I must say, I enjoyed this story. It is a gut-wrenching story of how your luck can run out if you are not careful. Also, you never know how other people view you. I found myself most upset with the character Athena. I understand personally the toll of becoming a matriarch of a family when parents are not available to take that role. However, the criticism and the stubbornness from Athena's character made it difficult to read this book at times.

The twins were the most impacted by the secrets, toxicity, and family lies. This scenes in this book is a perfect example of how the "best intentions" are not always best. I found myself frustrated with the twins. It reminded me of when I was young and thought that I knew what was best. Turns out, I had no idea and was acting on emotions, instead of logic AND emotions.

I found myself most upset that a few of the characters were not accepting of each other. But that acceptance became a little more clear as the story continued. It is a shame that Athena only validated her sister's relationship with a woman when she feared for the safety of her twin children. Referring to her sister's relationship as a "phase" was definitely hard to read. This book is raw and NEEDed. Diversifying voices and experiences are needed in today's world. The title of this book perfectly describes the hardship and struggles in this book.