Being the villain of someone else's story isn't as straightforward as you'd think. Adult Natalie has had  dysfunctional family relationships, with her mother and siblings, and a 15-year estrangement from all of them. (Thank goodness the explanation for what happened 15 years ago was revealed early on, I'm not sure my anxiety could have taken any more ambiguity.) I have a hard time holding an 18-year-old responsible for having to make a hard, split-second decision that so negatively affected her siblings, who not only were older than her but were also not blameless for what happened. I'm mad at her emotionally unstable mother for holding her responsible and for the child neglect and dysfunction in the first place. But how do you heal when the person who initially inflicted the damage isn't there anymore? And can an olive branch extended after death be enough? I guess the answer is that you heal as best as you can with those who are left, and decide if forgiveness is one of the things that heals you. 

This book made me feel all sorts of ways. It was a thoughtful read focusing on family and forgiveness, and it's a nice mix of tension/conflict and hope. Pay attention to trigger warnings as there's a lot going on here. So many great, well-rounded supporting characters, right down to the cat. Natalie spoke to me, on the brink as she was between her current life and an enhanced return to her old one. I really enjoyed her journey, and the presence of a hot scientist absolutely didn't hurt. :) New-to-me author, I really like her voice and would definitely read more from her!