This was a hard one for me, because I love the plot line, but the characters did not work for me. The main character, Sabine, is not a likeable character and the supporting characters were not much better.

The story is told from Sabine’s POV, so our perception of the other characters is colored through her descriptions, so I think this is why some of their actions put them in the unlikeable category. It is Sabine’s response to them that we are seeing, not their true motivations. And Sabine herself is incredibly selfish and inconsiderate, wanting her own way and not even wanting to listen to anyone else’s feelings.

Of course this may have been intentional to draw parallels between Sabine and the villain of the piece, Mrs. McMichaels. Mrs. McMichaels is another truly unlikeable character who has gotten away with holding her entire community hostage to her beliefs.

There is a redemption arc for Sabine in the end, and she does step up and own some of the stuff she has done, making reparations.

The book is labeled as having LGBTQ+ representation, which is true, but it is very minor. Polyamory is mentioned as well, but glossed over.

Overall, this isn’t a bad book, it just wasn’t right for me.

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