Was anyone else bothered by the fact that this was written by an English woman but was meant to take place in America? Yet there were place names like Flinstead-on-Sea, children were named Alfie and Hamish, there was a juvie center called Gray (something) Grange...

All of that points to England or at least somewhere in the UK. And it really made me feel like 1) the author had never even been to America, 2) could not be bothered picking up an atlas or a map or researching at all, and 3) really fucked with my suspension of disbelief which in turn ruined my experience of the story.

This was also one of the longest reads I’ve encountered recently. Not in terms of actual length — but in terms of just how long it took me to get through it despite a shorter page count. It DRAGGED. There wasn’t anything remotely suspenseful until about 75% or 80% through the book.

In sum: Ugh. Do not read.

Edited to add — apparently the publisher transposed this book to take place in the US? When originally it had been set in the English countryside. FAIL, publisher. Big ol’ FAIL. I would’ve enjoyed this a little more (MAYBE a 3/5 stars) if my suspension of disbelief had not been shattered every other page.