Thank you to NetGalley and Black & White Publishing for the advance reader copy.


There are some good themes in this book in regards to relationships and also how you can be manipulated by someone who you love. I would look at the trigger warnings before reading.

I found that I wasn’t able to get into the story or the characters, and felt like there was more that could have been in the story. As a lot of it felt slow and repetitive.

There are a lot of clues for the story and yet they don’t seem to connect to the main ‘mystery’.
Also the jumping on the bandwagon of making the main character seem like they were in the wrong felt forced, but I also got annoyed because Maya lied a lot.

Overall this is a very much young/mid teen book with what could have been an engaging story but fell flat.

This book is the perfect reminder that YA fiction is still worth reading even for older adult readers. It was well paced, while still providing enough depth and detail. I have read some YA in the past that felt lazy with its characters - resorting to cliche tropes and not giving enough ‘flesh on the bone’. Here the characters have enough depth to make them a pleasure to read about, even if they are not the most likeable individual.
I look forward to being able to add a physical copy of this to my personal bookshelf in the future.

This book is a dark and creepy read that would also be a way to talk with students about abusive relationships. By using ghosts and the paranormal to take the topic a little further away from real life could make it a little easier to talk about a difficult topic. In this book Maya and Alana have been together for a long time. Alan's has slowly chipped away at all of Maya's relationships and used her insecurities to make Maya feel like she isn't good enough. People in Maya's life have tried to warn her about Alana, but Alana just tells Maya no one understands them and she will never leave her. Maya finally thinks she's found the strength to leave but then Alana disappears from the real world and appears back as a ghost.
What I enjoyed about this story was the way it captured the impact mental abuse has on people. It demonstrates how those who are being abused may not even realise. I think the fact that the couple in this story are in a same sec relationship is also really important because it shows that abuse can happen in any relationship. It also shows the additional risk that can happen in such relationships because sometimes people may be against them because of homophobia and prejudice. This makes it easier for the abuser to minimise concerns around abuse by implying that the people with the concerns are being homophobic.

I would definitely recommend this book for secondary aged pupils. It's a bit too intense for primary though.

I read this book in one sitting it was impossible to put down. Weaved with true rage and emotion Karas debut novel was unforgettable.

The storyline invoked so many feelings from sadness to anger as Maya navigates her relationship with Alana. It was clear early on Alana was controlling and manipulative so it was 10 x worse when Maya was faced with the ghost of her.

I felt like this story truly highlighted a lot of serious subjects - like living with an anxiety disorder and being in an abusive relationship. It was very real so definitely kudos to Kara for that.

The character development was on point and all the characters were relatable, I actually think there may be readers out there that will compare themselves to Maya and it may be a little bit of an eye opener to anyone experiencing some of the things Maya is
Alana was one of those characters that yes was superb but honestly so unlikable but that was kinda the point.

100% recommend this book however just check out some triggers like emotional abuse, death etc. Thank you to Delacorte press for providing this ARC via Netgalley, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Black & White Publishing for the ARC

Wow, wow, wow. I'm so impressed by this novel. It was haunting and powerful. An emotional and interesting novel with a lot of layers and great characters. The character development was so good and the relationships explored was heartbreaking and warming. And the underlying mystery was also gripping.

I read this in one sitting so I can start by saying that I really enjoyed this one! It's a quick read and I couldn't put it down.

That said, this is probably sitting at a 3.5 stars for me: the plot gripped me more than the characters did (I thought Maya's character was well written and a great example of an imperfect victim, but the dialogue and other characters were a bit two dimensional) but the pacing didn't lull and that's where the writing really paid off. The ending didn't feel totally wrapped up to me, but the pacing was so clean that it didn't feel lacking until I started to write this review.

Worth saying: there is a lot of emotional abuse. For those who have had toxic friendships or relationships, please be aware of this going into the book. Alana is pretty much textbook emotional abuse and with no redeeming qualities and is horrible to Maya throughout - just when you think it can't get worse, it does. I'm not sure how to word this, but if the relationship was a bit less black and white and Alana was portrayed to have a few redeeming qualities, I'm not sure I'd have been able to handle it as it'd have been a bit too close to a few relationships/friendships I've been in. The story was about breaking free from an emotionally abusive relationship and, especially for a YA audience, does exactly what it set out to do.

2024 seems to be the year of sapphic YA stories and this is another one that I'd recommend! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a wonderfully moving YA paranormal mystery that centres around breaking free from an abusive relationship. It is told with delicacy and nuance, giving time for characters to breathe amidst the c

I loved this book so much I read it in one day! A hauntingly great ghost story. It kept me gripped throughout and I couldn’t wait for the ending. It did not disappoint! Highly recommended.

This was an intense, amazing and beautifully written book! It’s unique and so well written, the characters are relatable, it’s quick paced and gripping with so many twists and turns!
The ending was exactly what I needed and more!