Take a photo of a barcode or cover

drakaina16 's review for:
Cruel Summer
by Wesley Southard
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I ran the gamut of emotions with Cruel Summer. It's no secret from the blurb that a large part of the book centers around domestic violence and child abuse. Huge trigger warning for that - it's rough. The book is extremely well-written and gave me actual real-world anxiety, as the ending could have been taken from one of my actual nightmares. The ocean is scary anyway and Wesley Southard has managed to make it even more terrifying. 5 stars
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse