a friend found this book & shared it with the group chat, and after some avoidance (entirely because i was in a reading slump), i finally decided to pick it up for real. 
the story was complex, confusing, and detailed… in all of the best ways. i felt like i was inside of each characters head and felt the rush they were feeling on their journey to save Wild Nights. 
would for sure recommend this in a text-based-medium as the amount of characters and timelines can get… confusing. 
there are some pretty dark topics mentioned, so, as always, check tw/cw and put yourself first. 

WOW WOW WOW ANITA KELLY (they/them) STRIKES AGAIN!!

going into any book by Anita Kelly, i know im about to have the gayest, emotional, introspective experience of my recent life and i will never get over it. their ability to write books that speak to the parts of my soul i didn’t know existed is unmatched. im a big fan of interconnected standalones because I love getting to learn more about characters and hate saying goodbye to them at the end of the book. AND THIS SERIES MEANT I DIDNT HAVE TO SAY GOODBYE. i got to keep experiencing life with them, and i am forever grateful for the ability to know these characters.

i loved this book. i loved the conversations it brought up about girls in games, but also about knowing one’s worth and not allowing others ideas or promises change that. 
i really enjoyed the story and the characters, especially the dynamics between all of the characters. the fact that aaron and divya didn’t change who they were throughout the story made me so happy, because the media forcing girls to change/limit the sass they give to people they’re interested in is SUCH a tired take. eric knocked it out of the park with this one. 
related, there’s a law and order svu episode that is similar to this story and it’s one of my favorite episodes, so it was nice to relive that without the really bad parts. 

this was such a cute read. i felt all of the emotions so strongly that i had to stop multiple times because i was crying too hard. 
i’m not a huge fan of miscommunication plots, but the way this resolved so quickly made it better for me. 

i love james ramos. that could be the entire review but it wouldnt perfectly describe my love for this book. nothing i say can describe my love for this little universe james created. the characters felt so real to me and whenever i closed the book (metaphorically, because i read it on my kindle) i would have a moment of surprise that the world stopped existing. 
daniel, mona, and gabe were such unique characters that fit into each others lives so well despite how different they are. adding in phoebe and bridge and aisha, the character dynamics were perfect. this book has autistic rep (in male and female characters, as well as trans characters), as well as aromantic rep that wasn’t dependent on asexual rep. 
mona and daniel’s friendship made me feel so seen in a way i hadn’t expected. truly a perfect book. 

this book came highly recommended to me and i’m so glad i picked it up. i feel like queer hockey romances + non-white hockey romances are few and far between, so i really enjoyed the characterization. 
i kept screaming “GO TO THERAPY” for the entire book. if you don’t like open/ambiguous endings, this book is NOT for you. 

This book was a very unique story that had me on my toes the entire time. I felt like I was in the room as the interrogations were happening. 

This book showcased a really interesting dynamic, mixing a good concept with a dual timeline to really bring the characters to life. The story kept shifting throughout which kept me very invested in the book. Where some parts were definitely predictable, the way they were written and reflected on made it feel like you are chasing the answer the whole book. 
I think this book is a good reminder that friendships aren’t always meant to last forever, but that doesn’t make them any less important in the moment. We exist in a world where companionship comes and goes, teaching us lessons as we move through life and they’re all valuable even if they don’t end positively. 

the ending was a bit abrupt, but in a way that made sense to me and the flow of the book.

i would recommend the audio version of this book, but I can understand how some of the emotion would be lost in a print version.