First of all, how dare this book end when it did?

But seriously, I really enjoyed this story. After reading Far From the Tree by Robin Benway last year, I've found that I'm really interested in stories about adoption. I've never read a book written solely by Cynthia Hand. My only prior experience with her writing was My Lady Jane, which is co-written with two other authors, so I had no real idea what to expect when it came to her writing. I was pleasantly surprised at how engaging this was and how immediately I connected to it.

I don't always like books that jump from one perspective and timeline to another, but the way this is done just worked for me. I also like the characters and thought they were well developed.

The friendship between Cassie and Nyla was really well done, and also liked Bastian and their group of friends, although there wasn't really a lot of group scenes with those characters. That wasn't what the story was about, so it was okay that the focus wasn't on them.

I will say that there were a couple of things I didn't really appreciate. The sexuality of one character is kind of used as a twist and it felt awkward to me, mostly because it was obvious that it was where the story was going but it took so long for our other characters to learn about it. Aside from that, I also felt like there were a few things that could've been trimmed (this book is nearly 500 pages! Pretty long for a YA contemporary.) that weren't actually important to the plot of the story to the point that some things become a little repetitive. Also, there are several moments near the end that feel like the story is wrapping up, but it doesn't. So the pacing in the last third of the book isn't the best.

I really enjoyed the passages from Cassie's birth mother's POV and the way that they were used throughout the novel. Even when she is reluctant to write them and using snark and sarcasm when referring to her situation, I still felt for her and actually liked her character.

I teared up several times throughout the course of the book, especially when Cassie makes her decision regarding what to do about her birth mother. I totally understand why she makes the choice she does, but I could also see the opposite choice being made and I would totally understand that as well. It was just one of those situations where no decision is 'right' or 'wrong', and I feel like that's also true for many other moments in the book.

Other odds and ends:

*I wanted a scene where Nyla and/or Cassie realize that Nyla's parents were one of the couples who had applied to adopt Cassie. It was obvious that they were the Mormon parents where the father was a surgeon, and I wonder why the author would include that if it wasn't going to be acknowledged later on.

*I wanted to know more about Nyla and her story. She mentions her parents trying to locate her brother and only says that it 'didn't end well'. What does that mean?!

I would love a follow-up novel or novella with these characters because I really want to know what happens next. I'll definitely check out Cynthia Hand's future releases.