Sabrina S

I wouldn't consider myself as someone who gets very invested with their books nor someone who enjoys leisurely reading in their free time, but this novel 100% changed that for me. I love how this novel completely strays away from the typical protagonist-antagonist archetype; in the words of Ryle, "there's no such thing as bad people. We're all just people who sometimes do bad things." The sacrifices and the heartbreaking decisions Lily has to make in this novel are what make it such a heart-wrenching read. I could not say enough good things about this book and I highly recommend that everyone reads this (but with Kleenex tissues in close proximity). Something worth mentioning is that Colleen writes this book so personally and eloquently that you'll feel as though you are Lily Bloom experiencing everything firsthand. From topics such as domestic abuse to childhood trauma to rape, etc, Colleen provides different perspectives to all these situations, making them applicable to complex situations that occur in real life. Instead of opting to judge the victim for remaining in their undesirable situation or developing resentment for the abuser, Colleen allows the audience to empathize with all of the characters by making them aware of people's past traumas and how they led to the development of their character. Colleen practically obliterated the black and white mentality some of us carry by allowing the audience to put themselves in other people's shoes for once. Love love love this book with all my heart!