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sbbailey's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
amazing writing, horrible at plot building
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Murder, Outing, and Toxic friendship
phoenixlovesbooks's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
3.75
I really liked this sapphic thriller, and I'm looking forward to reading more by this author!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, Lesbophobia, and Outing
Moderate: Body shaming
Minor: Alcohol
kor_1999's review
dark
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Violence, and Murder
jessicastreet's review
slow-paced
1.5
Very hard to finish this book. Slow plot with little sustenance until the last 20 pages.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Murder
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
takingoverthesun's review
2.75
This book did not have good pacing. I kind of went along with everything for the first 90 pages but when the kid drowned on Tillie’s watch as lifeguard that was too much for me it was just horrible and then when we learned Tillie had already allowed somebody else to drown when she could’ve saved them and she consciously let them die and then turned around to get a lifeguard job? That’s messed up.
It was sapphic but it seemed like a pretty toxic relationship to me. Proof:
• “I could never tell where her hunger for me was going to come from next. I was seeing, though, that it almost always started with a secret. She always wanted me the most when it was most apparent how deadly it would be to have me. We always wanted each other the most in the moments it was painfully clear that we were probably the worst thing for each other. “
Tillie and her love interest Madison told each other their secrets so that they always had something on the other person.
• “We shared secrets now. All that dark magic that had wrapped itself around us now bound us together. It could only be broken if one of us wanted to destroy the other. It was terrifying.”
The characters did seem super flat and when they teamed upTO MURDER SOMEONE? That just proved that these girls are crazy. They kept on saying that Elliot, the boy they eventually murdered because they revealed him to be the antagonist 2/3 through the book, needed punishments for his actions (assaulting a girl, in which he does need to face punishment) but Tillie and Madison are no more deserving than him to get away with what they’ve done Scott free!
It was sapphic but it seemed like a pretty toxic relationship to me. Proof:
• “I could never tell where her hunger for me was going to come from next. I was seeing, though, that it almost always started with a secret. She always wanted me the most when it was most apparent how deadly it would be to have me. We always wanted each other the most in the moments it was painfully clear that we were probably the worst thing for each other. “
Tillie and her love interest Madison told each other their secrets so that they always had something on the other person.
• “We shared secrets now. All that dark magic that had wrapped itself around us now bound us together. It could only be broken if one of us wanted to destroy the other. It was terrifying.”
The characters did seem super flat and when they teamed up
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Murder
clarissaruthless's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
I wanted to like and root for the main characters, but while they weren't badly developed, I didn't find them likable in any way. Their relationship is toxic, which is noted numerous times throughout the book but it isn't enough for either of them to make a change. The antagonist of the story is shown to be a horrible person, but in my opinion, the main characters are as well. The writing isn't bad and the fast pace makes you want to keep reading in the hopes something will change, but it never does.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
bzliz's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
The lower middle class new girl in town catches the eye of the closeted rich girl and they fall hard after sharing some of the skeletons in their closets with each other. Unfortunately that fall doesn’t reach the audience because these girls didn’t have a lot of personality. They get very attached to each other very quickly, as teens tend to do, and they start plotting revenge against those who’ve wronged them.
The blurb on the back is a little misleading. We start with a photo of Madison’s body being sent out and then the majority of the book is seeing how we led up to such an event.
There are several phrases repeated throughout that got a little grating such as girl magic- they felt like pandering, like the author doesn’t know how to communicate with young people and is desperately trying to seem like they do.
It’s a fun enough read that didn’t impact my life one way or the other. If someone is looking for a sapphic toxic friendship/relationship story sprinkled with true crime, I’d send them here. It would make a great mini-arc in a crime show.
The blurb on the back is a little misleading. We start with a photo of Madison’s body being sent out and then the majority of the book is seeing how we led up to such an event.
There are several phrases repeated throughout that got a little grating such as girl magic- they felt like pandering, like the author doesn’t know how to communicate with young people and is desperately trying to seem like they do.
It’s a fun enough read that didn’t impact my life one way or the other. If someone is looking for a sapphic toxic friendship/relationship story sprinkled with true crime, I’d send them here. It would make a great mini-arc in a crime show.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Minor: Child death, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
glendagrbac's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, and Murder
thebeesknees79's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I am giving this book 4 stars because I think my students would rate it 4-5 stars if they read it. This is the case of a book my students may enjoy, because it is very YA, but as an adult I am NOT the intended audience. I want to say this before I get into my personal review:
Students will love this twisting, turning journey during Tillie’s summer break. Tillie has a secret for why she left Philly, and Madison is going tot be the one to drag it out of her. This book explores the toxic relationship between two high school girls with dark secrets. Tillie is an unreliable narrator and the author deftly weaves the timeline of Tillie’s past with her present. She expertly drops little nuggets of the story and allows the reader to try to figure out what will happen next.
Now personally, this book was poorly written. The relationship is odd because the girls get wrapped up within each other so fast. I also don’t know how I feel about a book where our main character constantly references the fact that she’s okay with being ruined by Madison. I didn’t find the situations/ major events that occurred interesting. The random side plot about fixing up the playhouse and the little drowned girl is weird and unnecessary. It reads as though the author is leaving the door open for a sequel, and while I’d be compelled to pick it up to see if some of my questions have answers, I am equally compelled to ignore it and leave my questions unanswered.
Students will love this twisting, turning journey during Tillie’s summer break. Tillie has a secret for why she left Philly, and Madison is going tot be the one to drag it out of her. This book explores the toxic relationship between two high school girls with dark secrets. Tillie is an unreliable narrator and the author deftly weaves the timeline of Tillie’s past with her present. She expertly drops little nuggets of the story and allows the reader to try to figure out what will happen next.
Now personally, this book was poorly written. The relationship is odd because the girls get wrapped up within each other so fast. I also don’t know how I feel about a book where our main character constantly references the fact that she’s okay with being ruined by Madison. I didn’t find the situations/ major events that occurred interesting. The random side plot about fixing up the playhouse and the little drowned girl is weird and unnecessary. It reads as though the author is leaving the door open for a sequel, and while I’d be compelled to pick it up to see if some of my questions have answers, I am equally compelled to ignore it and leave my questions unanswered.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Death
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault