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hello_lovely13's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I’ve been waiting for this book to release, and I finally read it! Zhao sets the tone of the book so well, and it everything feels so realistic. I especially appreciate the care that went into the subtleties, such as details that concern Jamie’s relationship with her father. Alexander Lin is my new comfort character. He is a pure cinnamon roll that needs to be loved and protected! It’s hard to find something related to dark academia that has a diverse cast (something I’m always on the prowl for), and this book NAILS it. This book brought up so many true and tough topics that need to be discussed more. I was definitely brought back to my competitive, anxiety-filled, under-too-much-pressure self when reading because Zhao set it up so well (I said it once, and I’ll say it again, Zhao NAILS the tone). There are so many complex characters that are lovable, yet hatable at the same time (again, except Alexander, who only deserves love). Zhao blends diverse stories and backgrounds so well that the characters felt real. It’s just a well done book! I’ll admit, there is a bit about the twist that I personally was just *eh* about, but otherwise…just spectacular! Also, props and great respect for Zhao adding the trigger warnings in the Author’s Note at the beginning of the book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Racism, Drug use, Self harm, and Panic attacks/disorders
saumya29's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Bullying, Drug use, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Minor: Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
thereadingshelf's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Abandonment, Bullying, and Death
Minor: Alcohol, Blood, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic friendship
brynn_books's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-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
4.0
Overall, this book was really good! It's basically Crazy Rich Asians meets Pretty Little Liars meets Gossip Girl meets One Of Us Is Lying. It's a murder mystery with an all asian cast which is great. I loved all of the characters relationships and their interactions with each other. It was interesting to see the differences between class that were so prominent in this book.
I liked how the flashbacks were woven throughout the story revealing bits and pieces of the story. It was really interesting to finally get the last flashback and understand exactly what happened 2 years ago. I will say that the ending was slightly disappointing.
This book has the perfect dark academia fall vibes. It was the perfect book to read for the time of year I read it (around October). Also, I went into this book expecting a standalone, but now I need the sequel. I need to know what that last secret is.
I liked how the flashbacks were woven throughout the story revealing bits and pieces of the story. It was really interesting to finally get the last flashback and understand exactly what happened 2 years ago. I will say that the ending was slightly disappointing.
This book has the perfect dark academia fall vibes. It was the perfect book to read for the time of year I read it (around October). Also, I went into this book expecting a standalone, but now I need the sequel. I need to know what that last secret is.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Self harm, Mental illness, Violence, and Drug use
soljovis's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
0.25
I’ve thought about nothing for the past 24 hours except how angry this book made me. Every adult in this book failed every child. A 14/15 year old girl in a relationship with an adult man is a victim of a predator. This happens TWICE in this book with no consequences for either of the predators but both girls are publicly shamed and portrayed as the seducer. Fucked. Also the characters were shallow and unlikeable and the twist ending was like a bad episode of PLL. I understand what the author’s intent was with this book but all the messages were overshadowed by melodrama and overtly problematic plot points. I have so many more issues with this book but I will leave it here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Child abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Suicide
Minor: Alcohol, Drug use, and Fire/Fire injury
plumpaperbacks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
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
4.0
I’ve really been enjoying dark academia books these last few weeks, and definitely wanted to read this book after seeing so much hype surrounding its release.
Overall, I liked it. The characters were complex and well-written, and honestly, I felt bad for most of them. Sinclair Prep’s cutthroat nature kind of terrified me, as a white person that attended a public school and never truly tried to be top of my class. That and the anonymous person leaking secrets gave me Ace of Spades vibes, and it worked well.
Zhao did a decent job crafting the mystery, and an excellent job balancing the dual timelines. The main reason for my rating is that I found so much of this book’s plot predictable. Although I never imagined the culprit’s identity, didn’t even come close and was quite surprised by the reveal, I guessed almost everything else. I’m not sure if this is on the book for being predictable or on me because I’ve read a fair amount of thrillers, but nonetheless, I figured most things out early, and that took away from a lot of the story’s suspense and intrigue.
Despite that, I do still recommend the book, and I can see myself picking up more of Zhao’s YA in the future.
Representation
Overall, I liked it. The characters were complex and well-written, and honestly, I felt bad for most of them. Sinclair Prep’s cutthroat nature kind of terrified me, as a white person that attended a public school and never truly tried to be top of my class. That and the anonymous person leaking secrets gave me Ace of Spades vibes, and it worked well.
Zhao did a decent job crafting the mystery, and an excellent job balancing the dual timelines. The main reason for my rating is that I found so much of this book’s plot predictable. Although I never imagined the culprit’s identity, didn’t even come close and was quite surprised by the reveal, I guessed almost everything else. I’m not sure if this is on the book for being predictable or on me because I’ve read a fair amount of thrillers, but nonetheless, I figured most things out early, and that took away from a lot of the story’s suspense and intrigue.
Despite that, I do still recommend the book, and I can see myself picking up more of Zhao’s YA in the future.
Representation
- Chinese protagonist and side characters
- Chinese bisexual side character
- Korean sapphic side character
- Indian side character
- side characters of color
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Violence, Self harm, Racism, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Drug use
Minor: Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Fire/Fire injury, and Suicidal thoughts
Adult/minor relationship: between a major character and a student teacher at the academy Mental illness: most major characters have depression and/or anxiety Drug use: one character uses Adderall to keep up with school and extracurricular performance, among other reasons Physical abuse: mentioned, but not actually on-page; refers to parents beating their children for not getting perfect gradesdeadbookishsociety's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-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
4.0
Trigger warnings : death, overdose , drug abuse , racism , classism , murder, underage drinking, grooming , arson
This book left me shook , I couldn't really write or speak about it and I had to gather my thoughts before I even thought about what happened in the book, it was so fast paced and perfect that I didn't even realize I read the whole book in less than 24 hours , it was griping , shocking and very entertaining.
I have read so many thriller in the past few months but I never saw the twist coming in this book , they always were foreshadowed but I didn't really spotted them until that actually happened .
For this book the mystery was just a part of it, it wasn't the main thing or theme of the book , this book showed us a part of how it is it be a person of colour in a place where the systemic racism is so deep rooted how a poc has to go through so much to prove their worth and the fact that they deserve to be there and so is the situation for classism , how there is a vast barrier between people just because how much they earn or what position they hold in society.
How we fall apart is about friendship , love , identity , betrayal and how far you are willing to go to make a place for yourself in a place where you feel an outsider .
Jamie, Nancy , akil , Alexander, Krystal and every single character that were shown in the book were flawed, they were humane they made mistakes and faced the consequences in the same way or some other . Jamie who is a rich popular queen bee who is the best at everything and has everything she ever wanted has secrets , dark ones and those ultimately catchup to her one day and it's over for her and then it created a loom over her ex friends who have betrayer or have been betrayed by her .
I don't know how to explain this book expact that it's totally worth your and my time and that I'm looking forward to the next book .
This book left me shook , I couldn't really write or speak about it and I had to gather my thoughts before I even thought about what happened in the book, it was so fast paced and perfect that I didn't even realize I read the whole book in less than 24 hours , it was griping , shocking and very entertaining.
I have read so many thriller in the past few months but I never saw the twist coming in this book , they always were foreshadowed but I didn't really spotted them until that actually happened .
For this book the mystery was just a part of it, it wasn't the main thing or theme of the book , this book showed us a part of how it is it be a person of colour in a place where the systemic racism is so deep rooted how a poc has to go through so much to prove their worth and the fact that they deserve to be there and so is the situation for classism , how there is a vast barrier between people just because how much they earn or what position they hold in society.
How we fall apart is about friendship , love , identity , betrayal and how far you are willing to go to make a place for yourself in a place where you feel an outsider .
Jamie, Nancy , akil , Alexander, Krystal and every single character that were shown in the book were flawed, they were humane they made mistakes and faced the consequences in the same way or some other . Jamie who is a rich popular queen bee who is the best at everything and has everything she ever wanted has secrets , dark ones and those ultimately catchup to her one day and it's over for her and then it created a loom over her ex friends who have betrayer or have been betrayed by her .
I don't know how to explain this book expact that it's totally worth your and my time and that I'm looking forward to the next book .
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Murder, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
aargot1's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Adult/minor relationship, Stalking, and Murder
Moderate: Abandonment, Xenophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, and Addiction
Minor: Body shaming
perpetualpages's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
CWs: depictions of abuse, self-harm, violence, parental neglect, panic attacks, drug use, mental illness, inappropriate student/teacher relationship, racism, as well as suicide and suicidal thoughts
How We Fall Apart is fascinating and much-needed twist on the subgenre of dark academia. Because the institution of academia itself is inherently steeped in whiteness, dark academia books tend to be heavily whitewashed and dominated by privileged white characters who are (literally, in most cases) getting away with murder. How We Fall Apart challenges that positioning of the genre by drawing attention to how the key components of dark academia—exceptionalism, ego, bottomless competitive drive, etc.—are all values that are messaged to Asian-American youth by way of the Model Minority myth.
The Model Minority myth, in a nut shell, is the pervasive expectation that minorities (Asian-descended communities, especially) are well-behaved, law-abiding citizens who achieve extraordinary amounts of success due to an amorphous combination of "natural talent" and bootstrap immigrant survival tactics. (Definition paraphrased from the article "What Is the Model Minority Myth?" by Sarah-Soonling Blackburn.)
Thematically, every single element of this story is written as a direct challenge to that belief or expectation.
It's a commentary on how academia is a deeply corrupt institution, and like all power-wielding institutions in America, those who want to navigate it successfully either have to be white or approximate themselves to whiteness. These students have been conditioned to believe that wealth is equal to superiority and morality, and that wealth—especially generational wealth—is what guarantees people opportunities. This elite school is a place where the privileged are untouchable, and the lesser are expendable. The more power you have, the more privilege you have, the more chances you get, even if you don't deserve them. And even though this story is told through the lens of an all-Asian cast, these characters have internalized those power dynamics of white supremacy, and are effectively turning them back against their own community.
The story also questions how we understand "success," who gets to decide what success means, and what we expect BIPOC communities to sacrifice in order to achieve greatness or to reach an untenable standard of "success." Even the idea that "successful" and "professional" people are "well-educated" is rooted in racism itself. It's a lingering belief that gives credence to the idea that minority communities need to prove that they are "worthy" of accessing certain privileges, and that they demonstrate that they are not inherently "uncivilized" and "unintelligent."
We can see this playing out in the way these characters are clambering to claim the now-vacant top spot at Sinclair Prep. Even though Jamie's path ultimately ended in literal death, they are still more than willing to take her place and to continue in the never-ending cycle of complying in a corrupt system that demands their perfection at all costs. This is another danger of the Model Minority myth, which actively erases differences between Asian communities and individuals. The implication is that they are easily replaceable because they are "all the same." Furthermore, in elitist systems such as academia, competition is encouraged over community, as a form of gatekeeping, which further contributes to the mythological concept of exceptionalism.
For these characters, "elitism" is a shortcut for feeling "chosen" or "accepted," especially in a system that will always see them as second-class citizens who are unworthy of notice unless they prove themselves to be exceptional. Their desperation, their motivation, is deeply rooted in wanting to achieve that acceptance and prove their worth, even if the metric will never add up in their favor. And that nicely ties back into the story's distinct perspective by also commenting on how the disregard for mental health that is often prevalent in Asian-American communities has detrimental consequences, which only further uphold the prevailing influence of white institutions by inadvertently thinning out that competition.
As you can guess from the darker, more intense themes, the story also doesn't shy away from spotlighting messy characters who make bad decisions. For these students, their agency is their only form of power, their only way of regaining some control and fighting back. Not only do those poor decisions put a decisive nail in the model minority myth, but they reflect a sense of desperation caused by the fact that these characters don't feel like their lives or their futures are their choice. Their futures are not only controlled by their parents and their teachers, but they're also ruled by the impossible expectations projected onto them in every aspect of their lives. Therefore, any action rebelling against that is a forceful reclamation of their own narrative, even if they're not making a "good" choice.
As you can tell, I definitely think the story more than succeeds in reframing a predominantly white literary tradition within a very distinct Asian-American perspective and context, and I think it does amazing work in challenging and dismantling the Model Minority myth and the whiteness of academia.
With all of that said, what kept me from loving this story was a lack of character depth.
I think all of these characters are fascinating, messy, and complex, but we don't really get a chance to get to know them or to understand why they make the choices they make. Part of the premise of the story is that this group of four friends are being named as suspects by an anonymous source, and this person is threatening to release their deepest, darkest secrets if they don't confess their alleged compliance in Jamie's death. While that's an interesting plot device that definitely ups the tension in the story significantly, we never get to know most of the characters (besides Nancy) *outside* of those secrets.
I want to be very clear and say that there's nothing wrong with having chaotic characters who make awful choices, because not all choices are rooted in logic or make sense. I didn't need those choices to be "justified" in any way; I just wish I had a better sense of the people who *made* those choices.
My other main issue is that a lot of the drama and the tension feels very surface-level, because while the stakes are high, there are no lasting consequences—emotional, personal, or otherwise—for these characters' actions. (And by "consequences," I don't mean "punishment." I mean some form of natural impact stemming from their choices.) The secrets this anonymous source is revealing are some pretty serious allegations. We're talking drug use, illicit relationships, crimes, manslaughter, the whole nine yards. These are secrets with serious implications that these friends have not only kept from their family and their peers, but also from each other. And yet, when those secrets are revealed, their friendship and the dynamics between them remain virtually unchanged. We're told they're friends, even *best* friends, but we're not shown much to back that up.
Because of that, it was hard for me to feel invested in the emotional component of the story. I wasn't able to feel very strongly about the characters or their relationships, because those connections remained largely untested for the most part, even though these secrets are supposed to be horrible enough to tear them apart. It was difficult for me to take those reveals seriously and not feel like they were there purely for shock value and nothing else. Ultimately I think the problem is that while intense things are happening on the surface, the drama doesn't feel like it's actually rooted in real-world stakes, and I think that's what made me feel disconnected from it.
Even with all of that, I still have a tremendous amount of respect for what this story is trying to do. I think it's merely a classic case of thematic overtones outweighing character depth, and regardless, I still fully think that this story holds a great deal of merit and has so much to offer. I'm grateful for how much this story made me think about the institution of academia and how racism is deeply tied into it, and I believe that alone makes it worth the read. It was super fast-paced, intense, suspenseful, twisty, and surprising. While the characters didn't leave a lasting impression on me, the concepts and the perspective definitely did.
How We Fall Apart is fascinating and much-needed twist on the subgenre of dark academia. Because the institution of academia itself is inherently steeped in whiteness, dark academia books tend to be heavily whitewashed and dominated by privileged white characters who are (literally, in most cases) getting away with murder. How We Fall Apart challenges that positioning of the genre by drawing attention to how the key components of dark academia—exceptionalism, ego, bottomless competitive drive, etc.—are all values that are messaged to Asian-American youth by way of the Model Minority myth.
The Model Minority myth, in a nut shell, is the pervasive expectation that minorities (Asian-descended communities, especially) are well-behaved, law-abiding citizens who achieve extraordinary amounts of success due to an amorphous combination of "natural talent" and bootstrap immigrant survival tactics. (Definition paraphrased from the article "What Is the Model Minority Myth?" by Sarah-Soonling Blackburn.)
Thematically, every single element of this story is written as a direct challenge to that belief or expectation.
It's a commentary on how academia is a deeply corrupt institution, and like all power-wielding institutions in America, those who want to navigate it successfully either have to be white or approximate themselves to whiteness. These students have been conditioned to believe that wealth is equal to superiority and morality, and that wealth—especially generational wealth—is what guarantees people opportunities. This elite school is a place where the privileged are untouchable, and the lesser are expendable. The more power you have, the more privilege you have, the more chances you get, even if you don't deserve them. And even though this story is told through the lens of an all-Asian cast, these characters have internalized those power dynamics of white supremacy, and are effectively turning them back against their own community.
The story also questions how we understand "success," who gets to decide what success means, and what we expect BIPOC communities to sacrifice in order to achieve greatness or to reach an untenable standard of "success." Even the idea that "successful" and "professional" people are "well-educated" is rooted in racism itself. It's a lingering belief that gives credence to the idea that minority communities need to prove that they are "worthy" of accessing certain privileges, and that they demonstrate that they are not inherently "uncivilized" and "unintelligent."
We can see this playing out in the way these characters are clambering to claim the now-vacant top spot at Sinclair Prep. Even though Jamie's path ultimately ended in literal death, they are still more than willing to take her place and to continue in the never-ending cycle of complying in a corrupt system that demands their perfection at all costs. This is another danger of the Model Minority myth, which actively erases differences between Asian communities and individuals. The implication is that they are easily replaceable because they are "all the same." Furthermore, in elitist systems such as academia, competition is encouraged over community, as a form of gatekeeping, which further contributes to the mythological concept of exceptionalism.
For these characters, "elitism" is a shortcut for feeling "chosen" or "accepted," especially in a system that will always see them as second-class citizens who are unworthy of notice unless they prove themselves to be exceptional. Their desperation, their motivation, is deeply rooted in wanting to achieve that acceptance and prove their worth, even if the metric will never add up in their favor. And that nicely ties back into the story's distinct perspective by also commenting on how the disregard for mental health that is often prevalent in Asian-American communities has detrimental consequences, which only further uphold the prevailing influence of white institutions by inadvertently thinning out that competition.
As you can guess from the darker, more intense themes, the story also doesn't shy away from spotlighting messy characters who make bad decisions. For these students, their agency is their only form of power, their only way of regaining some control and fighting back. Not only do those poor decisions put a decisive nail in the model minority myth, but they reflect a sense of desperation caused by the fact that these characters don't feel like their lives or their futures are their choice. Their futures are not only controlled by their parents and their teachers, but they're also ruled by the impossible expectations projected onto them in every aspect of their lives. Therefore, any action rebelling against that is a forceful reclamation of their own narrative, even if they're not making a "good" choice.
As you can tell, I definitely think the story more than succeeds in reframing a predominantly white literary tradition within a very distinct Asian-American perspective and context, and I think it does amazing work in challenging and dismantling the Model Minority myth and the whiteness of academia.
With all of that said, what kept me from loving this story was a lack of character depth.
I think all of these characters are fascinating, messy, and complex, but we don't really get a chance to get to know them or to understand why they make the choices they make. Part of the premise of the story is that this group of four friends are being named as suspects by an anonymous source, and this person is threatening to release their deepest, darkest secrets if they don't confess their alleged compliance in Jamie's death. While that's an interesting plot device that definitely ups the tension in the story significantly, we never get to know most of the characters (besides Nancy) *outside* of those secrets.
I want to be very clear and say that there's nothing wrong with having chaotic characters who make awful choices, because not all choices are rooted in logic or make sense. I didn't need those choices to be "justified" in any way; I just wish I had a better sense of the people who *made* those choices.
My other main issue is that a lot of the drama and the tension feels very surface-level, because while the stakes are high, there are no lasting consequences—emotional, personal, or otherwise—for these characters' actions. (And by "consequences," I don't mean "punishment." I mean some form of natural impact stemming from their choices.) The secrets this anonymous source is revealing are some pretty serious allegations. We're talking drug use, illicit relationships, crimes, manslaughter, the whole nine yards. These are secrets with serious implications that these friends have not only kept from their family and their peers, but also from each other. And yet, when those secrets are revealed, their friendship and the dynamics between them remain virtually unchanged. We're told they're friends, even *best* friends, but we're not shown much to back that up.
Because of that, it was hard for me to feel invested in the emotional component of the story. I wasn't able to feel very strongly about the characters or their relationships, because those connections remained largely untested for the most part, even though these secrets are supposed to be horrible enough to tear them apart. It was difficult for me to take those reveals seriously and not feel like they were there purely for shock value and nothing else. Ultimately I think the problem is that while intense things are happening on the surface, the drama doesn't feel like it's actually rooted in real-world stakes, and I think that's what made me feel disconnected from it.
Even with all of that, I still have a tremendous amount of respect for what this story is trying to do. I think it's merely a classic case of thematic overtones outweighing character depth, and regardless, I still fully think that this story holds a great deal of merit and has so much to offer. I'm grateful for how much this story made me think about the institution of academia and how racism is deeply tied into it, and I believe that alone makes it worth the read. It was super fast-paced, intense, suspenseful, twisty, and surprising. While the characters didn't leave a lasting impression on me, the concepts and the perspective definitely did.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Violence
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Drug use
booksthatburn's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
HOW WE FALL APART is a dark academia thriller where four Asian-American high school students have to find their former friend's true killer before their darkest secrets are dragged into the light.
I love Nancy as an unabashed morally grey character. She has things she wants and lines she won’t cross (at least so far), but those lines don’t seem to be dictated by other people’s expectations. It’s the difference between wanting to not be bad and not wanting to get caught. Jamie Ruan, only present in flashbacks, is a fascinating and complex character, shown in a way that makes it easy to understand why Nancy would both hate her so much and have been her friend for so long. I don't feel like I really got to know Krystal and Akil that well in the present, Alexander had much more of a presence, and Jamie's shadow loomed large over the whole thing.
I wish “The Incident” hadn’t spent so long being teased before finally being explained because I prefer feeling like I could guess what’s happening before it’s revealed and this style meant I couldn’t, but the payoff was worth it and I ended up liking the final revelation. Glancing back through the early parts of the book, it had some pretty consistent but subtle foreshadowing as to who was involved, even thought I'm pretty sure it would be tricky to guess why one a first read.
The ending begs for a sequel and it looks like one is planned. As it stands, there’s enough closure to be satisfying, but it teases potential future developments that I hope can play out in another volume.
I love Nancy as an unabashed morally grey character. She has things she wants and lines she won’t cross (at least so far), but those lines don’t seem to be dictated by other people’s expectations. It’s the difference between wanting to not be bad and not wanting to get caught. Jamie Ruan, only present in flashbacks, is a fascinating and complex character, shown in a way that makes it easy to understand why Nancy would both hate her so much and have been her friend for so long. I don't feel like I really got to know Krystal and Akil that well in the present, Alexander had much more of a presence, and Jamie's shadow loomed large over the whole thing.
I wish “The Incident” hadn’t spent so long being teased before finally being explained because I prefer feeling like I could guess what’s happening before it’s revealed and this style meant I couldn’t, but the payoff was worth it and I ended up liking the final revelation. Glancing back through the early parts of the book, it had some pretty consistent but subtle foreshadowing as to who was involved, even thought I'm pretty sure it would be tricky to guess why one a first read.
The ending begs for a sequel and it looks like one is planned. As it stands, there’s enough closure to be satisfying, but it teases potential future developments that I hope can play out in another volume.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
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