Layken however gets a new lease of life when she meets Will, her new handsome twenty-one-year-old neighbor who so happens to be passionate about poetry slams. Meanwhile, others say this book lived up to the hype and actually caused them to take time and reflect on the seriousness of the book’s themes.

The once cancer-affected mother resides in the basement, the father is married to the former nurse of the ailing mother, the young half-brother never does anything fun while the eldest siblings are annoyingly perfect. Holder tries to comfort her and takes her back to their hotel, where Sky begs him to have sex with her so that her father isn’t the only one to have done that to her. Eighteen-year-old Layken becomes the cornerstone for both her mother and younger brother after the sudden death of her father.

Also, this book does not lack the spicy scenes that aided in making Hoover the household name that she’s become. When Layken’s new neighbor moves in, the duo strike up a romantic connection, until a massive secret pulls them apart.

The two form a connection despite the pressure surrounding them, but as their romance grows, so does the risk. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past she wishes could just stay buried. I wait for her to blink, to laugh, to revel in the twisted aftermath of the sick, fucking joke she’s playing right now.We watch both characters learn to heal themselves as they try earnestly to heal the wounds of one another’s past. A chance encounter in the dark leads eighteen-year-old Daniel and the girl who stumbles across him to profess their love for each other. Editor’s note: Some people have suggested this novel romanticizes toxic relationships and abuse; find a list of trigger warnings here. The character development in this story really shines as we meet Holder in a new light — his own light. She for the first time puts her heart in control, only to find out that Owen is hiding a deadly secret.