Tuesday, July 21, 2026

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone (Benjamin Stevenson)

Why I have this book: I borrowed it from KU because it was the "Fit and Lit" book club book this month. (Still debating on if I'm a committed member of this particular book club.)

I gave this book three stars on Goodreads. It took me a long time to get through it. I don't think that's because it wasn't good. I've just had a lot on my mind lately, so it's been hard to focus on things like reading. I honestly thought the story was very intriguing and clever. It was also pretty funny in some ways, even though it dealt with pretty heavy things. I guess I'm kind of conflicted about it. I think I also don't know what kind of story it's supposed to be. It's the first in a series, so if I look at it like the Finlay Donovan series where it's just a light murder mystery series, it wouldn't seem so heavy, and maybe that would have changed my thoughts on it?

I don't know if I'll continue on with the series. I did think the writing was clever and funny. There were some unrealistic things, as well. I felt like things didn't tie up as neatly as I would have liked (but to be fair, I was falling asleep and trying to push through the last little bit with half an awake brain). There didn't seem to be as much emotion as one would think considering the deaths that occurred. 

Fairly clean. No sex, not much swearing. There were some descriptions of death that were a bit yucky.


Tuesday, July 7, 2026

Three more of The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Volumes 2, 3, and 4 (Beth Brower)

Why I have these books: I'm using a KU free trial to borrow all of them. I also have them on Audible (they were on a good sale), but I find reading them to be more satisfying.

I'm enjoying this series immensely. The writing is humorous and is as close to perfection as it can get as far as editing goes. I'm super invested in the protagonist's developing relationships and wondering who (if anyone) she ends up with. 

I mean, some of it doesn't feel particularly realistic for a woman in that era (way too much freedom and unchaperoned time with her various male friends), but where would be the fun if she were just stuck at home embroidering like she should be?

I gave each of them four stars on Goodreads.

Clean. I don't think there's even any swearing.

Sunday, June 28, 2026

My Next Breath (Jeremy Renner)

Why I have this book: I borrowed the ebook from KU, I think, and the audio version from the online library because I was curious about his story.

I gave this one three stars on Goodreads. The description of his accident was incredible (and difficult to listen to and read about), and hearing the actual 911 calls in the audio version was anxiety-inducing. It's really unbelievable that he survived without more serious long-term injuries. His description of death (from the moment that he seemed to have died) was fascinating and actually pretty comforting. 

I only gave it three stars because the rest of the book seemed a bit redundant and somewhat... not humble? I don't really know how to word it, but it was just difficult to feel a lot of connection to him. I do think (from looking at his IG page after reading the book) that he does a lot of good in the world, and he seems like a family man and a loving father. It was just hard to get into the rest of the book and the way he describes his life. 

I found myself annoyed by his stubbornness and arrogance as a patient. The book had too much profanity for my liking (as is typical with celebrity books), and he just comes across as a bit self-absorbed. I'm not bothered that I read it, but it didn't quite reach four stars for me.

Lots of profanity and pretty graphic descriptions of his injuries from the accident.

Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Awake (Jen Hatmaker)

Why I have this book: I borrowed it from the ebook library in audio format.

I gave this one four stars on Goodreads. I honestly had never really heard of the author before this last year, and even then it was just glimpses online. I think I ended up borrowing her book because Sharon McMahon recommended it. They might even be friends if I'm remembering correctly, or at least they know each other.

Jen did a great job narrating her own book.

Anyway, I did enjoy it. I could relate to a lot of her perspective and I appreciated her thoughts. I do think she lives a life that's not typical. For example, as much as I'd love to take a month long "Me Camp" every summer to places like a little cottage in Maine, that's just not something that's within my reach. I could maybe manage a three-day "Me Camp" at home if my family would ever go camping for three days without me, but it's still not the same as the cottage in Maine.

It's kind of weird that some people seem to have so many resources at their fingertips. I'm sure her crowd of supporters who help her achieve her dreams is much bigger than the average person since she's been a public figure for quite some time.

Pretty clean except for profanity. She swears a lot more than you'd expect from someone who was quite publicly religious until recently.

Sunday, June 21, 2026

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Volume 1 (Beth Brower)

Why I have this book: I bought the audio versions when they were on a great sale, then borrowed the ebook versions when Kindle Unlimited gave me the three-month free trial again. (Let's see if I get through all the books I've borrowed before the three months are up.)

I enjoyed this book. To be honest, it wasn't super exciting until almost the last third or so, and then I finally had a feel for the characters and what was going on. Luckily the book is very short... only about 130 pages for this first book in the series. (They get longer as you go, it appears.)

I'm into Volume 2 currently, and I'm enjoying that one even more.

I gave this first book four stars just because that's how I felt at the end. Haha

Clean.


Friday, June 19, 2026

Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line (Elle Cosimano)

Why I have this book: I borrowed it from the ebook library because I've read the others in the series.

I gave this book four stars on Goodreads, but given the choice, I might have gone with 3.5 stars. I enjoy the stories a lot. They are easy to read, easy to get into, funny, etc. Bonus that there weren't any gory scenes this time around!

I'd drop the stars by a half-point just because the sexual banter is a little more than I want to read in a book like this. It's not necessary and doesn't even seem to fit in with everything else going on. There could have been just a tiny bit more editing work, too. There were just a couple things that needed to be tidied up.

I thought for sure this book would tie up the series, but the author left us with a cliffhanger again. She is really good at those cliffhangers!

I'm sure there was some profanity, but I don't recall exactly what level it was. There's some sexual banter/talk, no descriptive sexual scenes, though. It's a mystery, so expect some "edge-of-your-seat" moments.

Tuesday, June 16, 2026

All the Colors of the Dark (Chris Whitaker)

Why I have this book: I bought the Kindle version at one point after seeing it online a lot... or maybe a friend rated it on Goodreads or recommended it to me. 

Then my daughter listened to it and was dying to talk about it with me, and it so happened that the audio version I had put on hold came up that very day (probably her return that brought it up for me), so I dove in.

Oh, my gosh. I don't even know what to say about this book. I can't decide if the writing was good or not. I can't decide if I liked it or not. I have so many questions about how and why things played out the way they did.

I honestly had to give up on the audio version because it was so confusing. The author's writing style is lyrical and hauntingly beautiful, but it also makes things hard to understand. He says things that paint a picture, but you're (or at least I'm) not always sure what that picture means. That's why I had to stop listening. I had to go back and read it to understand some parts I had already listened to. After I caught up to where I had been, I just kept reading because it made it easier.

I feel like if I had to put a voice to the story, it would be Matthew McConaughey's voice. (A woman narrated the audio version, though.)

A quote that resonated with me: "At ten years old he realized that people were born whole, and that the bad things peeled layers from the person you once were, thinning compassion and empathy and the ability to construct a future. At thirteen he knew those layers could sometimes be rebuilt when people loved you. When you loved."

(Yes, one thing about this particular part of the story was how old thirteen-year-old kids sounded and how deeply they thought.)

I also enjoyed this statement by Charlotte when she went to a library for the first time: "So other people have touched these, maybe even read them on the toilet, and then you just go ahead and take them home?" Hahaha... yep. My sentiments exactly.

I laughed when Patch "winked" at Saint, and she said, "Technically it's just a blink when you do it." Hahahahaha... (Patch only had one eye.)

I was going to give the book only three stars because it left me with so many questions and some frustration at his writing style, and plus his acknowledgements at the end were kind of annoying (inside jokes, almost flirty with some people, etc). I also think he needed a better editor. Besides some punctuation errors, nobody in the US says "I fell pregnant." He (as a British author) used that phrase twice. Where was the editor??? 

I agreed with one review online that basically said the author seemed to be trying hard to use a lot of words nobody knows. Seriously. I gave up looking up words because it happened too often. Way too often.

But the story itself is super crazy, lots of twists and turns, so many threads to tie together. He's a brilliant writer in that sense. I stayed up until 3:00 am finishing it because it just got so intense.

I ended up giving it four stars on Goodreads. There's just so much to think about and chew on with this story.

Lots of profanity. The storyline deals with serial killers, abuse, sexuality, drug use, death, etc. There are a lot of dark topics going on.

Wednesday, May 27, 2026

The Man Who Couldn't Stop (David Adam)

Why I have this book: I borrowed the audio version from the ebook library.

This book wasn't what I expected. I was thinking it would be more about the author's personal struggle with OCD. While he did share a a fair amount, the book also had a lot of history of the treatments and medical/psychiatry theories about OCD.

It was interesting, for sure. It's really sad how many humans are just experiments as medicine progresses. I think everyone living now benefits to one degree or another because of those experiments. It's how knowledge is gained. (To be clear, I don't mean deliberate experiments. I mean, it's trial and error to figure out what works for all kinds of medical issues. Although it does seem like there were some pretty crazy "experiments" that happened, too.)

Anyway, I gave it three stars. I learned a lot, and I'm glad I read it, but it wasn't quite a four-star read for me. It was good for me to see the way his brain processes his experiences. I could relate to some of it.

I don't remember if there was any profanity, but he did talk about some OCD actions/thoughts that involve sexuality. He also discusses the ways lobotomies were performed and other "treatments" for OCD and other mental illnesses.

Monday, May 25, 2026

Heidi (Johanna Spyri)

Why I have this book: I bought the Kindle edition for 99 cents when someone mentioned it online. 

The edition is the "1922 Classic Edition with Original Illustrations."

I remember reading this book as a child. I think my Grandma B gave it to me, so that was a good connection to have as I was reading it this time. I remembered bits and pieces and could pull those memories out as I read, thinking ahead to what might be coming up. It was fun when those anticipated scenes played out as I expected.

I gave it three stars. I think I probably enjoyed it more as a child (target audience). Now it feels too simplistic, too Pollyanna'ish for my too cynical mind. Or maybe I'm just realistic, not cynical. Blah blah blah.

It's a sweet story, pretty religious in parts, and probably would rank higher for me if I were rating it in my childhood.

Clean.

Sunday, May 24, 2026

Lift Me Up (Milly Johnson)

Why I have this book: I think it was an Amazon First Reads freebie last month. It's a short story.

I gave this book three stars on Goodreads. It was okay. Fine enough for a short read.

There was a quote in the author's words at the end of the book: Have only people around you who lift you up, who add to your smiles... and be your own best friend.

Definitely something to consider in life!

I don't recall anything offensive. There's a little talk about sex, but nothing graphic. If there was profanity, I don't remember. Not helpful, I know!

Saturday, April 25, 2026

The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Caused an Epidemic of Mental Illness (Jonathan Haidt)

Why I have this book: I have seen the author online many times, so I bought his book. Or I bought it first, and then found him online. I don't remember. I ended up buying the audio version, too, for my son to listen to. (I had to bribe him $10, but it was well worth it!)

I gave this one three stars. I was surprised I rated it so low!

I actually agree with everything he says about social media and technology. No arguments from me there! I think he could have taken his warnings further when it came to the dangers of pornography and the reasons it's dangerous. He was fairly brief about that and didn't really expand on why it's so harmful.

I also didn't totally agree with his assertion that kids should be free-roaming. I get that there needs to be a balance, but he and I differ on how much "Get outside and I don't want to see you until dinner!" there should be. It's not risky or scary until it's your child who goes missing... and it's always someone's child. Girls and women are sexually assaulted. Kids make decisions that do require parents to track and be aware of where their kids are and what they are doing.

It felt a little like he is super on top of the dangers of technology (which I agree with), but not real tuned into the reality of what can and does happen in real life. Maybe he's more willing to take that chance than I am. I do try to be balanced about it, but I'm sure we all come at it from different experiences and thus make our boundaries from those perspectives.

In any case, the book does have valuable information. It seemed too long for the topic. I think he could have focused on the dangers of pornography for young children and for teenagers more than he did. I do agree with some of his opinion on real-life experiences but not entirely. Overall, it's a worthwhile read, and I did see my son take to heart some of his advice, so I'm happy about that.

I think it was pretty clean. He does mention pornography and suicide and other things related to technology. 

Thursday, April 9, 2026

The Wedding People (Alison Espach)

Why I have this book: My daughter recommended it, so I purchased the ebook version, then later purchased the audio so I could keep reading even when I was busy.

There was so much I liked about this book. I like the stories of women who discover their independence and find their inner strength and do things that help them grow and become who they want to be. This book had that. It was also humorous and interesting and had me super curious about what would happen. It would be a four-star read for me if I were just basing the rating off of that stuff.

I dropped it to three stars, though, because there was way too much talk about sexual things. There wasn't much descriptive sex, if any (can't remember), but way too much talk. Seems unrealistic, especially amongst strangers/people who aren't that close. It distracted from the story, in my opionion.

Still, I'm not sad that I read it.

I'm sure there was profanity, and like I said, there was plenty of sexual talk. The story also involved divorce and death of a spouse.


Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Happiness Falls (Angie Kim)

Why I have this book: My friend read it and gave it five stars, so I borrowed both the ebook and audio version from the ebook library.

This book was fascinating and engrossing from start to finish. The audio narrator did a great job which no doubt added to the experience. The author's note at the end was also very interesting.

I gave it four stars on Goodreads. Very good read.

There was profanity, and the story dealt with a missing person and not knowing if they are dead or alive.

Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Normal People (Sally Rooney)

Why I have this book: It's a well-known book due to the tv series and online reviews, and my daughter also recommended it. I borrowed it from the ebook library, then bought the audio version so I could listen while doing other things.

I really tried to love this book. I certainly thought about it a lot after I finished it. It's strange how a book that doesn't really bring you into the story (rather, it feels like you're observing from a distance) can also make you think. I don't know... I guess I didn't ever feel super connected to either of the main characters, and I didn't feel any connection to the side characters. It was hard to understand why the two main characters had all the issues they had. I could see their issues, but I didn't really feel any of it. Plus... could two such smart people ever figure out how to communicate? That would have solved a lot of problems for them.

Are they really "normal people?" It didn't seem very normal to me, but maybe that's more to do with location and culture than anything?

It's not a very happy book, and it kind of gets under your skin and makes you confused as you try to think it through. I gave it three stars on Goodreads. I'm actually surprised someone read it and thought, "Let's make a tv series out of this!" 

Don't even get me started on how the author didn't use quotation marks. It adds an unnecessary annoyance and distraction to the reading experience.

I'm pretty sure there was profanity, but I don't remember specifics. There were some definite unhealthy sexual situations as well as regular sexual situations that were moderately descriptive. (At one time I would have called them more than "moderately descriptive," but I know there's a lot more descriptive stuff out there now.) There is also a suicide, depression, anxiety, family issues, etc. 

Monday, March 16, 2026

Year of Wonders (Geraldine Brooks)

Why I have this book: I borrowed it from the ebook library after seeing that the local library had read it as a book club book in the past.

Okay, after I started the book, I realized I had read it before at some point. It was before 2010 since it's not already on this blog, so I decided to go ahead and read it again. I didn't remember everything about it, so it was still interesting. I gave it four stars on Goodreads.

I have to say there were some tough parts to read. It's based on a true story of a village dealing with the bubonic plague during the 1600's. There are some fairly graphic descriptions of how the disease manifested itself in human bodies.

The story itself never really feels uplifting, so don't read it if you're hoping for something that edifies you. The writing is fantastic... there were lots of words/phrases from that time period and location that I had to look up. The language made it easy to get enveloped in the setting.

There may have been some mild profanity (but maybe not?), but the bigger issue was the description of disease, death, decay, and murder. There were also some mild to moderately described sexual situations.

Tuesday, March 3, 2026

Devout: Losing My Faith to Find Myself (David Archuleta)

Why I have this book: I bought the Audible version to support the author and to learn more about his life.

I gave this memoir four stars on Goodreads. David narrated his book, and he did a great job. I had very little knowledge of all the things he went through with his singing career (even before American Idol) and all the difficulties in his personal and family life. 

I know people have been disappointed and have criticized him for leaving his religion and living a lifestyle that contrasts with the life he lived before, but it's his life and his journey and how he is figuring out what matters to him. 

I do think he was more blunt and TMI about some things than I was comfortable with, but you know... it's his story. In my opinion, he's courageous to tell it, and I support him in that. I think he's a good person with a good heart, and I wish nothing but the best for him.

It was also very interesting to hear his experiences with the highest leaders of the LDS Church.

There was some profanity in this book, as well as some brief descriptions of his sexual experiences. 

Friday, February 27, 2026

Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come: An Introvert's Year of Living Dangerously (Jessica Pan)

Why I have this book: I borrowed the ebook from the ebook library, but ended up buying (with a credit) the Audible version so I could get stuff done while listening.

And on that note... once again the audio version was different than the ebook. The audio was recorded for the British audience, and the ebook was Americanized (soccer vs football, for example). One change that made me laugh was when the audio version said something about a "piece of piss." What? Did I hear that right? I looked in the ebook version to see what she really said, and that version said, "a walk in the park." Of course, then I had to look up "piece of piss" to see if that's really what she said, and I guess she did since it means "something extremely easy to achieve or do." I learned something new. I've never heard that saying before. MAYBE IF THEY'D QUIT AMERICANIZING BOOKS, WE'D ALL LEARN NEW THINGS. Of course, it's not like I'd start saying that, but it was something new to learn.

Back to the book. I gave it four stars on Goodreads. Even though the author and I live very different lifestyles (hers is way cooler), I can relate to a lot of her feelings. While I'd never do some of the things she did during her "year of living dangerously," it made me more determined to get out of my bubble and do some things that I know will be good for me even if I feel more comfortable at home.

Her words made me chuckle aloud a few times. Jessica Pan is a good writer and a good narrator. I enjoyed this book a lot.

I liked this quote:

"I'm also shocked to discover that talking to strangers turns out to be one of the cheapest, easiest ways to feel good and get a hit of dopamine when you're feeling low, invisible, or lost in your own world."

I just finished this book tonight (gasp... and I'm writing my review the same day!), and I don't recall any profanity. If there was any, it must have been infrequent and/or mild. She does talk about doing mushrooms, but it doesn't really go into it very deeply. 

Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Britt-Marie Was Here (Fredrik Backman)

Why I have this book: I borrowed it from the ebook library.

I enjoyed this one very much, and I gave it a solid four stars on Goodreads.

Britt-Marie was fun to get to know, and it was heartwarming to see human relationships develop as the  characters let down their guards with one another.

I also had the audio version (I borrowed both), and it was interesting to see that the audio version was based on the European or British-English publication. The ebook was Americanized a bit. When I switched to audio, I heard that the game (soccer in the ebook) was now called "football," and that the Americanized version used the word "spastic" in place of "retard" in the audio version. I guess what we consider the "R-word" in America isn't offensive in Europe? Maybe it's never been used there as an insult like it's been used here.

Good book. I'm glad I read it. I do wish there was an epilogue to tell me how things end up a bit later.

There is some profanity. The storyline talks about an affair, death, drugs, divorce, etc. Life. Nothing offensive or descriptive with any of that, in my opinion.

Tuesday, February 10, 2026

Four books in the Prairie River series (Kristiana Gregory)

Why I have these books: I had the whole series in paperback before, and I remember LOVING them. They came up on a good deal on Kindle, so I bought them to read again.

I gave them each three stars this go-around. (I think I read them the first time before I had Goodreads.) They are written for mid-to-upper elementary kids, and are kind of along the lines of Little House on the Prairie in tone. I didn't remember them being as religious in nature as they are, and I actually think I was confusing them in my mind with another book series or book that I read? There were things that I thought were going to happen that never did, so now I'm wondering what other book or series I was thinking of.

Anyway, I did enjoy them. I like the simplicity of life set in those times. The simple faith, the simple lifestyle without a lot of the modern distractions, the sense of community, etc. I fully realize they dealt with challenges that we don't worry about: harsh weather conditions, lack of medical help, growing all our own food, survival in the early days of settling the land, worrying about "Indian" attacks (or from the perspective of the Native Americans, worrying about attacks and losing land to the white people), etc.

Yeah, life wasn't simple at all for them, but I guess it was nice to imagine a time without all the distractions and information and crazy stuff that is happening in our day. It was a small escape from the things that are on my mind right now.

Side note: In one of the books, the author talks about the different tribes of Indians a character had encountered in his travels. One was the "Utahs." I have never heard of a Utahs tribe. I think she meant the "Utes." When I googled, it did say that early explorers used variations like Yuta, Eutaw, and Ute-ahs for the Ute tribe. Interesting new information for me! 

Also, the Kindle versions of these books had some weird formatting, so that's too bad. It was a little distracting.

Clean. There were some deaths and descriptions of things early settlers dealt with, but again, it is geared toward elementary readers, so it's not overly graphic.

Friday, January 30, 2026

The House of My Mother: A Daughter's Quest for Freedom (Shari Franke)

Why I have this book: I used an Audible credit to "buy" the audiobook because I wanted to hear more of this story that I had only heard bits and pieces of on the news.

To be honest, my interest also was because this happened in a nearby area involving members of my former religious community.

I gave this one five stars on Goodreads. I thought the author (who is also the narrator) did a great job telling her story in a way that was conversational in tone. She seemed to respect the privacy of her minor-aged siblings and stated that their stories were theirs to tell if they wanted to in the future. It was interesting to see a more complete picture of what had been happening in the household for years before the events we all saw on the news. It's sad how some people get caught up in belief systems that end up harming others. To some degree, I understand how it happens, and I've seen it happen due to religion, politics, or "motivational" type organizations. It's scary how easily twisted and influenced the human mind can be.

I was surprised that the author stayed in the Church after her experiences. I'm not sure where she is now with all of that, but it would be interesting to see how her father and other siblings relate to religion after all they went through.

The story talks about domestic abuse, sexual relationships, and sexual abuse (mildly descriptive). I don't recall any profanity.

Wednesday, January 28, 2026

The Correspondent (Virginia Evans)

Why I have this book: It's the talk of the internet, but I also had a friend ask if I wanted to read it at the same time she was. I ended up buying both the Audible and Kindle versions.

I'm glad I did buy both versions. I referenced the Kindle version quite a few times, plus was able to read it at night instead of listening. It still took me a bit to get through it because our household has been busy and we've had some irregular things doing on that disrupt my brain focus. Oops.

I really enjoyed the story very much. I gave it four stars on Goodreads.

Having said that, there were a few things I would have changed to make it a little easier to understand some details.

It's probably the first book in a long time that hit all the feels for me. I found myself really close to tears a couple of times.

Mostly clean. If there was any profanity, it was rare. I don't really remember (and I just finished it last night), so it must not have stood out. I don't recall anything sexual, either. It does deal with death and aging.

Friday, January 9, 2026

The Ex-Wives Club (Sally Hepworth)

Why I have this book: It was super cheap because it is a short story/novella. I bought it for my Kindle.

I gave this only two stars on Goodreads. It was okay. It felt like a little mystery play without a lot of depth or character development. Somewhat entertaining, but that's about it.

I don't recall the profanity level. From other books I've read by the author, there was probably some. I don't think there was anything sexual... but oops, it's been a few weeks since I read it. (Dating this post to the date I finished the book, as usual.)

Thursday, January 8, 2026

The Kill Clause (Lisa Unger)

Why I have this book: I think it was a free option on Prime First Reads? Yeah, it was. 

This is a short story, thank goodness. I did not like it. I didn't like the subject matter (assassins), I didn't like how dark the story was, I didn't like the way it made me feel. It was just... yuck. It was heavy and sad and gross. Not my kind of story at all.

I gave it one star on Goodreads. If it had been a full-length novel, I wouldn't have finished it. Since it was short, I pushed through to see if it would redeem itself. It didn't.

Maybe some would say I'm just too wimpy for stories like this, but I'm okay with that. I think the world has enough darkness without inviting more into my mind.

Murder, assassins, profanity, some mildly descriptive sex. Not a light-hearted read. 

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Not Quite Dead Yet (Holly Jackson)

Why I have this book: I bought the Kindle version because my parents were both reading it. Figured we'd do a little book club.

I gave this one three stars on Goodreads. While it completely kept my attention, the writing needed a bit of cleaning up, and I feel like there were a few holes in the story. It also wasn't plausible at all, but it was great entertainment!

Lots of profanity. Some violence and death involved in the storyline. Still, somewhat of a light vibe even though it was intense at times. It wasn't written as a dark story, I guess is what I mean.

Saturday, January 3, 2026

The Names (Florence Knapp)

Why I have this book: It was another one I borrowed from the ebook library and had to put my Kindle in airplane mode in order to read it after the due date. Oops. December. I also used an Audible credit to buy the audio version.

I am so torn on this book. On the one hand, it was such an interesting concept. The writing was beautiful, and the audiobook had a narrator with a lovely voice. 

I had such a hard time following the story, though. It was absolutely impossible for me on Audible. The timeline jumps ahead every seven years in each part, and each part contains the stories of three variations of the characters' lives. It was just hard for me to remember what had happened seven years ago for each of those characters and their alternate lives. I ended up not listening to the audio version past the first section because I needed to go back and reference things and try to keep it straight, and that was easier in the Kindle.

I think it would have worked better for me if the story would have carried out each variation through start to finish, then the second alternative, then the third. Tell each story all the way through before switching to the next. 

But maybe it was just me. Maybe it was because I still had December brain.

Even with that issue, I still gave this book four stars on Goodreads. It really was a well-written book, the writing style was exquisite, and for a debut novel, I was very impressed with the author.

Domestic abuse, death, SA (framed as teenage stupidity), bullying... all these play a role. I don't recall the level of profanity, and nothing stands out in my mind about any kind of graphic content.