4/10

This book was a conundrum.

The grief and feelings and craziness of the family was so *so* relatable. I have lived through two deaths where this behavior occurred in the aftermath, and the feelings and descriptions of the parents behavior and how they coached the kids was so raw and real. I have experienced the emotional coaching to keep a patriarch happy. I was entirely on board the plan to destroy the symbol of all of it. I was a teenager at the time and my emotions were big and violent too. So much of the book resonated and was emotionally cathartic.

Once we switch from character piece to plot driven story and hit the 'reveal'/ ending this book fails so hard for me. This was some Season 8 Game of Thrones level twistery that's there for shock value and to teach a moral, though quite frankly I think it misses the mark on even that.

What a waste of potential.