♥ The parallel narratives. We have one storyline that follows Gabe, and another following Elyse. I kept waiting for them to intersect because I didn’t catch that they were running parallel at first, but when they finally did, I DID NOT SEE IT COMING. I had to rethink a lot of what I’d been thinking the entire book, and some of my perceptions completely changed.
♥ All the twists. I don’t want to discuss because it’s going to be so much better for you if you don’t know what happens going in. It reads like a contemporary for most of the book, but once you get closer to the end it’s definitely a thriller. Will other readers figure out what’s going to happen from the beginning? I have no idea, but I doubt it. It’s a good twist and it’s not obvious. Will readers figure out what’s going to happen later on in the book, way before I did? You might, but I hope you don’t. The realization I had when it connected was intense.
♥ Elyse & Catherine & Gabe. All are great characters that made some SUPER bad decisions but are really likeable. Only Elyse and Gabe have their own chapters, but we see plenty of Catherine through Gabe.
♥ Teenage Boys Being Good Big Brothers. It was SO NICE to see Gabe being a great big brother to Vivi. She’s much younger than him and also has developmental issues, but he’s not embarrassed by her and he really enjoys playing with her and helping take care of her. He takes on a lot of responsibility for picking her up from school and babysitting, but it’s not a big problem for him. He just really loves Vivi and being with her.
♥ Caleb & Irene & Brynn. Great side characters who, while not being the most fleshed out, still were there to shout some sense at Gabe and Elyse.
♥ All the twists. I don’t want to discuss because it’s going to be so much better for you if you don’t know what happens going in. It reads like a contemporary for most of the book, but once you get closer to the end it’s definitely a thriller. Will other readers figure out what’s going to happen from the beginning? I have no idea, but I doubt it. It’s a good twist and it’s not obvious. Will readers figure out what’s going to happen later on in the book, way before I did? You might, but I hope you don’t. The realization I had when it connected was intense.
♥ Elyse & Catherine & Gabe. All are great characters that made some SUPER bad decisions but are really likeable. Only Elyse and Gabe have their own chapters, but we see plenty of Catherine through Gabe.
♥ Teenage Boys Being Good Big Brothers. It was SO NICE to see Gabe being a great big brother to Vivi. She’s much younger than him and also has developmental issues, but he’s not embarrassed by her and he really enjoys playing with her and helping take care of her. He takes on a lot of responsibility for picking her up from school and babysitting, but it’s not a big problem for him. He just really loves Vivi and being with her.
♥ Caleb & Irene & Brynn. Great side characters who, while not being the most fleshed out, still were there to shout some sense at Gabe and Elyse.