I mainly picked up this book because the author is from my home state and I didn't know much about the actual subject matter, so I definitely didn't expect to love this as much as I did. This book was such a rollercoaster ride and although so much of it was difficult to read because of the subject matter, it was compulsively readable. Ashley C. Ford wrote about her experiences so beautifully and powerfully, and I felt so much for her along the way.

The only thing keeping me from giving it a full 5 stars is that I wished she had talked a little bit more about her relationship with her father because I was definitely left with questions. How does someone build a relationship with someone who has done something so terrible? How do you reconcile what he has done while also wanting to be close to him and have him in your life? I wished she had talked more about that because I imagine it was a very hard thing to navigate. Also, I noticed that the second half of the book after she graduated high school wasn't quite as gripping as the first half, but the ending definitely pulled me back in.

I think one of my favorite things about this book was actually her relationship with her mother. It was complicated and messy and very unhealthy at many times. Her mother was abusive both physically and verbally when Ashley was young but somehow they ended up having some sort of relationship when she got older. Although it was definitely hard to read about how her mother treated her, hearing her talk about what it's like to navigate a relationship that is so complicated was very captivating.

Overall, I loved this book so much and definitely see myself buying my own copy so that I can reread and highlight it. I highly recommend it!