Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Is it possible to truly understand evil without either becoming evil, or becoming a victim?"

First of all, I'd like to say that I was truly intrigued by the synopsis. Sadly, the execution let me down.

My main issue with this book was the writing style. The author tend to tell rather than show and that made the reading experience less engaging for me. It was also the reason why I couldn't care less about any of the characters.

The story hooked me, but I've kind of predicted the plot twist since chapter 7. The big reveal at the end of the story was pretty predictable and I think some parts were really rushed. I understand that maybe it needed to be rushed in order to push the story forward, but some things just didn't make sense.

I also felt that Lydia's characterization seemed inconsistent. She was described as this highly intelligent woman but some of her actions simply didn't reflect her supposed intelligence. It was frustrating and disappointing, especially since I thought I was going to like her. The romance subplot also wasn't believable enough because it was really rushed. The chapters about Lydia and Alex detracted from the overall fast pacing and they weren't interesting.

All in all, I believe this story has potential. It was enjoyable enough that I managed to finish it in two days. I just wish the author could've applied the "show, don't tell" technique so the readers would've been more immersed in the story.

The book within a book twist is well done. Good characters and a perfect amount of blood and gore! Very entertaining and highly recommended