I'm honestly trying to figure out how this is a debut novel right now because it has the power and force of a book written by an author who has been published before.

But anyway, I have a lot of thoughts about this book. I did find the ending slightly disappointing,

I had hoped she would have turned him in, forced the school to assess how they handle sexual harassment, assault, and abuse, but I don't think that was the point of Vanessa's story. I think the point was that she needed to become someone else. She needed to no longer be his, and drawing it out would hurt her. She didn't owe anyone but herself the truth.

I appreciated the dismantling of her relationship with him, how the author took it apart piece by piece for the reader. It was nuanced, hard to read, important. I know this book won't be for everyone, especially people who want cut-and-dry reflections of sexual abuse, but I think this book is more real than any of those could ever be.

TW: sexual assault, rape, sexual abuse, suicidal thoughts, suicide