So many trigger warnings but this book was so good!!! I was engrossed and stayed up too late to read it multiple times, and even as I didn’t really cry, I deeply felt some of the moments at the end in particular. All of the relationships in this book were intriguing and the found FAMILY and the ROMANCE and the LOVE and the MESSINESS.

This book could have felt artificial, it could have felt like too much. It took on a LOT. But both the world building and the character development felt so grounded and real that I was fully immersed. I was anxious for the characters, so so sad for them, holding on to hope that they could find a way out of the situations that felt impossible. There were several plot twists that were done so perfectly naturally.... rather than feeling uprooted, it felt like that final piece of information clicked into place and everything suddenly rearranged itself behind me, even as it was only the way I had UNDERSTOOD it that had changed. I have to return it to the library, but I have a feeling I'll take it out again to reread soon, or maybe get my own copy.