Let's back up a bit. This story is told from dual POVs: Amber's and Violet's. Amber is a girl who is in a juvenile detention facility, and Violet is a Juilliard-level ballerina who comes from a well-to-do family. What connects them? Orianna. Orianna was in both Amber and Violet's lives at one time, and quite a bit of the story revolves around her and how she came to be of importance to them both.
I was very drawn to the story initially, because the writing is quite lovely and I was really curious to see where the book would go. These characters are very clearly from different worlds, so I was anxious to find out how Orianna connected to them both. The thing is, the book didn't go far, and where it did go was kind of weird.
The Good:
- I enjoyed the writing. It flowed nicely, and was easy to read while still being
- The story and the characters were thought provoking. Morality isn't black and white, and this book showcased that for sure. Is it always wrong to commit a crime? Are people ever completely innocent or completely guilty? Likely, the answer is no, but society forces us to see it as such.
- The characters, especially the ones in the detention facility, are really complex. From the outside, it is easier to think of them as guilty, and maybe they are. But getting an inside look into the prison, they become girls instead of inmates. It's quite moving. As for Violet, I flat out did not like her from the beginning, but she was still very well written. I think it takes a great deal of talent as an author to write a character that is wholly unlikable, yet the reader can still appreciate her narrative.
- There was an air of mystery around Orianna. I assumed that she was a certain kind of person, and I suppose that I was correct. But I was certainly curious to find out if my hunches were correct.
The Not So Good:
- Not a whole lot happened. Listen, I am not a stickler for a fast plot. I am usually fine with some meandering, as long as I am at least connecting to the characters, or gaining insight into some other aspect of the story. But this just kind of meandered and I didn't feel anything at all.
- The supernatural stuff was really my biggest fault with the book. The ghostly narration, while at times confusing, wasn't a complete deal breaker, though it did kind of take away a lot of the mystery for me. I think it might have worked better not knowing who the ghost was. But really, the biggest confusion I had was with the end of the book. I simply didn't understand it, nor did it make any sense to me. I suppose to some people it will, but for me, it didn't fit with the book itself, and made me kind of wonder why I'd read this long, meandering story just to get to a really strange and unfulfilling end. Don't get me wrong, questions are answered along the way. It isn't that kind of situation. The ending itself just seemed to pop up out of nowhere, and do nothing but confuse and irritate me.
Bottom Line: It's well written and has a lot of really unique concepts and characters. But if you are looking for an action packed thrill ride, it'd be best to look elsewhere. Still, I am glad I read it and would absolutely consider reading other books from Nova Ren Suma, as her writing and ideas were refreshing.
*Copy provided in exchange for review*
This review was originally posted on It Starts at Midnight