Ah, I needed that. 

The atmosphere was well concocted, tense and passionate as it goes for books of this genre. It was very hard to not get sucked in; it was addictive, soothing in how different it is to reality. Which. Is escapism not what we seek? 

Tara was a good protagonist to follow. Dependable and unreliable at the same time which was a great contradiction to read about. Her loneliness was palpable, she seemed real, her self awareness was refreshing. Sometimes she made decisions I struggled to understand but it all made sense for her character. All of the supporting characters were well developed and interesting, I loved reading about them. Frankly, I even missed them when they were off page. 

Here's the thing. The book sort of felt like it was split in two, just a little? It's kind of like a two-in-one deal for the dark academia genre, which at the same time was what made this book stand out and also kind of detracted from it. One element especially felt like it disappeared from the narrative and I feel conflicted about it because I wasn't enjoying it but it was a major aspect of the story up to a certain point. (My crypticism is on par with the genre, no?).

The romance, though! Great stuff. I enjoyed the progression, especially as it was unusual and I loved the love interest. 

Overall, honestly, it's a great dark academia novel with wonderful characters and a clear message which doesn't feel like it's being pushed on you. Definitely worth putting on your tbr.