I have mixed emotions about this one, though I was mostly angry at every character except Jolene.

Also a content warning for sexual assault.

In the initial chapters, I thought Jolene has a little bit of an attitude, but she was open to Adam and their budding friendship. But as the story progressed and we got to know the characters more, I became more and more angry at all of them (including Adam and at times the author) for their treatment of Jolene. I mean, if I experienced what she did with her family, I would act the same way. Ultimately, Adam was on her side and she received support from a couple of other sources, but the rest of them (and I include Adam’s dad in this as well), should be severely punished for their behavior.

I felt like this book was super long, longer than it needed to be, and that there were a couple of side plots that didn’t really add more to the story. I understand why the story with Erika was included, but don’t know that is was necessary, it was out of character for Adam and it just didn’t seem to fit.

The ending was good, though I feel like more could have been done for Jolene. There are very slight improvements to her life, but she’s still kind of on an island alone, just a nicer island. I would have liked to have seen a bigger change in her circumstances.

I know my review seems a bit critical, but I did really like the book. I loved the growth in Jolene’s character and the changes in some of her relationships.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC for review consideration through Net Galley on behalf of the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.