This book was fantastic (and the audio is excellently narrated)! I went in fairly blind and ended up listening to the whole audiobook in one day. Maddie is such a well written character, and manages to balance her anxieties, her naivete, and her intelligence so realistically. I loved the ruminations on grief, challenging family dynamics, parentification, delayed adulthood, and modern dating, among other themes. This one is sticking in my mind for sure. I look forward to reading more from Jessica George I hope!

Review withheld until Harper Collins negotiates a fair contract with their union. 

This is one of those books that is so good you lose any access to words trying to describe it. The word that comes up most for me is visceral. The experience of reading this book was so visceral for me. I think this does an incredible job of showing both individual responsibility in the midst of horrifying injustices (in this case, slavery, so among the very worst imaginable), however also emphasizing the way individuals can get swept up in such a large system. The narration was clear that individuals (such as Rufus) were not solely responsible for the overwhelming brutality and injustice of the system, but it also did not exonerate the characters for the acts they were responsible for. Something about this book more than anything I have ever read really drove home the relentless and lifelong brutality of life for those who were enslaved in the antebellum South, and while horrifying, this was a truly remarkable read. I feel so dumb trying to write about this book, just read it. 

This is a remarkable book that manages to closely visit each POV character despite only spending one chapter with each. This book does an incredible job at sweeping through history while still feeling intimate. I loved this, and the audiobook is excellently narrated. 

This was an interesting and thought-provoking quick read. Not the top most memorable book I have read, but definitely an interesting and introspective one.