Wow. So while this book was not perfect, it was truly excellent. It's nuanced approach to white heroism, racism, being in your mid-twenties, transactional relationships, and more was deftly sewn into a compelling narrative.

It's probably a 4.5 star for me because I am not totally sold on the final high school flashback for Alix. I felt like it sort of undid some of the complexity of her character. Like, it's ok that she did terrible things while thinking she was doing the right one. That's more interesting to me than her making a nasty choice to perpetuate a lie.

Finally, I must admit that I really appreciated the narration. Nicole Lewis really brought to life Emira and her friends, which I would have butchered in my mind because I'm a really white white lady. (I hope that's ok to say here.) Lewis also did an awesome job with the male characters. That can be really difficult to pull off.