This book dives deep into the classic question of nature vs. nurture as young girls are faced with the unthinkable when seduced by an authority figure. When Ren returns to her hometown for a new teaching job, she’s forced to confront the trauma of her sister’s death, an event that happened in high school but still haunts her. As eerily familiar circumstances begin to unfold, Ren becomes determined to stop history from repeating itself. But the real tension lies in whether she’s truly seeing her co-teacher for who he is, or if her guilt and need for redemption are clouding her judgment.

Fans of Freida McFadden will likely enjoy this one as it carries similar vibes to The Teacher, but with an added haunting and atmospheric edge. That said, I found myself wanting more depth especially in terms of character development and world building. And I just felt I wanted more, particularly amongst the girls on the volleyball team and their dynamics with the coach, but it never fully explored that aspect. 

Still, if you're in the mood for a quick and thought provoking mystery with a dark twist, this book will definitely scratch that itch.

*Thank you to Marlee Bush, Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for the ARC copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.