3.25
It’s been a while since I’ve read anything urban fantasy much less realistic fiction, and I’m pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this story. It certainly was a surprise.
This book is very short, so I was worried the plot would move too quick. Now my fears were correct in certain situations, but ultimately, it flowed pretty smoothly.
I loved the friendship between Nor and her best friend. They truly reminded me of my best friend and I. Her mature/ realistic relationship with her love interest also added to my enjoyment.
The familial relationships (the good ones) were by far my favorite. Sometimes I forget how powerful family storylines are until a book like this comes along. Nor’s grandmother and those who cared for her really added a depth/ love only a family can give. Obviously, Nor does have a strong family she made on her own through friends, but having the two together in this story was a wonderful thing to read.
I was horrified reading this story. There’s a lot of darkness and a lot of pain.
It discusses heavy topics like parental abuse and self hate/ self harm. It’s something I cannot personally relate too, but I’ve had close friends that have discussed it with me. I think Leslye did a powerful job in writing that part of the book, especially her note at the end, which went into much more detail.
Now my only issues were the slow beginning and a few scenes that felt awkwardly executed. Pacing and emotions are really important to me in books, and those few instances made me get taken out of the experience/ action.