To be totally honest, I wasn’t going to finish this book. I was about 40% of the way through and the author was still setting the scene, not giving too much detail about the characters, and I was getting a little bored. But at the halfway mark—wow, it took off. I got to know each character so intimately and deeply and it truly made me understand the actions and decisions made by them earlier in the book and as I continued reading. Really incredible character development. I don’t finish many books feeling sad that I won’t get to see how the characters progress throughout their lives, but if she made a sequel to this, I would pre-order it in a second.

Aside from the characters, the plot itself is so interesting and unlike other books I’ve read. It really challenges your empathy and shows you that situations can’t always be black and white—that multiple factors need to be considered and there’s never really a “right” answer. Definitely enjoyed the emotional gymnastics it put me through, and I know I’ll be thinking about this (and will likely reread it) for a long time.