A dark and powerful book!

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I had no idea what to expect going into this book as it was purely a cover read - I didn't the synopsis or any of the reviews. I would not recommend that since the book as some incredibly sensitive topics that start out right in the prologue.

Clementine and Aster are sisters who were sold into the brothel - here called a welcome house. As always, I am a sucker for strong sibling relationships and these two are great. Aster is the older sister and is trying to protect Clem in anyway she can in the horrible situation they are in. I liked Clem fine, but it was Aster's story, really. After the are on the run Aster evolves into a knife-wielding, angry, fantastic leader; and I loved every second of it. I also really appreciate the way the author portrayed Aster's anxiety and anger. It felt incredibly real and I hurt for her.
My other favorite character is Violet. The mean girl who turned out to be the most helpful addition to their escape. I cannot wait to see what is waiting for Violet in book two!!

Also, there is a f/f relationship! I won't say more to avoid any spoilers, but hopefully by the time this series is done there will be at least one more too!

The plot moved fairly quickly and kept me on edge for most of the book. Everything in their world is so dangerous, especially for them, and I was always engaged just waiting for the next danger. There were a few times I think the story wandered a bit for no real reason, but I am really hoping some of the little side scares are going to have a purpose in book two.

The world was very fleshed out without any info dumps. The author did such a great job explaining how the world worked, the people, the prejudices, the past horrors all without overwhelming me at any time. My only negative was some of the aspects were so dark and interesting (the girls' marks, all the ghosts, the raveners) and I wished there was more emphasis on them. While we did learn about why they all are - I wished I could understand how they all came to be.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It's dark and scary at times, but it is deep. I am ready for book two, please!!