Rating: 4 Stars
Publication: July 9th, 2019
Genre: Horror Fantasy
Format: ARC
Diversity: LGBT+ MC
Summary:
It's been 18 months since the Raxter School for Girls was put under quarantine. Since the Tox hit and pulled Hetty's life out from under her. It started slow. First the teachers died one by one. Then it began to infect the students, turning their bodies strange and foreign. Now, cut off from the rest of the world and left to fend for themselves on their island home, the girls don't dare wander outside the school's fence, where the Tox has made the woods wild and dangerous. They wait for the cure they were promised. Then Byatt goes missing, and Hetty will do anything to find her, even if it means breaking quarantine and braving the horrors that lie beyond the fence. And when she does, Hetty learns that there's more to their story, to their life at Raxter, than she could have ever thought true.
My Thoughts
All three girls were flawed in some serious ways and at first I wasnt into it, but the more I read the more I came to appreciate it. Ones passive and needy, ones violent and closed off, and the other is a compulsive liar with no self control. Despite those issues, their need to survive and stay together had me rooting for them. They do get some growth, but I loved how they're still morally grey at the end. Everyones a little twisted in their own way which is totally understandable under the conditions they've had to endure. Fighting for survival with uncertainty and death all around is bound to make anyone a little deranged. I liked each of them for different reasons so I dont think I had a favorite. They're all complexe and fascinating. At one point I was worried their friendship wasnt going to be as strong as the summary led me to believe, but I came to realize that just because they do some stupid stuff to each other it doesnt mean they dont care deeply for one another.
Hetty is the main perspective, but we also get some of Byatts once they're seperated. I would have loved some chapters from Reeses point view, but I trust the author left it out for a reason. It did take me a while to figure out what the relationships dymamics were, but once I did I found them very compelling. I loved seeing Hetty and Reese get closer and Hettys devotion to Byatt. Theres a bit of a sapphic romance that develops, but its definielty not the main focus. We dont really get as much in depth with it as I would have liked. Theres also some scenes where the characters have an easier option, but dont seem to realize it just to add more obstacles for them to overcome. One example was them not using their guns to shoot down a feral animal. I thought the two remaining adults at their school were very intriguing. I was dying to find out what they were hiding and their role in the whole situation.
After reading the summary I was immediatly hooked and needed to know what secrets lay hidden beyond the schools fence. The plot is mostly focused on finding out what happened to their lost friend and surviving long enough to track her down. The danger made the plot that much more captivating with the threat of feral animals, humans turning on each other, and the virus fever flare ups killing off more and more girls every season. Theres also an air of mystery with the unknown origin of the virus and the adults keeping secrets that added some amazing suspense. The answers we do get about the virus and the other secrets were very exciting, but I was hoping for a more detailed explanation. I did see the bigger twists coming, but there were still plenty of small moments I wasnt expecting. I did have a difficult time believing the main character would willingly skip meals when shes eaten so little to begin with.
This book combines two of my favorite settings with its isolated island and a sinister forest. The only thing keeping out the feral animals and overgrown forest are the tall fences that surround the all girls boarding school the characters were attending before the virus hit. The way this virus works is incredible. I liked how it changed the girls into part plant or animal with things like gills, a second heartbeat, thorns poking out like a second spine, or scales and claws for a hand. The way these gory elements were described in detail made it all so much creepier. The atmospheric writing added a sense of eeriness to the story without being overdone and slowing down the pace. I liked how it clearly changed from Hettys to Byatts perspective. I seriously hope we get a sequel because I need more concrete answers and a resolution. If you loved Sawkill Girls or Lord of the Flies then I think you will really enjoy this.
*This book was received for an honest review
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