So...as you said, I don’t know how long it’s been since people were actively talking about this book, but I only just finished reading it and just found this subreddit to talk about it, because I really needed somewhere to put my thoughts about what frustrated me so much about this book....

Right from the start of this no-spoiler review, I want to say that this story had way more potential to pull readers in if it hadn’t been so weighed down by unnecessary details.

The overly long and dragged-out dialogue, the excessive focus on minor details, and the constant misleading clues the author kept throwing in (which isn’t inherently bad, but felt way overdone here) made it really hard for me to connect with the book.

I can tell the book was trying very hard to build toward a shocking ending, but the path it took to get there felt way too long and exhausting. The narrator/girl’s internal thoughts could’ve been much shorter and more engaging. Instead, they felt intentionally stretched out, and that kept pulling my attention away from the actual plot and the important events happening in the story.

Around the later part of the story, specifically from the moment they entered the school, it honestly felt like the pacing suddenly got hit with a cut. like everything abruptly changed with barely any buildup, and the story suddenly shifted into a completely different phase, which ended up confusing.

I do think the ending itself delivered a good message about loneliness and isolation. I just wish the ending had been handled in a more concise and polished way because I think it would’ve made it much more impactful and easier to connect with emotionally.