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pmrichard1's review
4.0
Really enjoyed and always found myself wanting to be reading this, despite the awful subject matter. Appreciated how the ending wasn’t unrealistically positive (especially given the truth it’s based on) but still did end in a very meaningful way for the characters.
natanna's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
stoprhymingandimeanit's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence and Trafficking
sunshine_sophia's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
this book was heartbreaking, raw, emotional, and infuriating. this book showcases what so many women, particularly women of color and queer women, experience regularly. i was not surprised to find out this this book was based on real events because of the unfortunate reality of sexual exploitation of women and girls of color, especially at the hands of white cops. this is an incredibly timely reading, and i unfortunately think it always will be.
this book is incredibly moving and emotional. i felt like i was right next to kiara through it all. i felt her emotions, her pain, her hopelessness, her struggle. i felt so deeply connected to and with her. i haven’t felt that deeply connected to a character in a long while.
this was a beautifully heartbreaking read, one that won’t ever leave my mind or heart. i’m torn between telling everyone i know to read this book and clutching it to my chest and guarding it with my life. (i will do the former because this is a story that deserves to be told but i am protective and don’t want anyone to talk badly about it).
to all the kiara’s, alé’s, trevor’s, camilla’s, and marcus’s: you deserve the world 🤍
this book is incredibly moving and emotional. i felt like i was right next to kiara through it all. i felt her emotions, her pain, her hopelessness, her struggle. i felt so deeply connected to and with her. i haven’t felt that deeply connected to a character in a long while.
this was a beautifully heartbreaking read, one that won’t ever leave my mind or heart. i’m torn between telling everyone i know to read this book and clutching it to my chest and guarding it with my life. (i will do the former because this is a story that deserves to be told but i am protective and don’t want anyone to talk badly about it).
to all the kiara’s, alé’s, trevor’s, camilla’s, and marcus’s: you deserve the world 🤍
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence and Trafficking
Moderate: Police brutality, Child abuse, and Child death
Minor: Transphobia
books212's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
whitgilk's review
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Racism, Death, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Child abuse, Rape, Police brutality, Sexual violence, and Trafficking
verybooksessed's review
2.0
it was actually quite difficult for me to get through this book because of the heavy content so i often had to take long breaks.
i was also shocked when i found out from the author’s note that it was based on an actual case. it breaks my hear that this is someone’s reality somewhere.
a huge part of me hoped for the author to dig deeper into the lives of everyone else in kiara’s circle. i’m still constantly thinking about how they were deeply affected by kiara’s trauma as well as their own battles.
however, the writing style was just not great. i’m aware that the author wrote this at the age of 16 or 17 (i think) but it was really hard to resist just skipping through most parts. it was also SO fast paced, like i wasn’t given enough time to actually process what was going on, especially given that the book covers such real and heavy topics.
but i also want to note that despite the low rating. it doesn’t take away the fact that the premise of the novel delivers an important message about the sexual exploitation of young women and how they’re threatened by forces of oppression.
skeating3's review
dark
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
kajaglede's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.5
the book was heartbreaking and then I read the authors not, just made it even worse.
☾
☾
We're all wanting something, though; most of us replacing what we really want with skin, which works until you wake up and the mirror is a blur of time twisting around the throat.
Mama used to tell me that blood is everything, but I think we’re all out here unlearning that sentiment, scraping our knees and asking strangers to patch us back up.
The swarm of her voice is closing in on me, like poison dripping out her mouth, and she can't seem to ever look at me and tell me what I need to hear.
And of those two ways of living - living in the moment and living outside it - which was the more real?
That was before I learned that life won’t give you reasons for none of it, that sometimes fathers disappear and little girls don’t make it to another birthday and mothers forget to be mothers.
☾