In general, this book was really well written and wonderfully evocative. I was invested in Lily’s story, and I thought Tremain wrote really powerfully about some serious topics. 

HOWEVER, what really threw the spanner in the works was Lily’s ‘love life’. Why oh why can’t a young woman just have a nice father figure without all this ridiculous scandal?? So often women are written as if they fall in love with every single man that talks to them, and unfortunately Lily did not escape this. There was absolutely NO reason for her turgid ‘love affair’ with Sam. The plot could have gone in EXACTLY the same direction and ended as it did if he were just a loving father figure rather than a CREEP. He’s at LEAST 20 years older than her, and she’s what, barely 18 at the oldest? Gross. If Tremain had commented on this and highlighted that it was creepy behaviour from Sam – essentially taking advantage of a down on her luck GIRL – then that would have been ok, but the reader is obviously meant to view it as a romantic tragedy, rather than predator behaviour. 

AND THEN, it’s hinted at the end that Lily is going to fall in love with the only other man she has spent a sustained period of time with?? And he’s essentially her brother?! I truly got incest vibes – father and brother figures? Weird. 

All in all, if it weren’t for the gross relationship and incest vibes, I would have enjoyed this book a lot more. They really soured my experience of an otherwise skilfully crafted and evocative book.