A book about dark secrets dating back to the Civil War in an elite private school that could be located anywhere. The author cites Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, and Get Out as inspirations for this book, and it is easy to see where these influences come into play. I didn’t really know what to expect from this book, as I went in more blind than I typically do when I read. It took me a bit to get into, but the second half is a really gripping social commentary wound up in a YA suspense novel.
I will say, you should definitely check trigger warnings before picking this up. There is a good deal of racism and homophobia, plus implied hate crimes and gang violence that we don’t necessarily see on page. The book illustrates how insidious systemic racism and cycles of trauma and abuse can be, especially in white-dominated spaces, even where it appears (on the surface) that change is happening.
I will say, you should definitely check trigger warnings before picking this up. There is a good deal of racism and homophobia, plus implied hate crimes and gang violence that we don’t necessarily see on page. The book illustrates how insidious systemic racism and cycles of trauma and abuse can be, especially in white-dominated spaces, even where it appears (on the surface) that change is happening.