Wyatt, James, and Peter were unwillingly brought together by circumstance, stuck together by proximity, but grew together like a trio of birch trees sticking close together for the sake of survival. In a single night the three of them were rather violently ripped apart from one another and it’s five years before any of them sets eyes on the other, and when that happens it’s clear their childhood was built on darkness and lies. 

This book is definitely horromance (horror romance) for the YA set. Full of cosmic consequences, eldritch horrors, cryptid monsters, dark cottagecore vibes, a cult full of (of course) old white men, and themes stinking of very poor parenting, this book leans heavily on the ick and the creep instead of the outright violence to convey horror and sticks to dialogue, inner narrative, and clothes-on action to convey sexual attraction. The romance comes from the entire story, including flashbacks to prior events in the characters’ lives. 

I truly enjoyed the concept of this story and was really engaged for the first two acts. I was totally into it, 100%. When the third act came, though, I felt the novel started to come apart and never really came back from that. The whole last 30% of the book was rather messy. It almost felt like Andrew knew what the first 60% of the book was definitely going to look like but then either floundered to find a finish they liked or maybe had a different finish in mind at first and decided to change it but it never truly meshed well. Either way, I wasn’t satisfied at the end. 

I still recommend it because that first 60% is a compelling and interesting story and you may love that last 30% in a way I couldn’t. This book deserves an audience. 

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.