I was absolutely ecstatic to receive an ARC from Maggie. It did not disappoint. 

This was my first five star read of the year. In fact, I think it's my first six star read of the year. 

If you haven't read the Eternal Obsession duet yet, I definitely recommend starting there; however, it is not necessary to read this book. 

I am obsessed with Kylo and Evie. Evie reminds me so much of myself when I was her age. Someone who makes themself small because she is desperate to keep herself and her loved ones safe, protected... mostly because by being vocal, she was putting herself at risk. 

Then, along comes Kylo. Kylo, immediately obsessed with her, does everything he can to make her feel safe. When you're someone who has never felt safety in your entire life, being able to find someone or a community who makes you feel safe is paramount, but not only that, it's important to understand that progress isn't linear, and Evie embodies that so much. Even when you want to trust someone, it's not always that easy... It was done so perfectly in this book, IMO. 

That's not even touching on the politicization of this book. Maggie did an excellent job of using this book as a metaphor for real-life political strife in the US right now--using the conversations surrounding philosophical texts (which is my kryptonite since my degree is in Philosophy), conversations surrounding underground movements, the feeling of real fear from marginalized groups and how to combat those fears through literacy and action. 

I have never before annotated a book, and this entire book has been one quote after another surrounding everything from the spice (and the spice was spicing), to the political associations and movements surrounding oligarchical structures and tyrannical powers. And the wildest part to me is that the book was a reminder that you can still stay a soft person with deep feelings while fighting for what you believe in. All it takes is one step.