Tough read beginning to end. Feels like the whole book is set up and then no redemption. Just a parade of dysfunction and trauma.

I knew what I was getting into when i started reading this story. I knew it was going to be sad and emotionally demanding. Great writing and a queer lit that is worth reading but it can be confusing at times.

Thank you Catapult for the gifted ebook!

This book was confusing at times and surprisingly a bit boring. I think this book would work well for some people but it was not for me.

Writing style (shifting between past and present) confusing to read, especially towards end where there was suddenly a new character introduced

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

REVIEW TO FOLLOW.

I was so excited to get this ARC from Netgalley. I thought it was going to be a modern riff on a fairy tale, like Hansel and Gretel. Instead it was just a boring, badly organized "suspense" book. The plot was BORING. I kept waiting and waiting for the book to get better, since it's billed as starting off like a fairy tale and ending like a nightmare. I have read grocery lists scarier than this book. I feel like the time I spent finishing it is several hours of my life that could have been better spent getting my teeth cleaned or doing my taxes. Probably would have been more fun too. Hard pass

a really stunning and well written debut novel from Mirabella. I only wish we got to spend a little more time with Justin and Willa, I thought the story ended a bit abruptly and i wanted to see more of the ‘aftermath’, but overall a really gripping book.

A stunning story, I was amazed that this was a debut. The characters are so well fleshed out, the form is expertly crafted, and every detail is so precise. Moving, touching, heartbreaking - this is a perfect book.

This book is well-written, heartbreaking, and fascinating all in one. Some parts of it moved in a confusing manner, but on the whole it was a cohesive and intriguing story.


Thank you to NetGalley and Catapult, Counterpoint Press, and Soft Skull Press for the chance to read this book!

How could I pass up gay literary fiction? I was really excited for this title and while I found it to be really good I thought it was a little confusing when the timeline kept jumping forward randomly and there was no indication until halfway through the chapter that all of a sudden you were 5 years into the future. So much would happen inbetween and they barely explained most of it.