Ratings3
Average rating4
“I know how to watch my back. I’m the only one that ever has.” India Maxwell hasn’t just moved across the country—she’s plummeted to the bottom rung of the social ladder. It’s taken years to cover the mess of her home life with a veneer of popularity. Now she’s living in one of Boston’s wealthiest neighborhoods with her mom’s fiancé and his daughter, Eloise. Thanks to her soon-to-be stepsister’s clique of friends, including Eloise’s gorgeous, arrogant boyfriend, Finn, India feels like the one thing she hoped never to be seen as again: trash. But India’s not alone in struggling to control the secrets of her past. Eloise and Finn, the school’s golden couple, aren’t all they seem to be. In fact, everyone’s life is infinitely more complex than it first appears. And as India grows closer to Finn and befriends Eloise, threatening the facades that hold them together, what’s left are truths that are brutal, beautiful and big enough to change them forever… From New York Times bestselling author Samantha Young comes a story of friendship, identity and acceptance that will break your heart—and make it whole again.
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I think my rating is a tad high. The concept here is good, although it was easy to figure out Eloise's big secret, but the execution felt bland, and some elements that needed more attention didn't get the needed care.
Theo, Eloise's father, has actively worked to deny gay people their rights, not knowing his daughter is gay. This is something that fascinates me -- how bigots seem to never take into account the poison they're pouring into the ears of their children. I mean, I know we're supposed to see Theo is a good guy, and I appreciate the nuance, but then let's explore his working through his reconciling and working through his issues with his daughter's identityI would have also, in a more frivolous sense, liked India adapting more to extreme wealth instead of rapidly taking it for granted. Think of all the books!!!! Oh, and clothes too I suppose. And opportunities.
Anyhow, while I enjoyed the story, I felt very little when I would expect to go through a lot of emotions.