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crottink's review against another edition
3.0
This one is a wild ride. My mind was whirling in some spots but it others it just felt so obvious about who Tristan is and where Magnolia's journal was hidden. I'm intrigued about the people behind this and their motives.
rawlsreads's review against another edition
5.0
Well, I really didn't expect that! This book is a bit of a beast but in a good way! There's so much to read and unravel as you get into the world and the mystery behind what happened to Magnolia. It's crazy to think that this is Aly's first book because she masterfully weaves in the twists and turns and even a secret code! I have so many theories and now must wait for the answers and that cliff about killed me.
The FMC!
Kaycee is a wonderful lead! Not the perfect BA hero that the genre is known for. She has her flaws and her quirks. I've not read an RH with an autistic person as a lead and I have to say this one does it so very well! You can tell that there's care and attention to detail put into how Kace sees and interacts with the world and her guys. The relationships develop over the entire length of the book but organically and with such meaning and intention.
The Guys!
Chase, Zepplin, Seger, and Carter - four wonderful and damaged boys. It's been a blast getting to know them through this book. The first three are the ones that take center stage for most of the plot, but I'm rooting for the dark horse that is Carter to come in and steal my heart.
The Smut!
This is a slow burn for as long as the book is! It's a bit of a beast with 500+ pages, but don't you thirsty ladies worry, you do get the goods. It's done in a believable and sexy way for a high school based romance too.
The FMC!
Kaycee is a wonderful lead! Not the perfect BA hero that the genre is known for. She has her flaws and her quirks. I've not read an RH with an autistic person as a lead and I have to say this one does it so very well! You can tell that there's care and attention to detail put into how Kace sees and interacts with the world and her guys. The relationships develop over the entire length of the book but organically and with such meaning and intention.
The Guys!
Chase, Zepplin, Seger, and Carter - four wonderful and damaged boys. It's been a blast getting to know them through this book. The first three are the ones that take center stage for most of the plot, but I'm rooting for the dark horse that is Carter to come in and steal my heart.
The Smut!
This is a slow burn for as long as the book is! It's a bit of a beast with 500+ pages, but don't you thirsty ladies worry, you do get the goods. It's done in a believable and sexy way for a high school based romance too.
shaykay's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.5
I freaking love Kaycee. She’s on a mission to find out what happened to Magnolia and get the right people punished. Still, everyone believes there is no one to punish since it was declared a suicide. I’m curious about what is going on since the book doesn’t have an HEA; it is just the start of this mystery. By the end of the book, I feel like I lost a little bit of the badass Kaycee that we initially met. She’s still focused on finding out what happened to Magnolia, and the guys are helping her with her mission, but things are starting to get steamy with the book. I really loved the whole thing with Tristan. Tristan is Kaycee’s best friend, and we see them texting all the time, but as the book progresses, we kind of lose those messages, and by the end of the book, we learn who the true Tristan is, and I kind of love it, but it was kind of predictable too. I just need to know what is happening with this mystery.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Bullying and Sexual content
Minor: Suicide
bookishaf's review against another edition
5.0
Obsessed
I am obsessed with this book!! It's absolutely phenomenal for a debut author and I can’t wait to dive straight into book two!!!
I am obsessed with this book!! It's absolutely phenomenal for a debut author and I can’t wait to dive straight into book two!!!
manajanee's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
★ – didn’t like/DNF
★★ – was okay, but I probably won’t look for any sequels
★★★- was good, I’ll likely read the next one
★★★★ – I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was great and I’ll definitely be looking for any sequels
★★★★★ – I loved it so much I’m adding the paperback to my cart right now
So this one has a hidden message throughout in Mags emails to Kace. Because of that I'm going to be updating this as I go. I will include the hidden messages at the very end but I'll hide them with a spoiler blur. I'll add my theories as I go and if they're confirmed I will hide them with a spoiler blur as well. I’ll put my review (i’ll keep it semi short) before my theories and then the messages at the end.
Okay I kinda love that Aly Beck , has written her female main character as a lower level/high functioning Autistic. Kace mentions, Autism is a spectrum, I love that Kace owns it, she states typically when represented in movies/books/shows that autistic people are at the far end of spectrum whereas Beck has shown the lesser revealed side. It's not always easy to spot. I think the only other time i’ve seen that leve represented in TV was Spencer Reed in Criminal minds. They mentioned it once in the first couple episodes then that was it. It wasn’t central to his character, he’s more than his autism and so is Kaycee.
My old physics teacher used to say anyone who has an affinity for math and science is most likely on the spectrum to some degree that it takes a certain mind to understand and love them. Which explains the direct correlation EQ has to IQ where typically the higher someone's IQ is the lower their EQ tends to be.
You evil author, you haha right when I thought I was going to get that satisfactory confirmation of a theory I KNOW I'm right about I have to wait till book 2 just to get the yes hahaha
Okay, theories as i go:
Ainsley… Hmm… I don't think she's a suspect. I think she and Mags were secretly dating. And either Ainsley isn't out of the closet yet, or Mags isn't… Okay, I think that's what Apocalypse has over Ainsley.
Okay, Seger and Kace just had a conversation in the hallway about Angel Wings. I'd bet money he's Tristan. Yeah, they're both playing footy same night? Both meet a girl the same night? Both computer needs? It's him, guarantee it. Okay, now I'm getting frustrated. FIGURE IT OUT ALREADY KAYCEE
★ – didn’t like/DNF
★★ – was okay, but I probably won’t look for any sequels
★★★- was good, I’ll likely read the next one
★★★★ – I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was great and I’ll definitely be looking for any sequels
★★★★★ – I loved it so much I’m adding the paperback to my cart right now
So this one has a hidden message throughout in Mags emails to Kace. Because of that I'm going to be updating this as I go. I will include the hidden messages at the very end but I'll hide them with a spoiler blur. I'll add my theories as I go and if they're confirmed I will hide them with a spoiler blur as well. I’ll put my review (i’ll keep it semi short) before my theories and then the messages at the end.
Okay I kinda love that Aly Beck , has written her female main character as a lower level/high functioning Autistic. Kace mentions, Autism is a spectrum, I love that Kace owns it, she states typically when represented in movies/books/shows that autistic people are at the far end of spectrum whereas Beck has shown the lesser revealed side. It's not always easy to spot. I think the only other time i’ve seen that leve represented in TV was Spencer Reed in Criminal minds. They mentioned it once in the first couple episodes then that was it. It wasn’t central to his character, he’s more than his autism and so is Kaycee.
My old physics teacher used to say anyone who has an affinity for math and science is most likely on the spectrum to some degree that it takes a certain mind to understand and love them. Which explains the direct correlation EQ has to IQ where typically the higher someone's IQ is the lower their EQ tends to be.
You evil author, you haha right when I thought I was going to get that satisfactory confirmation of a theory I KNOW I'm right about I have to wait till book 2 just to get the yes hahaha
Okay, theories as i go:
Ainsley… Hmm… I don't think she's a suspect. I think she and Mags were secretly dating. And either Ainsley isn't out of the closet yet, or Mags isn't… Okay, I think that's what Apocalypse has over Ainsley.
Spoiler
I take it back either she is totally messed up or whatever Apocalypse has on her is worse than just her dating a girl to do that and the hatred on her face? Is it directed at Kaycee or the person forcing her to do it?Okay, Seger and Kace just had a conversation in the hallway about Angel Wings. I'd bet money he's Tristan. Yeah, they're both playing footy same night? Both meet a girl the same night? Both computer needs? It's him, guarantee it. Okay, now I'm getting frustrated. FIGURE IT OUT ALREADY KAYCEE
bookwormbetty's review against another edition
5.0
loved the twists
Sooo good, so many twists and turns, and honestly I’m loving it. I usually figure everything out mid book, and I’m glad I haven’t. I tried to read this book twice before and dnf’d it. I don’t think I was in the right headspace. I am now and I’m living foooooor it.
Sooo good, so many twists and turns, and honestly I’m loving it. I usually figure everything out mid book, and I’m glad I haven’t. I tried to read this book twice before and dnf’d it. I don’t think I was in the right headspace. I am now and I’m living foooooor it.
bookswithdes's review against another edition
4.0
Tropes: Bullying, enemies to lovers, friends to bullies to lovers (weird I know), reverse harem (why choose)
This plot is similar to Ruthless Boys by Caroline Peckham and Suzanne Valenti, where someone gets murdered and it gets staged as a suicide and FMC goes to investigate, but in this case it's in high school. Similarly, to RB, there are four love interests, two are twins (Seger and Zepp), one is basically like a golden retriever kind of Leon vibes (Chase), and one who is basically her enemy until he isn't (Carter). The FMC (Kaycee) is basically a computer genius and has an anonymous online best friend (Tristian). And there's a girl who gives me Geraldine vibes from Zodiac Academy. (Piper)
There were times where I did like the writing and sometimes I didn't. Like the author tried to write the characters to be quirky, and sometimes it worked sometimes it didn't. Although, this wasn't a deterrent from the entire book. There is more plot than romance, but there is romance/spice, but it takes a while so like a medium/slow burn. I did really like the plot, and I can't wait to see how it unfolds along with the romance.
The prologue broke my heart to see Magnolia's POV (the victim), even her emails broke my heart. This author included something different which I really liked; she put a secret code in Magnolia's emails to Kaycee. I swear every time I put it together, my heart kept breaking.
Favorite quotes/scenes:
-"There is no way in hell I'm frolicking in a meadow, I mean, who does that? What does frolicking entail? She's definitely cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs."
-"Woo me."
"Woo you? Like, woo you, romance you, type shit?" (Chase)
"Sure, if that's how you interpret it."
"Wait—I—I don't know how."
"Figure it out, Chris. Your got this. If I really am worth it."
What could be interpreted as a sinister smile slides across my face. Now all I need is the evil laugh. Bwahaha- oh! Focus!
-"Be careful with him."
"Who?"
"Chase."
"Chase loves hard, Kaycee. So be careful with him because from where I stand, Chase is already head over heels for you."
" I don't understand. I've only been here for a week. How can he?"
"Sweet, sweet, Kaycee. He doesn't need an enormous amount of time to fall for you. Who wouldn't?" (Zepp)
-"Zepp reigns my mind in. Chase makes me smile. Seger makes me laugh too. He fights for me, plots with me. They protected me when danger lurked."
-"If my father can't fix this situation, he's going to pull me."
"Fuck that. If all four of us, gang up on him, it'll be impossible. Besides, I'll lock you in my secret basement and never let you go.
"Secret basement, huh?"
"Yeah—secret, hence why I've never shown you. If that big bad world thinks he's about to come take my lamb away, he's in for a world of pain." He doesn't waste a second tossing me over his shoulder before I can protest.
"Seger!"
"Secret basement, babe, it's time."
-"I can't leave them—my boys. I only just found them. They're like the missing puzzle pieces to my life, finally finding their spots."
-Chase: Have no fear boyfriend number 1 is here.
Seger: Who tf said you are number one?
Chase: Says me...considering I'm staying.
Seger: Baby, sort this out. Who is number 1?
Kaycee: Yeah—I'm not answering that.
-"You know what I can't figure out?" (Carter)
"What's that?"
"Why, you're always inside my fucking head. Every fucking move I make, you're there. Those big, beautiful blue, fuck-me eyes staring back at me. I can't get you out of my fucking head."
"What're you trying to say?"
"Exactly what I fucking said."
"What if I said I think about you, too? That kiss? Your lips."
"Then I'd you're a stupid fucking bitch."
"Then I'm a stupid fucking bitch. So just kiss me already."
This plot is similar to Ruthless Boys by Caroline Peckham and Suzanne Valenti, where someone gets murdered and it gets staged as a suicide and FMC goes to investigate, but in this case it's in high school. Similarly, to RB, there are four love interests, two are twins (Seger and Zepp), one is basically like a golden retriever kind of Leon vibes (Chase), and one who is basically her enemy until he isn't (Carter). The FMC (Kaycee) is basically a computer genius and has an anonymous online best friend (Tristian). And there's a girl who gives me Geraldine vibes from Zodiac Academy. (Piper)
There were times where I did like the writing and sometimes I didn't. Like the author tried to write the characters to be quirky, and sometimes it worked sometimes it didn't. Although, this wasn't a deterrent from the entire book. There is more plot than romance, but there is romance/spice, but it takes a while so like a medium/slow burn. I did really like the plot, and I can't wait to see how it unfolds along with the romance.
The prologue broke my heart to see Magnolia's POV (the victim), even her emails broke my heart. This author included something different which I really liked; she put a secret code in Magnolia's emails to Kaycee. I swear every time I put it together, my heart kept breaking.
Favorite quotes/scenes:
-"There is no way in hell I'm frolicking in a meadow, I mean, who does that? What does frolicking entail? She's definitely cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs."
-"Woo me."
"Woo you? Like, woo you, romance you, type shit?" (Chase)
"Sure, if that's how you interpret it."
"Wait—I—I don't know how."
"Figure it out, Chris. Your got this. If I really am worth it."
What could be interpreted as a sinister smile slides across my face. Now all I need is the evil laugh. Bwahaha- oh! Focus!
-"Be careful with him."
"Who?"
"Chase."
"Chase loves hard, Kaycee. So be careful with him because from where I stand, Chase is already head over heels for you."
" I don't understand. I've only been here for a week. How can he?"
"Sweet, sweet, Kaycee. He doesn't need an enormous amount of time to fall for you. Who wouldn't?" (Zepp)
-"Zepp reigns my mind in. Chase makes me smile. Seger makes me laugh too. He fights for me, plots with me. They protected me when danger lurked."
-"If my father can't fix this situation, he's going to pull me."
"Fuck that. If all four of us, gang up on him, it'll be impossible. Besides, I'll lock you in my secret basement and never let you go.
"Secret basement, huh?"
"Yeah—secret, hence why I've never shown you. If that big bad world thinks he's about to come take my lamb away, he's in for a world of pain." He doesn't waste a second tossing me over his shoulder before I can protest.
"Seger!"
"Secret basement, babe, it's time."
-"I can't leave them—my boys. I only just found them. They're like the missing puzzle pieces to my life, finally finding their spots."
-Chase: Have no fear boyfriend number 1 is here.
Seger: Who tf said you are number one?
Chase: Says me...considering I'm staying.
Seger: Baby, sort this out. Who is number 1?
Kaycee: Yeah—I'm not answering that.
-"You know what I can't figure out?" (Carter)
"What's that?"
"Why, you're always inside my fucking head. Every fucking move I make, you're there. Those big, beautiful blue, fuck-me eyes staring back at me. I can't get you out of my fucking head."
"What're you trying to say?"
"Exactly what I fucking said."
"What if I said I think about you, too? That kiss? Your lips."
"Then I'd you're a stupid fucking bitch."
"Then I'm a stupid fucking bitch. So just kiss me already."
rox_letstalksmut's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0