I received a copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Hetty, Reese and Byatt live on an island off the coast of Maine where they were sent to boarding school, and are now trapped thanks to a mysterious illness they call The Toxthat turns animals wild with viciousness and hunger, and gives the girls strange deformities like skin over an eye, a second spine, weird bruises and blisters etc. When something happens to her friend, Hetty begins asking questions and that combined with a new job with more responsibility, makes Hetty become aware of questions she needs to ask about the illness and how they will ever survive it.

This is a great book full of some strong female characters who know how to fight, bite, scratch and shoot without a moment's hesitation. Hetty was a great character to follow - full of fight but also full of love for her friends - her best friend Byatt, and her love interest Reese. I enjoyed the journey to figuring out what was going on, and I feel like we didn't get to know too much, but also just enough to keep a reader really intrigued about where the story would go.

The story felt a little bit wild in all of the best ways due to the violent, strong comes first society the girls now live in with only two teachers to really exert any control or order over them. It's always fun, and a little scary, to think how quickly society can adapt and change to crazy things.

I enjoyed the romance in this book. It's subtle and doesn't take over the actual need to survive and fight but also has all the gentle tendencies and self-doubt that young love brings and it was nice to see this side of the girls too.