Don’t be fooled by the happy cover

4,5 stars for this one! It’s true, this book really exposes it all. All the crap, the lies, the hell that high school/secondary school can be for someone who is labeled as an outcast.

That the only reason I gave this book 4,5 stars. It’s focused on the hurt brought on to the outcasts by the popular kids. It’s incredibly one sided, which the author admits at the end. The last part of the story tells that you can either agree with the story as it was written or that it was entirely different. It tells you to grab a pen and write your own truth in the margins, which I thought was brave and smart as it if also a reference to what happened in the story.

I for one find this book exposing a whole bunch of truths. My own high school experience wasn’t always as rose colored, but it wasn’t necessarily bad either. But... this wasn’t my story. It was Paige’s.

And my heart broke so many times for her that I need some time to repair it. This book describes domestic violence and abuse, a trigger warning. But the writer did an amazing job on writing this. It’s so truly gripping that it feels true. Which it probably is for some people. And that makes me sad. Like the book says (I’m parafrasing): Everybody finds themselves good people. And that makes it scary when you look at the state of the world.

But besides the emotional parts, there is also new friendship, new love, AN AMAZING AUNTY, and a lot of humour. I am a fan of Holly Bourne, for sure. I love her writing, her characters, her humour and that she recognizes the importance of stepping away from the cliches. I absolutely adore you, Holly.

But don’t be fooled by the happy colored cover: this isn’t a bright, wholesome story. Not. Even. Close