I was about to read 'Because of You' but picked it up on an impulse and now I don't know what to make of this book. Consent is a disturbingly satisfying story. As the title suggests, this book revolves mainly around the concept of consent. But it is also about grief, loss, addiction, vulnerability and sisters.

The story revolves around two sets of sisters who are different yet the same. Both pairs are connected by a man who brings tragedy and connects their families.

We think consent is something that is involved only in sexual relations. But in this story consent plays a huge role in day-to-day life. What is consent for developmentally delayed people who are unable to express themselves in the language we understand? What is consent to the people who are brain dead or locked in? What does consent means when we decide on the behalf of these said people? What does consent mean in the type of sexual relationship that we can't understand? 

At first glance, this book is simple enough. But once you start reading, the layers of this story makes you stop reading and think, "Wait! What?". In this story, the sense of smell is a recurring concept that makes me think how granted I took my sense of smell. The smell is always a tricky sense. It triggers a memory that you are not even aware of. It brings stuff from the deepest parts of the brain.

I realized that I have always been wary of certain scents because it was associated with some traumatic events in my life. And for crying out loud, I studied psychology and neurophysiology for a year. I never thought about this concept and it all came in a flash. This book is highly thought-provoking and I constantly found myself in the places of the sisters. I guessed and second-guessed my responses and it was all an exhausting mind game.

The relationship between the sisters is terrifying and realistic. People will always think that you are close to your sister by default. But the bond between the sisters is always complicated. You love and hate her at the same time. You want to hug her one moment and kill her the next. You both trade secrets to get something you want in return. It is not always sunshine and roses. And it is more intimate and complicated than the bond between a mother and child. Between sisters, there are no secrets. When you hide something, she will know. And a loss of one will be like losing your better self. She will always be your special double.