Krysten’s Review

Gosh, this was a depressing book, from start to finish. Even more so for those of us who have been in bad relationships…

I can feel a sob building in the back of my throat, but I swallow it down. This is what he does—this is what he always does. He’s a master at it, making me feel as though everything is my fault, making me feel worthless.

(Rachel, page 314)

…unfulfilling relationships…

I need to find something that I must do, something undeniable. I can’t do this, I can’t just be a wife. I don’t understand how anyone does it–there is literally nothing to do but wait. Wait for a man to come home and love you. Either that or look around for something to distract you.

(Megan, page 23)

…or dealt with depression…

If I can just learn how to hold on to this feeling, this one I’m having now—if I could just discover how to focus on happiness, enjoy the moment, not wonder about where the next high is coming from—then everything will be all right.

(Megan, page 57)

Living like this, the way I’m living at the moment, is harder in the summer when there is so much daylight, so little cover of darkness, when everyone is out and about, being flagrantly, aggressively happy. It’s exhausting, and it makes you feel bad if you’re not joining in.

(Rachel, page 3)

Every character was horribly flawed and unbelievably selfish. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Rachel, who is best described as pathetic, but then frustratingly she keeps on wrecking her life. But, unlike the other characters—Tom, Anna, Scott—she is the only one who is making an effort to be better, the only one who actually makes progress by the end of the book. I was glad to see her stand up for herself after being beaten down (literally and figuratively) for so long.

Overall, a gripping and interesting read.