This was an incredibly heavy read, so please make sure to review the trigger warnings listed for this book before checking it out.

We follow Bethany Sloane, a best-selling, disabled author who is trying to survive her current life with her husband while also trying to escape her traumatic past. The story jumps between the ‘now’ and the ‘then’ as it paints the whole story of how Bethany got to where she is now. When she was thirteen, her mother enrolls her at a boarding school in South Africa where she meets Stacey, the school’s most popular girl. Bethany is so desperate to fit in with Stacey that she will blindly endure all of Stacey’s dangerous ‘games’ just for a seat at her table.

This story highlights a lot of dark themes, such as exploring the impact of toxic relationships with a deep focus on PTSD, mental/physical abuse, obsession, the vulnerability of adolescence, and the trauma of trusting the wrong people. My heart broke constantly for our main character as she continued to fall deeper into the dark influences around her. 

Overall, I feel that the thriller elements were developed well, and the writing was fantastic. It took me a while to get into this one, but when it picked up, I struggled to put it down. It’s a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and it reminded me heavily of Kate Elizabeth Russell’s ‘My Dark Vanessa.’ If that is a book you felt was an important read to gain an understanding of the influence adults have on children, then you may appreciate this one as well. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.