Reviews

I gave this book 5 stars because it was so different from anything I’ve ever read and sucked me in. I will admit I had to look up reviews after to make sure I understood the ending. I liked this though because the book really made me think. Will definitely read more from this author.

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4.0

what do you do when you end up in a writing workshop on a campus that schools the elite, with a group of four best friends who seem to perceive the world in pink heart-shaped glasses, and would regularly confess their undying love to one another whilst holding each other in a painfully tight embrace?

did i mention they also run a secret cult?

when i flipped over the last page in the book, my initial thought was,
“okay. what?”

— i honestly did not know what the plot was exactly. it was unprovokingly morbid from the very beginning. the twists and suspense were well crafted and weaved into the pages.

eyes widening. eyebrows furrowing. questions and more questions.

and just when you think it could not possibly get any more bizarre than this, can it? it descends and spirals into complete madness. before you know it, you’re witnessing the crescendo in a shakespearean tragedy. unfolding chaotically.

i think the key piece that truly helped in shaping this novel into what it is is the author’s prose. it grips you instantly and also is a perfect reflection of samantha’s character.

i didn’t fully understand the significance of stags and dead swans nor did i get the sexual innuendos or the cryptic poetry. so when i was done, i just failed to grasp what it all meant.

but i started to dig deep and read into various interpretations online. now i feel like i have to go back and read it again with this new-found perspective.

overall, keep this book 6 ft away from me. however, if you ask me to talk about it, i will not stop.