A review by ladycaroline
When We Were Bright and Beautiful by Jillian Medoff

dark tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This book is intense, and the ending is much more likely to leave you feeling angry and uncomfortable than satisfied. But even though I hated the ending, it is one that feels grounded in reality —
as much as we desire justice for victims, our society would rather see a rich, handsome rapist go free and live without consequence than ensure a victim receive justice. And even though I was frustrated by Cassie in the end, I believe the author did a great job showing that for many victims, it is not easy to  see yourself as a victim, and it is difficult to untangle yourself from your abuser, especially if they have ensured your life is enmeshed with theirs
. 

The only qualms I have with this book was how slow it was in the beginning, but it does pick up later in the second half. And there were times where the timelines got a bit jumbled in my head but other than that, I think it was written well. 
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