by Will Hill

YA Contemporary, 2017 by Sourcebooks Fire, 464 Pages 

What I Didn’t Like:

• While possibly intentional the beginning of this one reads like it’s a young child telling the story. So much so that when the age of the main character is revealed about 40 pages in, it was SHOCKING. I almost went back to the beginning to see how in the world I got this impression. It was jarring and it changed how I read the character from that point forward. 
• Content warning: cult-like religious behavior and rules, assault, violence, and abuse. 

What I Did Like:

• This is a great example of a time an author knew the rules of grammar well enough to break them for their purposes. This is evident early when a chapter suddenly has little to no punctuation, giving the impression the character is overwhelmed and out of it. Personally, I love when things like that are used to help you connect to a character emotionally. 
• The brilliance of little reveals to give you more connection to a character comes through here. This one pops between Before and After chapters but they’re set up to give you a little more of a connection to our main character each time. It’s the kind of story where you feel yourself being reeled in slowly until you are completely under the spell. It’s captivating.
• Well researched. Evident in the handling of the psychiatry as well as in the police procedures, this one had a lot of careful research. If you’re interested in some of the roots, be sure to read the author’s note. 

Who Should Read This One:

• If you’re a fan of realistic fiction that tells stories ripped from the headlines in a fast paced way, this one is highly recommended.
• Also, if you’re a YA fan who likes strong independent main characters, give this one a read.

My Rating: 4 Stars

• Brilliant and powerful, this one delivers.