4.5 stars- I absolutely adored the second book of this quartet! I immediately enjoyed it more than the first book, and that was definitely helped by being much more familiar with the characters by now. Her writing still felt direct, but felt more lyrical and poetic. Here are a few of my thoughts: 

Now is this story an engaging and nuanced portrayal of female friendship? Yes. Is it relatable to me? Honestly, no. Sorry but may this kind of friendship NEVER FIND ME LOL.  That being said, I could see how it could be relatable for so many; the author really depicts the full spectrum of female friendships and all the jealousy, competition, admiration, insecurity, love and hate that can come with it. 

It has to be said that while most of this cast of characters are very real, human and messy- they’re almost all pretty horrible and I don’t like most of them. Most of the men are driven by insecurity, fear and ego which result in abuse and violence. The women are driven by jealousy, insecurity and desperation (but it always shocks me how cruel the women can be to one another). 

However, THAT is what makes this so engaging. It’s kind of like watching a multi-series tv show or soap opera where you go through a lot of ups and downs with the characters. As the characters change and grow, your feelings about them do too. They make bad decisions, they have redemptive moments, they cause pain in others. I’ve become so invested in the characters’ story arcs and their relationships, and can’t wait to keep reading!! 

(I HAVE to add this final thought… Lila knew how Elena felt. Elena, for all her toxic and jealous tendencies, did not deserve what Lila did to her. I’ll die on that hill lol.)