This is a debut novel from a talented author. Teenager, Lucinda Hayes has been murdered in a small town in Colorado. We alternate between several characters, learning about their lives and their connection to the victim. The characters were depicted in their most raw and imperfect forms and I feel that this is where Kukafka shines as a writer.

Each character has their own secrets, and they are battling their own personal demons. I had very similar feelings toward this book as I did with the Girl on the Train. The characters themselves were not particularly likable, they were all a bit twisted in some form, and as far as the mystery itself, I can't say I had it all figured out.

We learn about Lucinda through the eyes of the ones who knew her.
Cameron is a boy who has loved and "watched" Lucinda from a distance. Slipping out at night and watching her through her bedroom window. He is a complex, tangled boy, dealing with his own mess of emotions and feelings.

Russ is a cop who, having known Cameron's father before he disappeared, wants to protect Cameron and his mother. Russ has a complicated marriage with a woman whose brother he doesn't fully trust.

Jade is a girl with an alcoholic, abusive mother who treats Jade's sister as a doll she can dress up and live vicariously through. She treats Jade as a lost cause. Jade is in love with her childhood friend, but he only has eyes for Lucinda.

This book was not an edge of your seat thriller, it was a good deal slower than I expected, but it did keep me guessing until the end.
 
Many thanks to Simon and Schuster as well as the author, Danya Kukafka, for the opportunity to read an advanced copy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Good Read