embargo, me gusto pero hasta ahi. Es de una manera sutil en la que entras en la cabeza de Margot, ademas de que no es solamente desde que era pequeña, si no sus años desde que era niña, en preparatoria, en la universidad y todo eso. Obviamente hay muchas partes en donde te da cierto asco por los temas que trata el libro, que obviamente son temas demasiado delicados pero la verdad es que ha estado bien
Personajes: 7/10
Aqui es donde probablemente tengo mas problemas: yo entiendo que obviamente es muy dificil salir del ciclo cuando tienes una pareja que es abusiva, sobre todo cuando al inicio todo parecia lindo y sus acciones no parecian ser la gran cosa hasta que van escalando. Mi problema con Margot es que ella sabia perfecto como era la situacion entre su madre y su padre, y sin embargo en ningun momento parecio pensar que debia salir de ahi antes de que fuera demasiado tarde. Hay una parte del libro en donde Lex, su mejor amiga, le dice que deberia terminar las cosas con él, pero Margot piensa que Lex no sabe como son las cosas porque ella si tiene una familia en la cual apoyarse y es como: "Amiga, te recuerdo que tu mamá tambien es victima de violencia domestica". El mejor personaje del libro obviamente fue Lex, Margot me gusto tambien porque obviamente es su historia y al final del dia si logra romper ese ciclo pero si fue exasperante ver como a pesar como las cosas seguian escalando, ella intentaba seguir defendiendolo.
Final: 9/10
Yo pensaba que el libro tendria ese final feliz deseado (que si lo tuvo) donde todo parecia perfecto hasta que lei el epilogo y me quede en shock absoluto. Creo que es algo que no me espere para nada, y todo lo que ocurrio desde la llamada del hospital a Margot hasta el epilogo sinceramente me parecio increible y es lo que salva al libro. Muchas gracias a Netgalley, Summer Atkinson y Out There Media por darme una copia avanzada del libro
3 estrellas.
***
Look What You Made Me Do is the debut novel by American author Summer Atkinson. In this book, we are introduced to Margot, a girl who lives with her parents. The problem is that her father tends to drink heavily, and when he does, he hits her mother. Everything changes one day when Margot witnesses her father nearly killing her mother, prompting her to call the emergency number herself. Although her mother decides not to press charges, she asks for a divorce.
Years later, Margot's father has entered therapy, while she has moved into another house with her mother and starts high school. There, she meets her best friend Lex as well as a charming boy named Asher. Everything seems like a dream for Margot, believing that she has left behind that life full of worries. However, things between her and Asher will quickly take a much darker turn.
Plot: 8/10
It is very likely that I am not the target audience for this book. The plot, however, I did enjoy, but only to a certain extent. It is told in a subtle way that allows you to get inside Margot's head, and it doesn't only focus on her childhood, but also follows her through the years, from when she was a child, through high school, college, and beyond. Obviously, there are many parts that make you feel uncomfortable because of the subjects the book deals with, which are obviously extremely sensitive topics, but honestly, I think they were handled well.
Characters: 7/10
This is probably where I have the most issues. I understand that it is obviously very difficult to break the cycle when you are with an abusive partner, especially when everything seemed nice at first and their actions didn't seem like a big deal until things gradually escalated. My problem with Margot is that she knew perfectly well what the situation between her mother and father was like, and yet at no point did she seem to think that she should get out before it was too late. There is a part of the book where Lex, her best friend, tells her that she should end things with him, but Margot thinks that Lex doesn't understand what things are really like because she has a family she can rely on, and I'm just like, "Girl, I remind you that your mom is also a victim of domestic violence." The best character in the book was obviously Lex. I liked Margot as well because, obviously, this is her story, and at the end of the day she does manage to break the cycle, but it was definitely frustrating to watch her continue defending him even as things kept escalating.
Ending: 9/10
I thought the book would have that desired happy ending (which it did) where everything seemed perfect, until I read the epilogue and was left in complete shock. I don't think I saw it coming at all, and everything that happened from the hospital's call to Margot all the way to the epilogue honestly blew me away, and it is what saves the book for me. Many thanks to NetGalley, Summer Atkinson, and Out There Media for providing me with an advanced copy of the book.
3 stars.
(Scroll down to read the English version of this review).
Look What You Made Me Do o traducido al español como Mira lo que me hiciste hacer es el libro debut de la autora estadounidense Summer Atkinson. En este libro se nos presenta a Margot, una niña que vive con sus padres, el problema es que su padre suele tomar mucho y cuando eso pasa, golpea a su madre. Todo cambia un dia que la misma Margot presencia como su padre casi mata a su mama, cosa que hace que ella misma marque al numero de emergencias, y aunque la señora decide no presentar cargos, le pide el divorcio.
Años despues, el padre de Margot ha entrado a terapia, ella se mudo a otra casa con su madre y empieza la preparatoria. Ahi conoce a su mejor amiga Lex y tambien a un chico encantador llamado Asher, todo parece ser de ensueño para Margot creyendo que habia dejado atras esa vida llena de preocupaciones. Sin embargo, las cosas entre ella y Asher rapidamente se tornaran demasiado oscuras.
Trama: 8/10
Es muy probable que yo no sea el publico al que va destinado el libro. La trama, sin embargo, me gusto pero hasta ahi. Es de una manera sutil en la que entras en la cabeza de Margot, ademas de que no es solamente desde que era pequeña, si no sus años desde que era niña, en preparatoria, en la universidad y todo eso. Obviamente hay muchas partes en donde te da cierto asco por los temas que trata el libro, que obviamente son temas demasiado delicados pero la verdad es que ha estado bien
Personajes: 7/10
Aqui es donde probablemente tengo mas problemas: yo entiendo que obviamente es muy dificil salir del ciclo cuando tienes una pareja que es abusiva, sobre todo cuando al inicio todo parecia lindo y sus acciones no parecian ser la gran cosa hasta que van escalando. Mi problema con Margot es que ella sabia perfecto como era la situacion entre su madre y su padre, y sin embargo en ningun momento parecio pensar que debia salir de ahi antes de que fuera demasiado tarde. Hay una parte del libro en donde Lex, su mejor amiga, le dice que deberia terminar las cosas con él, pero Margot piensa que Lex no sabe como son las cosas porque ella si tiene una familia en la cual apoyarse y es como: "Amiga, te recuerdo que tu mamá tambien es victima de violencia domestica". El mejor personaje del libro obviamente fue Lex, Margot me gusto tambien porque obviamente es su historia y al final del dia si logra romper ese ciclo pero si fue exasperante ver como a pesar como las cosas seguian escalando, ella intentaba seguir defendiendolo.
Final: 9/10
Yo pensaba que el libro tendria ese final feliz deseado (que si lo tuvo) donde todo parecia perfecto hasta que lei el epilogo y me quede en shock absoluto. Creo que es algo que no me espere para nada, y todo lo que ocurrio desde la llamada del hospital a Margot hasta el epilogo sinceramente me parecio increible y es lo que salva al libro. Muchas gracias a Netgalley, Summer Atkinson y Out There Media por darme una copia avanzada del libro
3 estrellas.
***
Look What You Made Me Do is the debut novel by American author Summer Atkinson. In this book, we are introduced to Margot, a girl who lives with her parents. The problem is that her father tends to drink heavily, and when he does, he hits her mother. Everything changes one day when Margot witnesses her father nearly killing her mother, prompting her to call the emergency number herself. Although her mother decides not to press charges, she asks for a divorce.
Years later, Margot's father has entered therapy, while she has moved into another house with her mother and starts high school. There, she meets her best friend Lex as well as a charming boy named Asher. Everything seems like a dream for Margot, believing that she has left behind that life full of worries. However, things between her and Asher will quickly take a much darker turn.
Plot: 8/10
It is very likely that I am not the target audience for this book. The plot, however, I did enjoy, but only to a certain extent. It is told in a subtle way that allows you to get inside Margot's head, and it doesn't only focus on her childhood, but also follows her through the years, from when she was a child, through high school, college, and beyond. Obviously, there are many parts that make you feel uncomfortable because of the subjects the book deals with, which are obviously extremely sensitive topics, but honestly, I think they were handled well.
Characters: 7/10
This is probably where I have the most issues. I understand that it is obviously very difficult to break the cycle when you are with an abusive partner, especially when everything seemed nice at first and their actions didn't seem like a big deal until things gradually escalated. My problem with Margot is that she knew perfectly well what the situation between her mother and father was like, and yet at no point did she seem to think that she should get out before it was too late. There is a part of the book where Lex, her best friend, tells her that she should end things with him, but Margot thinks that Lex doesn't understand what things are really like because she has a family she can rely on, and I'm just like, "Girl, I remind you that your mom is also a victim of domestic violence." The best character in the book was obviously Lex. I liked Margot as well because, obviously, this is her story, and at the end of the day she does manage to break the cycle, but it was definitely frustrating to watch her continue defending him even as things kept escalating.
Ending: 9/10
I thought the book would have that desired happy ending (which it did) where everything seemed perfect, until I read the epilogue and was left in complete shock. I don't think I saw it coming at all, and everything that happened from the hospital's call to Margot all the way to the epilogue honestly blew me away, and it is what saves the book for me. Many thanks to NetGalley, Summer Atkinson, and Out There Media for providing me with an advanced copy of the book.
3 stars.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This review contains spoilers.
TW's: This book deals quite heavily with domestic and emotional abuse. There are scenes involving physical violence, intimidation, alcoholism, trauma, grief, and death, as well as references to sexual violence. I would recommend checking the content warnings before reading if any of these subjects are particularly difficult for you.
We begin Margot’s story with her reflecting on the victimization and abuse she has experienced, which ultimately becomes the lens through which her entire story unfolds. She believes that because she grew up watching her father hurt her mother, she should have known better than to ever become a victim herself. She was vigilant. She thought she understood men like him. And yet, she still found herself in an abusive relationship. The book spends much of its time exploring that contradiction: how someone can recognize the warning signs of abuse and still become trapped in it, and how a series of seemingly insignificant decisions can eventually lead someone somewhere they never imagined themselves ending up.
The writing style at the beginning took me a little while to get used to because it often feels as though an older Margot is looking back on her younger self, with the story moving between different points in time. We are also repeatedly warned that Asher’s story will not end well and that he will eventually become abusive, so there is a sense of inevitability hanging over the story from the beginning. But despite those warnings, the author does something that I found surprisingly effective: we become deeply invested in Margot’s relationship with Asher. We get to know and fall in love with the boy she falls in love with before he becomes the person who hurts her, which makes the unraveling of their relationship much more difficult to watch. Rather than simply telling us that Margot is in an abusive relationship, the book allows us to understand why she stays, the justifications she makes along the way, and how difficult it can be to recognize that someone you love is becoming someone you should fear.
As the story progresses, we become much more immersed in Margot’s emotional trauma: the abuse she experiences from Asher, her fear of leaving, her fear of what might happen if she does, and the growing disappointment of realizing how much of herself she has already given to this relationship. This is one of the aspects of the book I found most compelling because it portrays the reality of being trapped in an abusive relationship without making it feel simple. Margot knows that what is happening to her is wrong, but knowing that does not automatically make leaving easy. From the outside, leaving can seem like the obvious choice, but the book makes us understand why it does not feel that way to her. There is comfort in what is familiar, even when what is familiar is painful. The fear of the future, the uncertainty of what comes next, and the possibility of starting over can make leaving feel almost as frightening as staying. There is also a sense of grief over everything she has invested, sacrificed, and given up, making the decision even more complicated.
This is also where my biggest problem with the book comes in. I struggled with the way it ultimately handles Margot’s experience as a survivor because I felt that the resolution moves away from the very argument the prologue establishes. I think an important part of portraying abuse is making it clear that the victim is not responsible for the abuser’s actions. A victim can question their choices, wonder what they could have done differently, or even blame themselves, but there should eventually be some recognition that they did not cause the abuse. With Margot, I never felt that she fully reached that understanding. Instead, her anger and unresolved trauma eventually lead into the book’s revenge-driven twist, which made me question what the story ultimately wanted to say about surviving abuse and reclaiming your agency.
What I appreciated most about the book is that it does not treat victimization as something that simply ends when the abuse does. Margot’s experiences (from witnessing abuse in childhood to experiencing it herself in adolescence and adulthood) shape the way she understands relationships, love, and herself. The aftermath is equally complicated: there is the fear of loving someone again, the uncertainty of whether you can trust yourself or another person, but also the possibility that leaving can give you the opportunity to start over and build a life that is truly your own. That possibility of freedom is what I wanted the ending to explore more deeply.
Instead, the book ultimately turns toward revenge. Of course, abusers should be held accountable and prosecuted, and they should face the consequences of what they have done. But the story never fully explores that possibility before choosing its more extreme resolution. We do see Margot begin to move on, but we also see the lingering consequences of the choice she makes to end the cycle, which complicates what freedom ultimately looks like for her. The premise presents such a compelling argument about victimization and breaking the cycle, and I just wish the ending had engaged with that argument in a way that felt more consistent with everything Margot had experienced.
TW's: This book deals quite heavily with domestic and emotional abuse. There are scenes involving physical violence, intimidation, alcoholism, trauma, grief, and death, as well as references to sexual violence. I would recommend checking the content warnings before reading if any of these subjects are particularly difficult for you.
We begin Margot’s story with her reflecting on the victimization and abuse she has experienced, which ultimately becomes the lens through which her entire story unfolds. She believes that because she grew up watching her father hurt her mother, she should have known better than to ever become a victim herself. She was vigilant. She thought she understood men like him. And yet, she still found herself in an abusive relationship. The book spends much of its time exploring that contradiction: how someone can recognize the warning signs of abuse and still become trapped in it, and how a series of seemingly insignificant decisions can eventually lead someone somewhere they never imagined themselves ending up.
The writing style at the beginning took me a little while to get used to because it often feels as though an older Margot is looking back on her younger self, with the story moving between different points in time. We are also repeatedly warned that Asher’s story will not end well and that he will eventually become abusive, so there is a sense of inevitability hanging over the story from the beginning. But despite those warnings, the author does something that I found surprisingly effective: we become deeply invested in Margot’s relationship with Asher. We get to know and fall in love with the boy she falls in love with before he becomes the person who hurts her, which makes the unraveling of their relationship much more difficult to watch. Rather than simply telling us that Margot is in an abusive relationship, the book allows us to understand why she stays, the justifications she makes along the way, and how difficult it can be to recognize that someone you love is becoming someone you should fear.
As the story progresses, we become much more immersed in Margot’s emotional trauma: the abuse she experiences from Asher, her fear of leaving, her fear of what might happen if she does, and the growing disappointment of realizing how much of herself she has already given to this relationship. This is one of the aspects of the book I found most compelling because it portrays the reality of being trapped in an abusive relationship without making it feel simple. Margot knows that what is happening to her is wrong, but knowing that does not automatically make leaving easy. From the outside, leaving can seem like the obvious choice, but the book makes us understand why it does not feel that way to her. There is comfort in what is familiar, even when what is familiar is painful. The fear of the future, the uncertainty of what comes next, and the possibility of starting over can make leaving feel almost as frightening as staying. There is also a sense of grief over everything she has invested, sacrificed, and given up, making the decision even more complicated.
This is also where my biggest problem with the book comes in. I struggled with the way it ultimately handles Margot’s experience as a survivor because I felt that the resolution moves away from the very argument the prologue establishes. I think an important part of portraying abuse is making it clear that the victim is not responsible for the abuser’s actions. A victim can question their choices, wonder what they could have done differently, or even blame themselves, but there should eventually be some recognition that they did not cause the abuse. With Margot, I never felt that she fully reached that understanding. Instead, her anger and unresolved trauma eventually lead into the book’s revenge-driven twist, which made me question what the story ultimately wanted to say about surviving abuse and reclaiming your agency.
What I appreciated most about the book is that it does not treat victimization as something that simply ends when the abuse does. Margot’s experiences (from witnessing abuse in childhood to experiencing it herself in adolescence and adulthood) shape the way she understands relationships, love, and herself. The aftermath is equally complicated: there is the fear of loving someone again, the uncertainty of whether you can trust yourself or another person, but also the possibility that leaving can give you the opportunity to start over and build a life that is truly your own. That possibility of freedom is what I wanted the ending to explore more deeply.
Instead, the book ultimately turns toward revenge. Of course, abusers should be held accountable and prosecuted, and they should face the consequences of what they have done. But the story never fully explores that possibility before choosing its more extreme resolution. We do see Margot begin to move on, but we also see the lingering consequences of the choice she makes to end the cycle, which complicates what freedom ultimately looks like for her. The premise presents such a compelling argument about victimization and breaking the cycle, and I just wish the ending had engaged with that argument in a way that felt more consistent with everything Margot had experienced.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
DNF at 21%.
The description immediately caught my attention. I was really interested in the difficult topics this book explores, especially growing up with a parent struggling with addiction and how that can affect a child from such a young age.
“Because that was the thing about Dad. When he was good, he was really good.”
This quote really caught my attention because I think it captures Margot’s complicated feelings towards her father very well. It also shows that people struggling with addiction aren't necessarily bad people. They can still be loving and warm, but when those moments are rare and unpredictable, they can become even more precious to a child.
“I was always careful around him, listening for any change in tone, flash of anger, or slur of words.”
This part does a great job of capturing the heightened alertness that comes with living with someone struggling with addiction, constantly watching for the first signs that something is wrong so you can prepare yourself for what might come next. I thought this was another aspect of growing up with an addicted parent that the book captured really well.
I think this story had a lot of potential, and I really wanted to get invested in it and enjoy it, but unfortunately, a few things along the way didn't quite work for me.
One of the things I struggled with was the writing style. At times, we get very detailed descriptions of a room or a character’s appearance, while important events can happen within just a single paragraph. Because of that, the story sometimes felt like it was rushing through moments that I would have liked to see explored in more depth.
I also had trouble figuring out Margot’s age, which made some parts of her narration difficult for me to place. At times, she has surprisingly mature thoughts and observations, while in other moments she doesn’t understand fairly simple words ("Mum told me I was withdrawn, whatever that meant"). Because of that, her voice sometimes felt inconsistent.
I also had some issues with the dialogue, as some conversations just didn't feel very natural to me. I especially noticed this when Margot talked about her father's drinking and rehab. The way she talked about it felt much more mature than I would expect from a child, which again made me unsure of how old she was supposed to be. I also found the conversation between Margot and Asher, where he asks her to be his girlfriend, quite sudden and a little unconvincing.
Unfortunately, these things made it difficult for me to really connect with the story and its characters. I still think the premise had a lot of potential, especially with the themes it explores, but I wasn't enjoying the way the story was coming together enough to keep reading.
DNF at 21%.
The description immediately caught my attention. I was really interested in the difficult topics this book explores, especially growing up with a parent struggling with addiction and how that can affect a child from such a young age.
“Because that was the thing about Dad. When he was good, he was really good.”
This quote really caught my attention because I think it captures Margot’s complicated feelings towards her father very well. It also shows that people struggling with addiction aren't necessarily bad people. They can still be loving and warm, but when those moments are rare and unpredictable, they can become even more precious to a child.
“I was always careful around him, listening for any change in tone, flash of anger, or slur of words.”
This part does a great job of capturing the heightened alertness that comes with living with someone struggling with addiction, constantly watching for the first signs that something is wrong so you can prepare yourself for what might come next. I thought this was another aspect of growing up with an addicted parent that the book captured really well.
I think this story had a lot of potential, and I really wanted to get invested in it and enjoy it, but unfortunately, a few things along the way didn't quite work for me.
One of the things I struggled with was the writing style. At times, we get very detailed descriptions of a room or a character’s appearance, while important events can happen within just a single paragraph. Because of that, the story sometimes felt like it was rushing through moments that I would have liked to see explored in more depth.
I also had trouble figuring out Margot’s age, which made some parts of her narration difficult for me to place. At times, she has surprisingly mature thoughts and observations, while in other moments she doesn’t understand fairly simple words ("Mum told me I was withdrawn, whatever that meant"). Because of that, her voice sometimes felt inconsistent.
I also had some issues with the dialogue, as some conversations just didn't feel very natural to me. I especially noticed this when Margot talked about her father's drinking and rehab. The way she talked about it felt much more mature than I would expect from a child, which again made me unsure of how old she was supposed to be. I also found the conversation between Margot and Asher, where he asks her to be his girlfriend, quite sudden and a little unconvincing.
Unfortunately, these things made it difficult for me to really connect with the story and its characters. I still think the premise had a lot of potential, especially with the themes it explores, but I wasn't enjoying the way the story was coming together enough to keep reading.
September 23, 2026
This is an excellent book. It reads like a true story, in fact I checked twice to see if it was indeed fiction and it appears so.
I don't normally enjoy books that delve into the past of the main characters but in this instance, the backstory was crucial to understanding the rest of the story.
The writing is sharp and, for the most part, direct and concise, which is exactly what I enjoy. This is written with empathy, but also does not shy away from the hard events. It also rings true. I never once thought "yeah, right".
The weakness and the strength here are the characters. Lex is a great best friend, which is refreshing as i am tired of reading about "mean girls". I would have liked to read more about Jake though.
Of course the main character, Margot, was very well fleshed out, but was she ever annoying at times.....anytime she had an emotion it felt as though she was sobbing. I get that the events in this story are harsh and that the normal reaction would be to cry, but it was a bit much, keeping her in victim mode for a long while. Having said that, I admit that I liked Margot's kindness with everyone.
Still, the story was excellent and was written with empathy.
I don't normally enjoy books that delve into the past of the main characters but in this instance, the backstory was crucial to understanding the rest of the story.
The writing is sharp and, for the most part, direct and concise, which is exactly what I enjoy. This is written with empathy, but also does not shy away from the hard events. It also rings true. I never once thought "yeah, right".
The weakness and the strength here are the characters. Lex is a great best friend, which is refreshing as i am tired of reading about "mean girls". I would have liked to read more about Jake though.
Of course the main character, Margot, was very well fleshed out, but was she ever annoying at times.....anytime she had an emotion it felt as though she was sobbing. I get that the events in this story are harsh and that the normal reaction would be to cry, but it was a bit much, keeping her in victim mode for a long while. Having said that, I admit that I liked Margot's kindness with everyone.
Still, the story was excellent and was written with empathy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
In a lesson to me to read descriptions more carefully, my main feedback on this was going to be that it reads more like YA than general fiction, only to see that it is in fact tagged as such.
So there we go. It is a very good example of YA that covers some important topics in a very readable, accessible way. I favour a murkier, less reliable or linear narrative, but even I was hoping this one would have a happy ending.
It is somewhat unrelenting, too. I was reading some of the tougher parts thinking that the narrator's emotional responses were excessive, before realising that they are actually very raw, very real, and therefore really quite uncomfortable to read. Another lesson that what is generally considered to be palatable levels of unhappiness doesn't even come close. I may not have liked or enjoyed it, but that's not a reason to tone it down.
In all a good example of a genre I wouldn't normally have read.
So there we go. It is a very good example of YA that covers some important topics in a very readable, accessible way. I favour a murkier, less reliable or linear narrative, but even I was hoping this one would have a happy ending.
It is somewhat unrelenting, too. I was reading some of the tougher parts thinking that the narrator's emotional responses were excessive, before realising that they are actually very raw, very real, and therefore really quite uncomfortable to read. Another lesson that what is generally considered to be palatable levels of unhappiness doesn't even come close. I may not have liked or enjoyed it, but that's not a reason to tone it down.
In all a good example of a genre I wouldn't normally have read.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews