I really enjoyed this book, although it was difficult reading how drastically Ria's perception of herself had been altered by Benny's abuse. I felt that watching her grow and learn to accept her limits and her autonomy and her strength was a powerful and rewarding process. I also loved following the development of her romance with Cotton. I love that what drew them together was their kindness towards each other, along with their mutual understanding of the problematic nature that comes with being viewed as both broken and brilliant, often both by the same people. 

Right now, I'm trying to read as many books with autistic protagonists as I can. While Cotton is not the main character of this book, I felt that he was a really well written and an endearing character. He has flaws, strengths, and a strict perspective on what treatment of others is wrong that Ria desperately needs affirmed. I definitely could see myself in him and never felt demeaned by his characterization. Oppositely, I felt very humanized by how our shared traits were written. I also felt that I could really relate to Ria's descriptions of how her ADHD brain works, and how trauma has added to her maladaptive perspectives of herself, even though she hasn't fully realized the extent of it throughout most of the book. 

Another element of this book that I really liked was the focus on diving and caving. I did swim team for years and have been caving a couple of times too, so I could easily emphasize with how Ria feels drawn to both the pool and the underground world she explores. Her descriptions of both were quite visceral, and I imagine they could evoke interest in both activities even for those who've never done them before.

I would definitely recommend this book to others, especially people with ADHD and autism, though you should definitely be aware that experiences of emotional, physical and verbal abuse are key elements of Ria's story.