What an enjoyable read this was! If you're a fan of Stranger Things then this is definitely the book for you. It’s creepy, eerie, disturbing, foreboding and everything in between - Sutherland has done such an incredible job of building up the atmosphere in this novel which still somehow leaves room for heaps of character development and a gripping plot... all in less than 300 pages.
I found all three of the sisters (Iris, Vivi and Gray) just as fascinating as they were intriguing. Despite being fully fleshed-out characters, there remains an underlying element of mystery where you still can’t quite put a finger on who they really are which works incredibly well, particularly as the book progresses. Iris is the conventionally brilliant protagonist that we usually see in YA novels, who finds her strength and courage throughout. Vivi is a total badass and Gray is suspiciously enigmatic despite her fame and popularity. Although the sisters are an eclectic bunch, Sutherland does a great job in crafting their strong relationship and showing just how deep their bond and loyalty to one another really goes.
However, I can’t help but feel a little... unfulfilled by the ending? Admittedly, the plot twist was brilliant and for me it was definitely unpredictable. But my first thought when finishing this book wasn’t ‘that was amazing’, it was more of a ‘oh... so that’s how it ends’ reaction. Another minor issue I had with this novel was the portrayal of unrealistic beauty standards. There was a A LOT of reference to the beauty of our characters but more often than not, this was accompanied by a reference to how thin and pale they are. Whilst it was amazing to see the inclusion of sapphic and casual bisexual representation, I can’t help but feel that the idealistic representation of beauty could be harmful to the novel’s intended readership.
Overall, this was a spooky and gruesome, yet incredibly enjoyable read. This book is a perfect page turner and you’re sure to be sucked right into this world, however disgusted you may be by it. I will not be surprised if a certain bull-headed skull begins to appear in my nightmares (if you know, you know).