This book is much more about the relationship between Hadley and her father than the guy Hadley has a romance with. By the end, of course I was happy for Hadley. Of course I wanted her to reunite with her father and forgive him for her sake. As a grown reader however, I could not forgive that man. The guy left his wife and daughter. When his teenage daughter was understandably angry, his attempts to bond with her were too few. For a book supposedly about love, it really emphasizes soulmate-style love over buildng and maintaining relationships. I could not forgive that stepmother either. However, I definitely cared about the main character, Hadley, and I wanted to protect that fictional girl and for her to be happy.
This novel is more literary fiction than thriller. It reminded me of a long-form short story. It also reminded me of the tension and class-consciousness of White Lotus. The main character is a deeply flawed young woman whose insights into other people are often spot-on. She is a predator, looking for ways to manipulate the people around her at all times, but she is also vulnerable and fragile. This might be what it's like inside the mind of a psychopath. This is a book I will chew on for a long time.