I picked this up after falling massively in love with Rutkoski's other series The Winner's Curse.

This book follows Darcy Jones, an artistic teenage orphan with a charming tight knit group of friends. Darcy who was abandoned at the age of five, cannot recall any memories before that moment. After moving from foster home to foster home she has finally found a home where she is happy and loved. Her life is turned upside down when the mysteriously handsome new guy, Conn Mcrea shows up at school. After spending time with Conn on a school project secrets from Darcy's own mysterious past come to light.


Honestly I didnt really know anything about this book going into it. I wasnt really sure if it was just going to be a straight contemporary or if there was going to be some fantastical element. From the very beginning I felt the story grounded in a unique reality. The characters populating this world felt real and this book could have easily been just a regular contemporary. Darcy is a very likable heroine and I cared about what was happening to her. I really appreciated despite falling for Conn very early on there was a sense of unease I felt for Darcy while she was getting to know him. I found this a refreshing change as it didnt feel like blind instalove.

I had a few moments reading where I found it difficult to suspend my disbelief. Particularly when it came to her friends after they found out her secret. It was nice but also quite unlikely what unravelled with them. I also found the ending a tad bit rushed but not enough to take away from the story as a whole. Overall I really enjoyed this book and wouldnt have minded reading a sequel.