rafa_y's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Confinement, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Bullying and Mental illness
Minor: Blood
nuin_giliath's review
dark
mysterious
4.5
What. Did. I. Just. Read? I don’t even know what just happened, but I loved it.
This book started off by focusing on the early friendship between the two main characters, Elliott and Catherine. Both had difficult home lives and in a way that became a catalyst to their strong connection. Their friendship was so sweet especially the way he stood up for her. 💕 Unfortunately, they were abruptly separated in the middle of a traumatic experience for Catherine. Two years pass before they are reunited and there is a lot of hostility from Catherine towards Elliott as she believes his sudden departure was him abandoning her during a time of need. Elliott is determined to mend the rift between them, while Catherine tries to keep him at arm's-length. The majority of the book is focused on the development of the romantic relationship between these two characters. Sometimes the relationship felt unbalanced (especially during the first two-thirds of the novel) as Elliott was doing all the pursuing and provided Catherine with protection and emotional support while she persisted in keeping her defenses up. This is later reciprocated (to an extent) as Catherine’s decision to reveal the truth comes as she is trying to protect Elliott. Catherine’s reason for being so guarded stems from a secret that she has been trying to hide from everyone. This provides a “mystery” that both Elliott and the readers are trying to figure out throughout the novel. For me (and Elliott), the vague answers from Catherine became frustrating at times. At one point, I even commented “If someone doesn’t tell me what’s going on at the Juniper soon, I’m going to scream.” About 70% into the book, I had already determined this was going to be rated 4/5 based purely on the relationship between Catherine and Elliot. My mind was changed pretty quickly after that point.
I really enjoyed this novel. The characters (and all their flaws) felt realistic in their setting. I do wish that Sam and Madison had been a bit more present earlier on, but I still liked them when they were included. I liked that this was not just a romance book, but instead had some layers to it and dealt with some heavy social issues such as bullying, racism, and mental illness as well as emotions of anger, forgiveness, shame, guilt, and insecurity. I’m glad I picked this up.
This book started off by focusing on the early friendship between the two main characters, Elliott and Catherine. Both had difficult home lives and in a way that became a catalyst to their strong connection. Their friendship was so sweet especially the way he stood up for her. 💕 Unfortunately, they were abruptly separated in the middle of a traumatic experience for Catherine. Two years pass before they are reunited and there is a lot of hostility from Catherine towards Elliott as she believes his sudden departure was him abandoning her during a time of need. Elliott is determined to mend the rift between them, while Catherine tries to keep him at arm's-length. The majority of the book is focused on the development of the romantic relationship between these two characters. Sometimes the relationship felt unbalanced (especially during the first two-thirds of the novel) as Elliott was doing all the pursuing and provided Catherine with protection and emotional support while she persisted in keeping her defenses up. This is later reciprocated (to an extent) as Catherine’s decision to reveal the truth comes as she is trying to protect Elliott. Catherine’s reason for being so guarded stems from a secret that she has been trying to hide from everyone. This provides a “mystery” that both Elliott and the readers are trying to figure out throughout the novel. For me (and Elliott), the vague answers from Catherine became frustrating at times. At one point, I even commented “If someone doesn’t tell me what’s going on at the Juniper soon, I’m going to scream.” About 70% into the book, I had already determined this was going to be rated 4/5 based purely on the relationship between Catherine and Elliot. My mind was changed pretty quickly after that point.
I really enjoyed this novel. The characters (and all their flaws) felt realistic in their setting. I do wish that Sam and Madison had been a bit more present earlier on, but I still liked them when they were included. I liked that this was not just a romance book, but instead had some layers to it and dealt with some heavy social issues such as bullying, racism, and mental illness as well as emotions of anger, forgiveness, shame, guilt, and insecurity. I’m glad I picked this up.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness
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