There are things to love about this novel and things that keep it from being really great. I know that this is a TikTok darling, but I also know that there is a lot of controversy about whether it should be one.

I've loved E. Lockhart for a long time and got started with her novels by reading The Boyfriend List (Ruby Oliver series) and The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks a near decade ago. I'm a fan of her writing style no matter what she writes, so the fact that I would enjoy this beyond a 3-star read was more or less a given.

I did enjoy the characters and the setup, but I will also admit that the plot (while I still found it enjoyable) was pretty predictable. I think there could have been a bit more mystery added to it and maybe a little better handling of the mental illness portion of the book. Still, I found it to be a quick and easy read and I wasn't upset about it. It wasn't her best for me, but I didn't find it to be a bad book either. Would I recommend it? Sure. But it needs to be clearly recommended as a bit of a mystery contemporary, not a thriller. I don't think the stakes in the writing are high enough to get that label.

So...if you enjoy E. Lockhart, don't let the haters sway you. Read this novel. Just remember...this is YA, it is NOT a thriller, and the twist is good but it won't blow you away. If you're like me, you'll have guessed it from fairly near the beginning. But...enjoy the ride. Because it's fun anyway.