This is unlike any book I’ve ever read and I really loved it. Even though it was difficult to read due to the dark subject matter, I think the story was beautifully well done.

I love that Vanessa isn’t a really likable character. Not all victims are sympathetic but that doesn’t mean they’re any less victims than nicer and more conventionally attractive counterparts. Strane also isn’t presented as handsome or especially charming, because that’s not reality. Reality is that Vanessa was an outcast with attachment issues and Strane was a pervert in a position of power.

Their relationship was also complex and almost straddled a morally grey line (almost). But Vanessa and Strane dated on and off again far past her teenage years, and I do believe that she WAS special to him. 

My favorite scene was when Vanessa

admitted to her therapist that she needed it to have been a love story. That line was so impactful and revealed so much about her prior behavior. I love that the books ends with the beginning of her healing journey. We don’t cut any corners or make any great leaps, but she is ready to finally face her relationship with Strane with honestly.