Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

This book really wasn't for me. It is the kind of book I find really hit or miss so I would say this is more about me finding my niche in the genre than the book being bad.

this was a great psychological thriller, the characters were great and I enjoyed going through this thriller. It was a well done thriller and was written very well.

based on the description and categorization in this book i expected romance but it just wasn't happening.

the author did write the emotions felt by the characters very well, and i loved the way that the content was written. i didn't mind the heavy content at all, but readers should definitely check out the content/trigger warnings prior to picking this one up.

however, i did find the story a little predictable and was waiting for a hint of romance that never came.

Wow... loved it.... read it in 2 days didn't wanna put it down. Loved the story and twist would highly recommend this to anyone! Will definitely be checking out her other books

Okayy
This took sometime because the theme is a heavy pain in the heart. I'm glad that this book had short chapters and that the character pov's were consistent. Writing this review is hard, this topic is something that has destroyed lives and it still is, this book reminds me of the movie "Taken" in a new light.

This story of Carly, a victim hurt my heart a lot, I felt so helpless while reading and the author has done a fine job of portraying emotions ad well as she can. The struggle in every page, every chapter is real and the circumstances are shitty but though it's a book it hurts no less. I felt anger, sadness, hopeless, scared, disgusted and tearful while reading this book. I loved the ending though and the dark side which is exposed here is a look into the dark side of our real human world. The inhumane acts of our society dredge up the fear in us, such people who are victims need out and help but like some of the characters we are just as lost because of our unwillingness to face the darkness to fight it.

The characters had this uniqueness about them which I appreciate, the book honestly was too heavy with mighty trigger warnings, so I would definitely warn people with a sensitive heart to stay away from this book. It's fast paced and has good chapter length.

Prostitution and human trafficking are not something that is openly spoken about. People fear being judged even for thinking about them and reading books like these just leads them to be judged by others. I think that is the reason why most people don't read such heavy books also taking into fact that it's painful as hell. Thankyou for the ARC netgalley.

I would've given this book a five star. Because where I don't mind the dark aspect of this book, what I do mind is the way the author wrote the relationship between Asher and Carly. I didn't mind the fact of not having any romantic relationship between Carly and Asher. But the way the author wrote, the attraction between them was impossible to ignore. There was something. Because I couldn't find it between Asher and Jo. So, this was the only reason I couldn't love this book or give it a five star. Otherwise, I loved how realistic the book was. Damn it! The author should've written it like I dunno without the chemistry or something. Ugh!😠

Unfortunately I struggled with this book and didn't finish it - I hate not finishing what I started but it really didn't hold my attention, it was the subject matter more than the style of writing.

4.5 Stars

For years Asher Thompson worked hard to avoid having his past defining his future. When he saw a student, Carly Dalton was in trouble, he did his best to give her the chance to thrive. But as his carefully crafted world started to crumble down, monsters from his past might destroy everything he held dear.

What I loved the most about this story is how the characters skirted the blurred line between right and wrong. Even though some of the parts felt disjointed, I enjoyed the overall storyline that was made interesting by a couple of unexpected developments and especially the ending.

Fractals is a story of choosing between what’s right and what’s best. It would appeal to readers who enjoy a dark thriller.

Note: Contrary to the cover and what the blurb might sound like, this is not a student-teacher Dark Romance.

I really enjoyed the way this story was developed. You were given pieces of information gradually and eventually you saw how they all fit together. It was quite impressive. Going into this book, it wasn't at all the story that I initially expected. I thought there would be more of a student/teacher romance. The cover gave me the impression there was romance involved. That was my incorrect perception.

What this book did have was suspense, well developed characters, a detailed plot line and some surprises. The topics being dealt with are harsh and cruel. The people in this book often weren't nice. They were opportunistic, sadistic and violent. It was brutal and frighteningly real. The main characters, Carly and Asher find each other by accident. They are each weighted down by the burden of guilt and regret, for completely different reasons. This book will handle these topics as delicately as possible while keeping them realistic.

There were some scenes in this book that could be triggering. Please approach reading with caution and be prepared. This story definitely isn't for the faint of heart. It's real and gritty. It's also timely and feels authentic. I really invested in these characters and wanted to see them each work through their difficulties and conquer their demons.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

Alicia Anthony’s Fractals storyline evolved around a seventeen-year-old girl and her male teacher who took her in and helped her as she searched for her missing sister. The author expertly wove some dark and heavy content – everything from poverty, drugs, death, and human trafficking – into the book along with trust and hope. The book definitely kept you wondering what would happen next – and wanting more. Great ending. This is the first book I have read by this author but it definitely will not be the last as I was hooked with this one. #FRACTALS #NetGalley

The author wrote a gripping story centered on a girl with a dark past and her teacher that takes her in and tries to help her as she searches for her missing sister. The themes of human trafficking and rape may trigger some readers who have experienced trauma, but I felt that the author did a great job of handling these difficult topics and working them into the story realistically.

Fractals by Alicia Anthony

From first page to last I was immersed in the story. I could not stop reading until I found out how the story would play out. I was invested in the outcome as if I were involved and could change what would happen. I knew who I cared about, who I despised, and who I was on the fence about. Not a romance in the general sense of the word but there was love and caring and deep abiding affection along with other emotions that played a huge part in the behavior of the characters. The pasts of many impacted their behavior. I wanted to hug some of the characters and give them a safe harbor while others…I won’t tell you what I wanted to do with them! This was dark, gritty, and difficult to read at times…but it was so worth reading.

What I liked:
* That the story made me think and care.
* Looking up fractals and tears…intriguing what I learned.
* Asher: a complex man, a teacher, a man who loved deeply, a good person, someone I admired and rooted for throughout the story.
* Carly: damaged, cares deeply, loved her life before her mother died, has seen more than anyone should have. She is one I wanted to hug and help.
* Moreno: homicide detective, husband, father, has a purpose, a good man – I grew to truly like and admire him.
* Jo: department of child services employee – someone I was on the fence about for most of the story.
* The way the topic was covered with compassion and eyes wide open.
* That there were (and are) some people that stand up for right and do what they can to help.
* The unexpected twist(s) at the end and the sense of hope I was left with.

What I didn’t like:
* Knowing that human trafficking is real and how people are coerced or groomed into it.
* The people in the story that I was meant not to like – they were wicked, evil, loathsome creatures.
* Realizing that there is little hope of ever eradicating this type of crime.

Did I like this story? I did
Would I read more by this author? Definitely.

Thank you to NetGalley, Aurora Publicity and the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

4.5 Stars

Years ago, Asher Thompson learned how morality can shift and the painful consequences of such choices. Living with regret, Asher has a chance for redemption when Carly Dalton, a student, needs a safe haven. But as the past resurfaces for Asher, certain truths are undeniable.

“Only the privileged have a choice. The rest of us have to settle for a chance.”

Narrated in shifting POVs, the juxtaposition between the lives of Asher and Carly becomes evident. At different phases in their lives, the need to fight for what is right is a shared sentiment.

There are many elements in this book that propelled the plot and character development into a tightly executed book. With complex layers and unexpected twists, I remained intrigued from start to finish. I definitely sympathized with the plights of these characters and liked how they skirted the lines of right and wrong.

Fractals is a dark thriller steeped in the emotion of trauma, survival and redemption. This book would appeal to those seeking a suspenseful story with depth.

I went into this book thinking it was a thriller dark romance with a student/teacher relationship. It was not, that however did not take away from the book. Once I started reading I couldn’t put it down. I have never read anything from this author before but I will now after reading this book.
This story was truly heartbreaking. It deals with everything from human trafficking, rape, drugs... you name it, it’s there.
Carly’s story really kept me in this book. Everything she goes through/went through and trying to find her sister through all of this. Asher trying to help her the best that he can. There are a lot of twists and turns in this book that I didn’t see coming.
This book is worth the read but don’t go in expecting romance.

This story was totally different from anything I’ve read. It had some really dark subjects with a strong female lead. I felt so much for Carly, until her teacher Mr.Thompson came along she had no role model in her life. To say Carly was only Seventeen, she acted beyond her years at times. I enjoyed the twist and felt like the characters were written really well. The only downfall for me was the awkward sexual attraction between Asher and Carly, I think that Asher crossed the line too much between teacher and love interest. This is the first book I’ve read by Alicia Anthony and I’d definitely want to read more by her.

A young girl is desperately searching for her elder sister involved in an underage prostitution business for truckers. Befriended by an emotionally unstable teacher needing to come to terms with his perceived failure to save a girl that lost her life to child predators he seeks redemption if he can help her turn her life around.
Alicia Anthony takes this as the starting point with a hard-hitting story concerning love, trust, poverty, the system, hope, and the edge of your seat thriller.
This is the story of our time with a subject that is cringe-worthy and confronting written with no-holds-barred taking us into dark places scratching the scabs off and revealing another side of life.
An independent review for NetGalley / Drury Lane books

This book really wasn’t what I expected. I guess in a way I thought it might turn into a taboo relationship (teacher/student) romance , but that’s not what this was at all. Its focus is on human trafficking and the perils that result from it (ie prostitution, drug use). It is a dark subject matter, but one we all need to understand better. It was very well written, and the cover really grabbed me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free ARC of this book.

So I had a similar problem to Jenn (The Book Refuge) from Goodreads. I was expecting something from the book that wasn't there, and it totally distracted me from the actual book.

I tried to curb my expectations regarding romance after a while, but I just felt sort of "ahh" about the whole thing. I'm not really sure whether that's beacuse I just finished ACOSF and nothing could compare to my excitement about that or maybe I just wasn't in the right mood.

Carly's experiences and story are truly heart-breaking, and I had a hard time reading a lot of the passages regarding that. Anthony obviously has researched this topic, and portrays it starkly. but respectfully.

I struggled to keep going in this one, as the topics were so heavy, and there were seldom moments of levity from it. Hard trigger warnings here for human trafficking, abuse, sexual situations, drugs, and prostitution.

If you're looking for a dark thriller examining some of humanity's worst, I would reccomend this to you. But for me, it wasn't what I was expecting and I wasn't prepared.

My stupid self thought this is a dark taboo romance since it's shelved under the New Adult genre. Turns out this book is not it, and focus on a very heavy topic.

Trigger warning: human trafficking, underage prostitution, rape, aggravated assault to minors, drugs, abuse.

Asher, a 24-year-old teacher finds Carly, a 17-year-old, late at night at a trucker bar having a fight with her dad. In an instinct, he helps her, even find a scholarship for her in the school he teaches. Until one day police and a social worker show up at the school to pick Carly, letting her know that her dad is dead, overdosed.

His ex-girlfriend who is also the social worker asked him to be Carly's guardian and let her stays at his house for a while. He agrees. But then all hell breaks loose since Carly still trying to find out about her missing sister Caroline, who she assumed is dead.

Honestly, the whole story about minors selling themselves because the adult forced them to is really bothering me. But that's the whole point of this book, to let us know that thousands of young kids are vulnerable. The author even put the statistic about human trafficking at the end of the book, to let us know how serious this situation is.

As for the story, the pace is pretty slow and the characters acting pretty dumb in my opinion. I can't relate to their state of mind, but maybe the reason they do what they do is that the whole traumatic experience made them hard to trust and be honest with people who are willing to help them. Also, the authority is not helping. I'm frustrated ngl.

I hope irl this doesn't happen but the authority in this book is driving me nuts (except Moreno). I mean they easily jumped to conclusions and make their own scenarios without gathering enough evidence. Don't SVU suppose to be more delicate surrounded by this kind of case? Why they're not taken what Carly said more seriously? I feel like they sweep it all under the rug, but believe what Phoebe said just like that.

Anyway, I genuinely don't see the twists coming! That's pretty surprising, and made my jaw dropped! Overall the book is great, and I wish I were more on edge while reading a thriller book but it doesn't really give me that feeling. I'm worried about what will happen to Carly and Asher but doesn't make me feel anxious, which I always wanted to feel while reading a book like this.

❗Thank you to the publisher for giving me the arc through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review❗