Mr. Markley is clearly a very insightful and well-educated individual, touching on political and social hot-button issues that he has researched considerably. His writing is remarkable, with vivid images, and sophisticated vocabulary. I appreciated the breathtaking landscape descriptions; he does an amazing job of luring the reader in with his imagery.
However, the sheer darkness and despair of this novel, made much of it incredibly difficult to stomach. When I first read the blurb, I had hopes for something akin to The Big Chill, replacing college buddies, with highschool friends. However, I was certainly mistaken, as there was little to no redemption or hope for any of the characters. It was simply pain, hardship, regret, and loss. The great majority of characters were unfathomably edgy, and being teenagers, it made the story quite disturbing. I honestly had to read past several scenes that were too gruesome to imagine a child doing.
Despite such difficult scenes, Markley did an incredible job of creating a feeling of desperation and recklessness that was all-encompassing. I felt each of the characters' anguish, and I was invested in the outcome of their situations, if for no other reason than a hope for redemption for these poor souls.
Many thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for gifting me with this book in exchange for an honest review.
*If you choose to read this novel, be prepared for very crude language, and intensely graphic, disturbing scenes.
Read 5/29/18
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