[second read, April 2019]
I’m lowering my rating from 4.5 stars to 4, but I still enjoyed the book. I don’t read much adult fiction, but this novel has singlehandedly convinced me to seek out more. It’s elegantly written and emotional, with so many topics handled in a brutally honest yet still delicate way.

I stand by my original review in its entirety. However, the reason for my lesser rating this time around is that I don’t feel this novel is suited to rereads. This may be a personal issue, or maybe it’s one I experienced because I read it for the first time only ten months ago. But regardless, no element of this novel had the same effect on me. Remembering even snippets of the plot detracted from the impact the story had.

Despite this, I plan to read more from Reid, and I recommend this to everyone that believes they can handle the content.

Representation:

 
[first read, June 2018]
This novel has taken the book community by storm. I’ve yet to see a single person dislike it; everyone seems to love it. I didn’t, but don’t come at me with pitchforks and torches yet please. I did like it. Very much. I closed the book and was legitimately speechless. However, for me, it just wasn’t amazing. Please don’t disown me. (I’m kidding. Sort of.)

I’ve never read anything quite like this novel. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect going in, but it blew my mind. It’s midnight as I write this review, and I stayed up late to finish this. I read this in under a day. It truly hooked me.

As it’s late and I’m starting to get a headache, this review won’t be anything special. I can’t pin down any aspect of this book I disliked. It was unique for sure, very well written, and extremely intriguing. Evelyn is without a doubt the most morally grey and brutally honest character I’ve read that’s not in a fantasy and I liked that about her. Monique has a really interesting character arc, though the majority of the novel is flashbacks of Evelyn’s life; I feel like that speaks of Taylor’s writing style and skill. Harry was so sweet until the end, and I can see why people love him. I can absolutely see it.

I predicted parts of the ending, but not all of them. One thing definitely took me by surprise. However, this novel didn’t break my heart or crush my soul the way I expected it to, based on other gushing, emotional reviews. It was sad, don’t get me wrong, but nothing more, in my opinion. Sorry, my heart of stone is talking again. These things never have the same effect on me. Oops.

I think that’s all I’ve got to say. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and I certainly sped through it. Although it wasn’t as spectacular or heart-wrenching as everyone claimed, it left an impact on me. It was definitely a compelling read, and I think I’ll be thinking about it for some time.