This had so much potential and I could see the author's vision...but no. The execution was really poor and so was the writing.

It's a shame that I can't find any information about this author. There is no Goodreads page for this novel yet there is an Amazon pre-order page.

But the book is absolutely fantastic. I loved figuring Ray out although Ada really was the one you either rooted for or despised... sometimes both! This is a story about an orphaned boy who likes to draw and paint but he also has a certain "gift". And part of this gift demands that he ingest negative energy from people's shame, guilt, fear, and pain or else he will die.

Ray is such a sympathetic kid that you can't help but feel his pain and sadness as he tries to understand why he's a "freak" when all he wants is to be normal.

But realizing what he must do in order to survive is heart wrenching and horrifying at the same time. This is the first in a series and I can't wait to explore these characters more in the future. I highly recommend this!

Gorgeous cover and a really interesting premise. The entire time reading this, I could really see the authors vision and voice ... But the writing needs to be refined. Drastically.
So many scenes made individuals feel out of character - part due to the pacing and part due to feeling like the dialogue was forced to fit rather than letting the characters be who they are.

Will I read the second? Absolutely. But I hope the author continues to hone her craft before the next release.