Push and Shove

This book in particular should come with major TRIGGER WARNINGS.

There were two major things that made me reevaluate the series as a whole but mostly this book in particular. I wanted to like this book but consistency and pacing really made it difficult for me to enjoy this book as much as I did the others. As a whole, I do like Sang as an MC but in this book her innocence and naïveté were taken to another level in order to enhance the contrast of the sexual assault scenes. Those scenes were horrible to read by themselves, but they didn't need to be reinforced by Sang's almost delayed reactions. Since the beginning we have been told that Sang's mother has always told her about murderers and rapists in the world, but when she sees it for herself, she seems incapable of digesting that someone could do those things.

Second, I thought that there was a lack of consistency in the plot and in the boys' actions. There were a LOT of things happening in the book, interspersed with periodic dates or get-aways (as the case may be) with one or a few of the boys. To put in simpler terms, there was more bad than good; and the bad was really bad. Closer to the end of the book, I was not expecting such a bombardment of shit to hit the fan. There was one scene in particular that could have cut out altogether but I assume was deemed necessary in order for Sang to move out of her house and into one of the boys'. When I mention the lack of consistency in the boys' actions, it has to do with that particular scene because how could they have left her alone in such a fragile state, strapped to a bed, helpless? And the excuse about getting Marie and Danielle to look after her was ludicrous after all the badmouthing the boys have to say about them.

Finally, the pacing. Too much was happening in this book to ever really appreciate the momentary respite scenes with the boys; and that was a real shame considering some of them were the best interactions Sang's had with some of them.

In the end, I had to skim over the Academy chapter because I got spoiled on it while reading the Goodreads page for this book. Let's just say that kind of put a damper on things from the very beginning. Not only because I read a spoiler but because of the contents itself. Not a good way to end a book if you want readers to continue on with the series.