✨ 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 ✨ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷

I put off reading this book for literal YEARS because I was so afraid (???) of how good it was going to be (more likely I was ridiculously afraid of it not living up to my expectations, which ironically got higher and higher the more I put it off, lol).

And now that I've read it, and it was just as amazing as I thought it was going to be, I've put off writing the review because I don't adequately know how to put into words how amazing this book, these characters, this series really is.

I've loved (or really really really liked) everything in the Dublin Murder Squad series up until The Secret Place - with The Likeness being the standout of the first 5 - but this book really has me contemplating whether or not it's knocking The Likeness out of first place in my estimation.

The story itself was compelling and interesting, but the magic of French's books is always in the words themselves, and how evocative her writing is. I have never experienced boarding school, nor have I experienced the type of adolescent female friendship that the girls in the book shared, but as I was reading this book I felt that I was a part of every bit of it. (I was constantly reading passages aloud to my husband, who totally agrees with me, if that's of any consequence.)

The way the bonds we make as teenagers was explored was absolutely the highlight of this book - how intense our friendships can feel, how magical the worlds we inhabit together seem, how devastating even the smallest fissure in our relationships can be. I was blown away, truly.

This is the sixth book in (what I call, not sure where I first heard it) a chain-link narration series - meaning in book 1 character A narrates with side character B, in book 2 character B narrates and introduces character C, in book 3 character C narrates, so on and so forth. That being said, they can be read out of order (although I wouldn't personally recommend it) and if you know you will only read one of this series, I honestly might ask that you make it this one (knowing that will hopefully convince you to read the rest, muahahhaha).

Anywho, to make a long story short (TOO LATE), I freaking loved this book.