This is one of the most unique stories I've ever had the pleasure to read!

Part-art world commentary, part-contemporary college tale, part-psychological mystery, it's a glimpse into the psyche of a young artist, and tackles social issues with nuance and grace.

Linka's prose is creative in itself -- lyrical and poetic, yet also comprehensive and detailed -- and weaves a world that grips you in from the first page and doesn't let you go.

I'll be thinking of this title -- its clever story, emotional beats, and sheer innovation -- for a long, long time to come! Definitely don't miss it!

For a woman like yours truly; who has absolutely no creative bone in her body, but who absolutely adores all creative forms of expression; What I Want You To See was definitely an eye – opener for me.

Sabine is an art student on scholarship to a prestigious institute; who NEEDS to get the approval of her teacher. And just for that, with the help of classmates, Sabine stars down on a dangerous and precarious path that will lead her into the side of the art world that she has no experience for.

I adore mysteries; but I, for the life of me can’t remember reading a book with forgery as the foundation of a plotline. So, I am doubly glad that it was Catherine Linka’s book that I picked up to ease my way into the forgery plotline (not purposefully; but I love it when such coincidences happen!).

While the first part of the book is a bit slow, when it comes to the mystery of the plotline, it is the character growth of the protagonists that keeps the reader invested in the book.

As reader, it was important for me to understand who Sabine was a person – a recently orphaned daughter of a housekeeper who worked in Beverly Hills. And even surrounded by wealth, Sabine is a far cry from a pampered girl. She has no choice but to take care of her own self – the reliance on herself, this independence of her leads her to make some very perilous choices.

For someone, who enjoys fast paced thrillers, What I Want You To See was a wonderful change of pace of me; and one that I definitely enjoyed!


Anyone who loves finding new plotlines for their mystery/thriller books and would love a change of pace; then this contemporary YA mystery by Catherin Linka would be the perfect pick for those wintery afternoons, when all you want to do is laze around with a good book on your hand.

What I Want You to See by Catherine Linka combines many of my favorite fictional ingredients: romance and mystery and social issues and art. I found myself emotionally impacted by Sabine's story and felt her shame and guilt and dread at different parts of the story. This is how I know the author has done something right; when you can still connect with characters who you do not have much in common with.

Unfortunately, I did not get the chance to read this ARC prior to the book's publication, but hopefully I will be able to tackle my TBR in these coming weeks.

Interesting and unique story!
Thanks to NetGalley and Disney Book Group for the opportunity to read and review What I Want You to See by Catherine Linka!
Sabine has lost her mother and is now on her own. She’s attending art school and has great talent. She’s attending due to a scholarship but her art teacher is harsh and without his recommendation, she won’t keep her scholarship and will have to drop out of school. Sabine gets conned into practicing and perfecting her artistic skills by secretly painting a replica of her tough professor’s painting, that has yet to be revealed. This painting has already been sold for almost a million dollars but when it’s put out for the art exhibition, Sabine knows it’s not the professor’s painting but her copy because she can see her flaws. She’s devastated and realizes she was tricked and now she’s going to be the fall guy because the con man has fled. The story touches on homelessness and college students who struggle to make ends meet. The author has given information about homelessness in her ending notes. Riveting suspense and food for thought. 4 stars!

Based in the world of a prestigious California art school, 'What I Want You to See' is like a child's version of a Jackson Pollock - a bit of a confusing mess. My main issue was that Linka tries to weave WAY too many sub plots into this - there's romance, there's mystery, there're family issues, there's bullying, etc etc and then right at the end there's some crazy large-scale organised crime. It all got a bit much for me.
It did feel like there's a good story in there, trying to shine through the layers of paint. Is it a masterpiece? Sadly not. Would it have been one if it had been simpler? Still probably not, but it might have left me feeling more satisfied by the end. As it was I just felt confused and like I'd wasted my time reading it. Not for me, sorry!

This book make me consider what really qualifies as creativity. Pushing past personal limits can strengthen resolve, and we get to see this in Sabine. I usually like to go into a book without knowing too much about it. In the case of What I Want You to See, I think that’s very important. The summary gives WAY too much information, taking away from the suspense that I craved. Still, I very much enjoyed this book. There were some terrific moments that clearly placed a fork in Sabine’s road. I loved the author’s writing style, which was descriptive without being tedious. Definitely planning to give this to my daughter to read! I hope to see another book featuring the characters of What I Want You to See.

If I had a slogan, it would be “I don’t like YA romances.” That would be it. Kind of a shitty slogan, but there it is in all its glory. YA romances typically fall into the contemporary genre, so as much as I do enjoy a good contemporary I am hard-pressed to pull the trigger on a lot of them. But for whatever reason, I saw an offer for What I Want You to See in my email from the FFBC, and I couldn’t say no. Call it precognition, call it dumb luck, but just don’t call it average. This book blew me out of the damn water.

Rating:

How I’d Describe This Book to a Friend

Sabine has had a pretty difficult life: she’s grown up financially poor, but never poor in spirit as she’s always had her mom right beside her, urging her on to achieve bigger and better things. It’s through her mother’s earnest love and her high school art teacher’s belief in her abilities that Sabine has managed to achieve what she thought was impossible: the coveted, full ride Zoich scholarship at CALINVA, a premiere art university in California. This is even more meaningful to Sabine because not too long ago, she lost her mother. Her mom’s employer – consider her a starring cast member on Real Housewives of SoCal – unceremoniously dumped her and her belongings outside, and Sabine has been living out of her car for a while now. A full ride art scholarship is her dream come true. A chance to really develop her skills, to show the world what she’s got.

But there’s a small problem – Sabine’s got to enthrall the faculty to retain her Zoich scholarship, and as a painter there is really only one faculty member that can keep her afloat – Krell. I know I definitely had my own personal Krell during my own undergraduate – haughty, nothing you do is good enough, you feel like they are singling you out in particular to make your life miserable. And without an impressive painting for Krell during their first year showcase, Sabine won’t be able to retain her scholarship. She works hard enough as it is – renting a small room from an older woman who has rented this room to Zoich scholarship students for what feels like a millennium, and working part-time at both a restaurant and a local art supply store – but now Sabine has to work even harder to figure out what makes Krell tick.

So when a handsome graduate student named Adam turns up in Sabine’s art store, her interest is piqued. Even moreso when he complements her on her art – he saw her while he was in the classroom fixing a bulb, he confesses – but he has keys to Krell’s studio, and therefore access to a piece of art so shrouded in mystery that not even its buyer has seen it yet. Krell told Sabine to copy artists, to draw inspiration from their canvases. So surely drawing inspiration from Krell himself will impress him … right?

Lines grow blurry as Sabine feels more and more guilty about her secret time in Krell’s studio – even moreso when she starts to develop feelings for Adam. Suddenly she has no time to do anything, and then a tragedy strikes the art world that causes a ripple effect which makes a wave threatening to crush Sabine, obliterate her. How on earth can she stay afloat?

The Bottom Line

I try not to read too many summaries, as a general rule. Including this one. So I thought I was picking up a pretty standard YA contemporary. What I got, however, was a YA contemporary that stretched the genre over into suspense territory, and really leaned back on the romance. Is there romance present in this story? Sure, of course. But it’s not a focal point – I’d be hard-pressed to even argue that it’s secondary: if anything, it’s really a tertiary afterthought. Romance is part of Sabine’s life, but her real love is art. And through her eyes, you’ll come to appreciate art, too.

Interspersed throughout the book are short chapters detailing sketches Sabine has made in the past – these help characters we never directly meet such as her mother, or Iona (her mother’s uptight, filthy rich boss) grow into lush, vibrant characters. Even the side characters we meet in Sabine’s life at CALINVA and beyond are fleshed out – there is nobody here who is extraneous, and everyone matters, including a lovely homeless woman named Julie who I am certain will break hearts and become a fan favorite, because I know she’s mine.

I don’t know a lot about art theory or history, but Linka draws you in in such a way that you’re off Googling and learning. I know more about art than I ever did coming into this, and I did it of my own volition, organically! Being with Sabine in CALINVA really brought back my undergraduate years, struggling and growing and watching her make some of the same mistakes I did. I can’t stress enough that this book is so much more than a YA contemporary – it’s about love all right, but the love of found family, of the beauty of art and the freedom of expression. The love between friends and the people who support you when you stumble. I adore Sabine and while this book does not receive a Big Red Bow Ending (thank god), I think she got exactly what she needed.

I am so proud of her, and that’s how I know I love a book: this girl is part of my story now, too. And that’s art in and of itself, in a way.

This book blew my mind by the end! I didn’t know which way to turn! Also, this is going to be really hard to talk about without spoiling the ending, which I definitely don’t want to do, but I’ll do my best.

Let’s start off with the main character: Sabine. I connected with her right away because, while I have not had the challenges she faced, I do know what it’s like to be a student at an arts school, desperate for the approval of a very difficult teacher. My medium was not painting (it was music), but the emotions and devastation I felt when I could not figure out what my teacher was going for at the time really made me relate to Sabine. I understood why she wanted to take the risks she took and really hoped that things would work out for her.

Again, I can’t really go into as much of the plot as I would like, as it would spoil things and this is a book that really needs to be experienced fresh. I will say that I absolutely loved Sabine’s friends at CALVINA – Taysha and Kevin. Everyone should have people like this in their lives. I also really liked how the atmosphere of CALVINA was described. Any arts school, of any medium or genre, will be competitive and it is difficult sometimes to make friends. It is also difficult to connect with the imposing, sometimes intimidating, faculty, even though they are supposed to become your mentors. Catherine Linka captured this perfectly in this book.

The mystery and crime parts are the ones that I don’t want to talk about, but I will say that my heart was in my throat the entire time. I read most of this book in one sitting because I could not put it down. Sabine gets involved in something way over her head, and while she never meant to hurt anyone, it is also very difficult and risky to try and make things right. There is a question put to the reader about whether it is best to hope that the bad things we have done will be overlooked and blow over, or whether it is better to clear your conscience and come clean, regardless of the consequences and how it may affect your future. You’ll have to read the book to see what happens and what Sabine decides, but I found the ending to be perfect.

I worry with certain characters that I'm not going to be able to create an emotional connection, because I cannot empathize with their life. In What I Want You to See, I had those concerns simply because, on the surface, we have very little in common.

Beyond the fact that she is an amazingly talented art student, and my toddler can draw better than I can, Sabine has had an incredibly difficult life. Thankfully, I have never been homeless, and I don't know what it feels like to lose my only parent. So from the jump, I didn't think I could really understand her struggles.

This is where Catherine Linka's excellent writing takes over.

Sabine became a regular girl in irregular circumstances. I could feel her inner struggles and even understand where her art comes from. Her boy struggles were just like my boy struggles in school, only a little more dramatic in the end. The constant need to not disappoint people is palpable throughout the book, and I can't begin to describe how much I identified with it.

I wouldn't say this plot is unexpected. I could tell where the story was going, but the journey is what the book is really about. Just like Sabine, I couldn't see the way out of the situation she slowly got herself into.

This happens a lot in life. How many times have people warned you that you were making a mistake, but you can't see that and do it anyway. "That boy isn't good enough for you." "Do you think that's really a good idea?" "Let's just talk about it before you do it." The problem for Sabine is that she's been on her own for so long, she hasn't let anyone in to see what she's really doing.

The people in her life only see what she wants them to see.

She's alone without the benefit of the second opinion we all take for granted or don't even know we're getting. Further proving the old adage, "No man is an island entire of itself." Thanks, John Donne, for that eternal wisdom.

What I Want You to See is a genre shifting, coming of age, young adult novel. With constant moral questions, complex characters, and a non-stop plot, it's difficult to put this book down. This is the perfect book for any fan of contemporary YA.

Are you looking for an intriguing book about art, crime, and mystery? Congratulations, this book promises to give you just that.

What I Want You To See tells the story of Sabine Reyes and her journey through her first year at CALINVA, a prestigious art school. She has been struggling in a painting class, as she feels that she is not meeting the expectations of her professor. Aside from this, she is also dealing with losing her mother, being under much debt, and becoming homeless.

Sabine is a morally grey lead, which means that she has made several questionable decisions and she is also struggling on weighing things around. She is also surrounded by different people that also affect most of her decisions and molding the person she is turning out to be.

If I were to be honest, this book is a little slow in its pacing and it could be improved a little. Though I was expecting a thriller, the crime part of this story is a bit set aside, which made me feel a little sad and wanting.

But, there is no denying that this story is very unique and talked about topics that are not usually read in young adult novels. This story also shed light in important issues and finding yourself after all the challenges that life throws at you.

Overall, this book offers a great way to understand art and giving a glimpse of a young adult’s journey in knowing the right thing to do and knowing one’s self.

What a strong and powerful novel!

I found so many elements intriguing, interesting, and entertaining. The meanings were deep and relatable.

I am so excited to be able to read another book by this author!

This book was surprisingly fun and quite intriguing. What I Want You To See by Catherine Linka is a unique and captivating story about art, beauty, imperfection, and learning how to be true to yourself.

I like to think of myself as an artsy person. I love arts and crafts, I love being creative. I've done scrapbooking, jewelry making, pottery, and even started my own handmade nail polish business a few years ago (I don't do it anymore though). But, I personally don't know that much about art criticism and theory so reading this book and learning about that was very interesting for me.

WIWYTS is different from anything I've read before, but I really enjoyed it and connected with Sabine more than I expected. Her struggle to gain the approval of her professor, Krell, her insecurities and fears about never being good enough, her passion for what she loves, and every other emotion she experienced I could also feel. I'm really shy and was one of those students who dreaded being called in class, and doing presentations and speaking in front of everyone. So, I could easily sympathize with Sabine and my heart just ached for what she's dealing with.

Linka's writing style has its own allure and I enjoyed it. It's easy to read and the pacing, while slow at times, had a nice flow. I liked the storyline which is well written and engaging. There's enough intrigue, conflict, thrills, twists and excitement. I won't go into details, but through all the lies, forgery, and deceit, I found myself on edge a few times and hoping the best for Sabine. Another thing I liked is how Linka vividly described the art pieces. It made me feel like I was there looking at them and that was really fun for me. The romance aspect of the story didn't really do it for me. Maybe I was into the other parts of the book, but usually I enjoy romances so that was kind of a bummer. As for how it all ends, I have mixed feelings since I was hoping for more, but I think Linka wrapped up the story pretty well.

Sabine is a complex character, but all her flaws, fears, and vulnerabilities made me root for her. As I've already mentioned, I felt a connection with Sabine from the start so watching her story unfold was at times heartbreaking, but also quite riveting. I was engrossed and while I did put the book down a few times, I couldn't wait to pick it up again and continue. I wanted to know what she would do, what would happen next, and what the ending would be like for her.

All in all, this book is different from what I'm used to reading, but in an unexpectedly good way and I quite enjoyed it. What I Want You To See is a unique, thrilling, and fascinating story that I'm sure would appeal to plenty of readers. This novel is so much more that what it seems and there are so many aspects of the story that will make you think and see things differently.

I received an advance reader copy of this book from the author and publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review and for participating in a Blog Tour hosted by The Fantastic Flying Book Club (FFBC). I also received free hardcover copy of the book for joining the Bookstragram Tour also hosted by FFCC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What I Want You to See by Catherine Linka is a book I was excited for since it promises crime and art—two elements I always love in a story. I enjoyed the way art is translated onto the page, but my love for the book pretty much ends there. I had a difficult time connecting with the main character, and there is not enough emphasis on the action of the art crime, making the story fall flat.

❀ A TALENTED SCHOLARSHIP STUDENT

This books follows Sabine, a talented scholarship student at a prestigious art school. Now given the opportunity to learn from a renowned artist, Sabine finds herself struggling in his class and willing to do anything to gain the approval of her professor. As her scholarship is threatened, she is offered a chance to improve her work and finds herself caught in the middle of an art crime. As someone who has little knowledge of art theory, I found this book very readable, and I actually learned a lot about the art world. The author also discusses social issues such as homelessness in the novel, adding some depth.

❀ MORALLY GREY CHARACTER

Sabine is a fine character but not my favourite. She experiences her fair share of hardship as she is forced to face life on her own, and her ability to persevere despite these hurdles is admirable. It is clear that she is passionate about art, and I liked seeing the world through her artistic lens. That being said, part of Sabine’s character is her moral dilemma, and she makes many poor decisions throughout the book. I understand the circumstances that would drive her to make these choices, but I had a difficult time connecting with her, largely because of this. It is interesting that the author has created a morally grey main character, however it didn’t work out for me.

❀ SLOW-PACED

The pacing is another aspect that I had trouble with. The book’s synopsis makes it sound so thrilling with its description of the perfect crime, but I didn’t find this one as exciting as I was expecting, and I wouldn’t necessarily classify it as a thriller. To me, it reads more as a contemporary with much of the plot focusing on Sabine’s experiences at school, and I found that not enough of the book talks about the actual crime. The pacing is quite slow until the end of the book, and I began to lose interest. As well, I didn’t feel like the stakes were high enough, and this also led to me getting bored.

What I Want You to See by Catherine Linka is a book with a lot of potential but not enough excitement. I enjoyed the original concept and the descriptions of art, however I couldn’t connect with the main character, and the plot fell flat for me. I would still recommend this to those looking for a book about art, however, as this is one of the redeeming aspects of the novel.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Fantastic Flying Book Club, Netgalley, and Disney-Hyperion for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

Okay.

At first, this book gave me vibes that reminded me about that movie with Hilary Duff in it where she goes to some arts school or something? You know what I’m talking about, right?

Well, anyway.

The background on this novel with how much really goes into the arts and how intense things can be in that world. Not even just the technical aspect of art – because while it may look like art is subjective and should be able to be whatever it wants to be – but even the educational part and some of the competition that they have to deal with is pretty intense as it is.

Then you add the crime aspect that wow, I definitely wasn’t planning on that at all, and you have a novel that just went above and beyond what you would probably think this was about. It was… wow I know I said the word “intense” a whole lot, but that’s the feeling that I had with this novel, and Sabine is just someone that I couldn’t help but feel pulled towards throughout this entire novel.

Actual Rating: 3.5 stars

This book was the perfect fun read to compliment the “Intro to Art History” class I’m currently taking (and the drawing class I took last semester!). What I Want You to See was a captivating contemporary coming-of-age story mixed with romance, mystery, and of course, art.

One of my favorite elements about this novel was that it not only followed an aspiring artist, but that it followed a protagonist going to college, which technically makes it New Adult (even though it’s being marketed as Young Adult). As a creative writing major, I could definitely relate to the protagonist’s struggle with pushing herself creatively and doubting herself as an artist. And the friendships! Making friends in college can be so hard, so I liked seeing Sabine yearn for connection and friendship. Eventually Sabine gains a couple of quality friends, and I appreciated that they were a constant thread throughout the novel, and weren’t shoved aside in favor of romance like so many YA contemporaries have a bad habit of doing. Sabine’s constantly juggling work, homework, art, friends, romance, and stress, which is honestly so accurate to college.

An aspect that took me by surprise was how much I enjoyed reading about Sabine’s character. Initially, I was a bit skeptic, but as I continued to fly through chapters, I really started to admire her portrayal. Sabine is a girl with a lot on her plate, and I mean a lot. She’s constantly torn and unsure on how to approach things, her emotions consistently making her change her decisions, and I really liked the realism in this. Teens/young adults are constantly questioning and doubting themselves (or at least it feels like I am, lol).

There was one thing that didn’t quite work for me and that was the pacing. The novel is divided into weirdly short chapters, and while I liked the shortness at times, there were definitely multiple times where I questioned the choice of chapter breaks in specific scenes. Additionally, I felt the ending was a bit…anticlimactic? It felt oddly stretched out and the climax felt pushed up too close to the end. The ending felt a bit too convenient and definitely not explored enough. I really wanted more of an aftermath.

Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable read. It wasn’t astounding, but it had a unique premise and I really appreciated reading a contemporary set in college. I would love to read more books like this one!

Trigger Warnings: loss of a parent, homelessness, grief, stealing, lying, manipulation

Written in an intricate manner, What I Want You to See is definitely one of the book the book community will surely love. 

Based on the cover, looks can be deceiving in a way you will think that is it just one of the many other feel good contemporary. But no, What I Want You to See is much more different than that. It is the kind of story where you the reader can learn how complex life is. How sometimes things don't happen the way we want it to be.

As a person who doesn't have the talent and interest in arts, I find it difficult to cope up with the story at first. But with how good the author is, I'm mesmerized and encourage to study and search the beauty of arts. It helps me open my eyes that art is not just a boring thing but an interesting beauty.

When regards to the characters. I didn't find it hard to sympathized and realized that not everyone have the capacity and privilege. It made me appreciate how amazing life is and be contented of who and what we are and have. With Sabine's portrayal, it shows how some people can learn how  to be strong when encountering difficult things. 

I would really wish that this book or story can be developed into something. I want everyone to know and experience the love, affection and realizations that I gain from reading What I Want You to See. To everyone, I want you to read WHAT I WANT YOU TO SEE.

Personal rating – 4.2/5 

What I Want You To See is the first book that I read by Catherine Linka, and I’m so impressed! I thought this book would be a sweet contemporary novel, but BOY WAS I WRONG. This book completely blew my mind away with how deep and thoughtful it was! I finished reading the book in a day, and I haven’t read a book with 350+ pages so quickly for a long time ~ I was THAT invested in the storyline.

I have never read a book with a similar plot to that of What I Want You To See, which is why I was really interested to read it. (The cover kinda played a role too. ) I was hooked in the book from the very beginning. I loved how simple but beautiful Catherine Linka’s writing in the book was. The story played out like a movie in front of my eyes because of how wonderfully she described it with her words. The story transformed swiftly from a regular contemporary novel to a great one with a surprise element : SUSPENSE. Did I expect myself to be at the edge of my seat ALL THE TIME while reading the book? NO. But did I enjoy reading the book with all my heart? I DID.

Now let’s talk about the characters. Sabine – our main character, was really interesting. Her story was written in such an intricate manner, I loved reading about her! Her character development was the best part of the book. Self discovery is one of my favorite elements in any novel, and I was so proud of how Sabine discovered the best version of herself inspite of being on a path filled with dangerous decisions and outcomes. The side characters added their own importance for unfolding the storyline. I loved how their lives dissolved together like different shades of colors and created a beautiful artwork.

One of my favorite parts of What I Want You To See was the deep and mesmerizing description of different paintings in the book. They added a significant touch to the storyline in my opinion. I am going to start college next year so the way in which Sabine’s college life and the realistic obstacles she faced in it were described have kind of helped me mentally, I guess. The inclusion of morality in the story made What I Want You To See a book to be remembered.

This book has the potential to be turned into a great movie for young adults ~ one that is filled with important teachings. I can’t wait for the world to read this book and fall in love with it. Best wishes to the author!

Sabine Reye is a talented painter. Her life turns upside down when her mother dies. Despite winning a fully-paid scholarship to California’s most prestigious art school, which was a dream come true, her life isn’t all roses and sunshine. Her class with the teacher she once admired and hoped to study with is harder than she imagined. When a handsome stranger, Adam, who seems to understand her and gives her an opportunity to be better at her art, she takes him up on the offer. But who is Adam really? When she gets embroiled in a secret crime, she understands just what it means when things are too good to be true.

To be honest, I didn’t like Sabine much at first. I have an INTJ personality (introverted, intuitive, thinking, and judging) so it was quite annoying to watch her make all the wrong decisions. I believe that experiencing traumatic events does not excuse bad behavior or lashing out at others. But I also understand how lost and alone she was, with no one to guide her. I was disappointed by her choices. I suppose that it’s harder for me to empathize because I was forced at an earlier age to find my own moral compass which enabled me to know right from wrong. That said, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. She was drowning and she couldn’t seem to pull herself out of the mess dragging her down.

The author’s writing was exceptional. She did a great job showing a complex plot-line with intrigue and good twists. I was engrossed in the story because I had to know how Sabine fared. I enjoyed the side characters and the way the author gave a creative slant to the story with the artistic descriptions, which were rich and vivid. Plus, how can you not love that fantastic cover?

Overall, What I Want You To See was a good story focusing on moral choices and the consequences of our decisions and actions, how they affect not just us but spiral to splash on the lives of others.

*I WAS PROVIDED AN ARC FOR THE PURPOSE OF A BLOG TOUR. THIS DOES NOT AFFECT MY OPINION*

Before I dive into this review further, I want to warn you that this book does focus on some heavy topics, such as depression, suicide, acting out of suicide by multiple people, bullying, catfishing, homeless flashbacks, talks of becoming homeless, and stealing. If any of those topics are triggering to you, I'd suggest you not read further into this review, as I'll be mentioning one of them later on.

Now, let's hop into this!

There're no words to describe how I felt after reading this book. I was in a little bit of shock, mixed with a happy I FINISHED A BOOK AND I ACTUALLY LIKED IT moment.

This book was phenomenal.

The main character of this novel had something I want to see more of: vulnerability. In YA novels nowadays, vulnerable characters are usually just thrown onto the sides. But Catherine Linka didn't allow that to happen for this one! Sabine speaks about being homeless, how she lost her mom and had to fend and care for herself throughout her last years of high school and into her first year of college, where this story takes place. It really puts into perspective how privileged some of us are, and it also helps us realize and think about the things we could do to help those like her.

Something I really liked about this book was that there wasn't just one big downfall. There were multiple. When someone's life falls apart, it's multiple things that are packed on to someone's plate. Until eventually, the plate tips or it breaks from the pressure. That is really portrayed in this book, and I absolutely loved that the author took the time to implement it in the right ways.

However, there was one problem I found in this read. It was mentioned by one of the characters that you can't really further someone's depression/suicidal tendencies if they're already that way, and I found that statement to be highly untrue. As someone who's suffered and dealt with both of those in the past and present, I can honestly say that it's very possible to push someone so hard that they feel the need to take their own life. I've had people go out of their way to tell me to kill myself before, so I can promise you, it's a daily happening for some people.

Lastly, I really don't think this novel should've been placed in the YA genre. I believe this should've been bumped up to New Adult, but for whatever reason, it hadn't been. This novel doesn't follow an age that's used in YA, and it felt more like a New Adult age.

Altogether, I really adored this novel. It raised many problems up into the spotlight and said "FOCUS ON THESE!" It depicted a girl's rise and fall and redemption all in one story. For that, I rate this novel 4.75 stars. I can't wait to see what Catherine Linka releases next, and I'll be anxiously waiting until then.