Typically when I read books I think back on them and want to lower my rating. I have a feeling that this will be the opposite. The more you sit and reflect on the life that you just read, the more it stays with you, on your mind, in your thoughts. I think the bio doesn’t do this book justice because in a way Alethea doesn’t come to a cross-road where she gets to decide who she wants to be, she really is just a woman that has survived horrific situations time and time again and is living her life the best way she is knows how to. I was not expecting this to end the way it did and part of me hates this novel for that. The other part of me will decided once I have thought about it more. (I don’t mean the last few pages I mean what comes before that). 

I would like to stress that the TW in this are very confronting especially the child abuse, physical and sexual assault. And they more graphic as you continue. 

This is a very very important story to be told, for myself personally never having experienced domestic abuse the more I read novels both fiction and non-fiction it opens up a window that I will never be able to ‘understand’ not having lived it myself but to be able to support and have a deeper sympathy towards people going through it, knowing that it is never just black and white. 

Novels like this are so powerful, and Alethea as a character is so strong despite all of her trials, looking in on isolated situations you could easily assume she’s week and the all to common “why would you chose to stay”. Alethea has a beautiful soul, is strong, independent and a survivor. I love her for what she represents and I loved her friends, they truely where a beautiful backbone’s to this novel. 


I will say the writing style is very jarring but it doesn’t take long to find your rhythm, very quickly I began to not even notice the unfamiliar worlds and slang. I listened to the sample of this on audio so I had a voice in my heard whilst reading, I would highly recommend doing that before you start.