ModernDayCain

I never leave reviews but I think I need to correct the injustice that is this book’s relatively positive rating. This might be one of the worst books I have ever read. Seriously, do not waste money on this piece of garbage. Peeling my skin away piece by piece with a fork would be more pleasurable than reading another chapter of this nonsense. The main characters are so unlikeable that I couldn’t bring myself to care about any of their relationships. The way Scarlett’s POV was written was confusing and barely conveyed any personality, so I found myself hating her the most. I couldn’t bring myself to care about her problems because the author couldn’t seem to establish how she felt about anything in the first place. Lucas got shoved into some awful love triangle that dragged down the mystery aspect of the book, and Avery became so petty and mean-spirited that it’s honestly a surprise she was my favorite protagonist. (She was the only one with a distinct personality, so of course she’s the most enjoyable to read.) The “thrilling secrets” advertised hardly come to fruition and it’s mostly just a trail of dead ends with some minor clues mixed in. Halfway through the book, they’re barely any closer to discovering anything of value, and 3 of the 5 kids that returned aren’t even present in the story most of the time. Honestly, I’m disappointed I wasted time on this steaming stew composed of dirty socks and broken dreams. I was expecting a thrilling mystery and got angsty teenagers trying to pretend they aren’t horny for each other for 250+ pages. -100/10.