This book was the darkest in the series - in concept, in tone, and in atmosphere. Just as gripping as the first two books in the series, this was more challenging to get through, as thematically, we go in unexpected places. The impacts of book 1 were felt in book 2, then the events of book 2 have very obviously impacted Pip in this story. I felt this book portrayed Pip’s trauma in a really clever and interesting way. 

Our beloved heroine changes a lot in this book - shifting from curious and charming, to shattered and on the edge. This leads to some uncharacteristic behaviour, which while understandable (& realistic), also means we, as readers, lose a lot of what we love in books 1 and 2. While books 1 and 2 both had a ton of twists and turns, this one took things in a completely unexpected direction, at breakneck speed, in a way that - to be honest - required a lot of work from the reader to suspend their disbelief and still lean into the story. The second half of this book was tense, but no longer in a “ooh i can’t wait to see what happens next” way, and more in a “wtf?!?!?!” way. To be blunt - a lot happens that feels out of character, and while that’s (kind of) understandable based on the circumstances, it’s hard to read and get through. On top of that, decisions keep getting made that kind of counteract what happens, and make it less credible and realistic and believable. I feel like we lose a lot of what we love about Pip, and about this series in the second half of this book. 

To be honest, this was my least favourite in the trilogy - but it is still apparent that Jackson is an excellent writer.

She has mastered the art of tension and thrill, and has earned a fan in me!