This review will attempt to be as spoiler free as possible. It is a dark contemporary YA with beautiful prose and a bit of magical feel without any actual magic. Jack, Mattie, Ava, and Doyle are fantastic characters. reading Ava's thoughts at the beginning of each chapter really add to the story. I just finished and want to immediately re-read it. This story has very dark moments and I would recommend it to older teenagers or more emotionally mature teenagers. Jack is trying to be the best brother he can to Mattie in an impossibly bleak situation. Ava knows she should stay away from Jack but is drawn to him. Bardem is an interesting villain in that complexities about how he thinks and acts develop during the book. This is a story that will stay with me for a long time. It isn't a story that everyone will like due to the sensitive subject matter. I am very glad I read it.