“I can’t pretend to be someone I’m not anymore. Not when I can barely hold on to the person I really am.”
—
This book had been on my TBR and wishlist for quite a while so I went into this read with very high expectations.
I wanted to cry with these characters & grow hopeful with them.
However, this read unfortunately ended up falling flat for me.

I typically don’t like when a character dies and we only get the aftermath with not many flashbacks. I find this makes me feel removed from the tragedy.
I also felt very removed & uninvested in the characters as a whole. I would have loved to learn more about Ren & Fred and even Hector’s past with his family.
Most of the bonds felt superficial and when certain plotlines did get serious, they didn’t get delved into as I would have hoped.

I appreciated the short chapters but they also ended up contributing to the feeling that things kept getting rushed / brushed over without adequate resolution.

I did like how Cara’s survivor’s guilt was represented and the look we got into her thought process. Her nonlinear journey towards healing & moving on felt like it was treated with the respect it deserved

Overall, I think this book had potential but it didn’t do it for me!

however, if you like: