Have you ever watched a movie where everything went right in the first half and then the director threw a wrench in the plans and messed everything up? That’s this book. A lifetime movie, if you will, and not a really good one. Just the OK one with ridiculous shit happening to make it pop.

I am a sucker for stories about the foster system, especially when siblings get separated. It is always a question of what will happen to them now. For Mallory, she excelled, while for Liz, life was haphazard. These two found their way back to each other in one of the most unexpected ways.

To start, the cult situation had me intrigued. It was suspenseful and left me wanting more. When it came time for the big reveal, all I kept thinking was, What the hell is really going on here and why? I would’ve loved to see the author go another way with the twist at the end. It felt random and written without complete thought, almost. It immediately soured the book for me. It did not feel believable, but after further research on the author, I see this is a common theme for him. In terms of throwing shit in there just for kicks.

Although the book wasn’t for me, I think the author did a great job of keeping me engaged, and there were even supporting characters I loved. It just didn’t come together well in the end.

3.5/5⭐️

Recommended for people who love thrillers, simple mysteries, and quick reads.

Other questions I had were:

- Mallory and Ben—are they together or friends?— because the line was very thin. She didn’t seem to like him throughout most of the book, but at the end, they have sex. I recognize that she was caught up in the search for her sister, but damn.

- Are these people black? The author makes it a point to let us know that they are, but for some reason, I still don’t feel like they were.

- Could we get more background on how Liz became Father?